Photo : - Panoz Auto Development Company

On Saturday at the Porsche 911 GT3RS Hybrid will start the Petit Le Mans in the second round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. A first for this type of technology? Not quite...

What manufacturer has not yet proposed hybrid vehicle? Next year, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be open to these new engines. The energy recovery systems are now sufficiently reliable and effective to provide a decisive advantage to competitors, but it was not always the case.

In 1998, Don Panoz had the revolutionary idea of using this emerging technology in competition by equipping an Esperante GT1 with a system for storing energy during braking phases to power an electric motor during acceleration. The result was a 130 hp advantage, bringing the total power of the machine over 800 horsepower!

"Don Panoz told me he had invested a fortune in this project that took a year”, said Tinseau its development driver. "The device was impressive, in total it weighed 300 pounds. To install its batteries, the Varta engineer evacuated the pit box and, in an astronaut suit, he placed the 180 kilogram battery in a carbon box positioned next to the tub "

On Sunday the 3rd of May 1998, the car appeared on the circuit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Credited with a 3.53.199 lap, the Panoz Q9 unfortunately did not pass pre-qualification.

Tinseau: "We spent the year exploding batteries... It was spectacular. Acid leaked through the door and squirted on the track! Since we had a big weight handicap, the ACO had allowed us to integrate all the sophistication available at the time. ESP, ABS, Traction control ... we had everything! The car was easy to drive, with incredible handling and braking. Even in the rain, it was easy. But this project was certainly too early to be viable. "

However, late in the season, Bundy, Nielsen and Tinseau were ranked 3rd in GT1 at Petit Le Mans ... "As usual, the battery exploded after an hour of the race and we carted our 300 kilos of ballast for the next 9 hours! "

Twelve years later, recovery systems are far more reliable, efficient and safe. It will be an attempt to prove that when the Porsche 911 GT3RS Hybrid races at Petit Le Mans, in parallel, with the new Panoz Abruzzi in GT2 class.

Julien Hergault – Translated by Dave Davies