British motorsport powerhouse the RML Group is open to working a Le Mans Hypercar undertaking if a possibility arises to hitch the World Endurance Championship grid.
The Wellingborough-based firm is greatest recognized for carrying Vauxhall’s and Nissan’s works groups to British Touring Automobile Championship glory in the course of the halcyon Nineties Tremendous Touring period and claiming World Touring Automobile Championship crowns for Chevrolet within the twenty first century.
However RML, which this 12 months celebrates its fortieth anniversary, has its origins in sports-prototype endurance racing.
The primary RML undertaking was the Ecurie Ecosse Group C2 squad that claimed groups’ title glory on this planet sportscar championship in 1986, earlier than the corporate ran the manufacturing facility Aston Martin operation in the principle Group C class in 1989 after which partnered Nissan North America’s 1990 Le Mans 24 Hours assault.
Whereas RML has not had a full race staff because it bowed out of the WTCC when Yvan Muller gained the 2013 title with the Chevrolet Cruze, its chief govt Michael Mallock Jr stated when requested by Motorsport.com that that the need is “100%” there to return in that type.
“Hypercar is a improbable idea. The expansion of WEC and IMSA has been unbelievable, and it’s improbable to see so many producers,” he stated.
“It’s a bit irritating that we’re not there really in numerous methods, however we’d like to be there as a staff.”
In addition to a string of high-performance road-car and record-breaking tasks, RML provides spec components to the BTCC, and its superior work on battery know-how signifies that it’s now working with undisclosed shoppers not solely in Le Mans Hypercar, but in addition in Formulation 1.
RML ran the Nissan Primeras that claimed 1999 BTCC title with Laurent Aiello
Picture by: Malcolm Griffiths / Motorsport Pictures
The group has additionally revealed a particular version Hypercar-inspired P39 undertaking, primarily based on the Porsche 992.1 Turbo S and restricted to simply 10 examples.
“We’re in Hypercar in unknown methods as effectively, with our battery know-how working with an OEM on their subsequent three generations up,” added Mallock Jr.
“The opposite space the place we’re utilizing our battery know-how functionality is within the massive single-seater championship [F1]…”
RML is already energetic in decrease echelons of endurance racing by its manufacturing of the Lotus Emira GT4 automobile, which follows its work on the Jaguar F-type, and the corporate can be eager to discover GT3 avenues.
“Endurance racing may be very a lot the core of Mallock and RML,” stated Mallock Jr. “If there was a possibility with a well-funded GT staff and OEM, we’d completely be there.
“We’ve received numerous long-term workers – this 12 months we’ve had three twentieth anniversaries, which is sort of spectacular.
“Though the enterprise has advanced vastly, there’s nonetheless numerous the core motorsport love and focus all through the enterprise.
“We wouldn’t battle to get assist from inside our enterprise if the proper motorsport alternative got here up.”
A particular characteristic on RML’s 40 years in motorsport will characteristic on this week’s version of the Autosport Engineering complement, out on 17 October. Click on right here to search out out extra about Autosport journal.
