Closed roof prototypes back to Le Mans in 2010

[FourWheelDrift]

The ACO the club that runs the Le Mans 24 Hours recently announced during this years race that it's 2010 LMP1 prototype regulations will be for closed roof prototypes only, they will also have smaller rear wings to cut speed. Apparantly they will also have to take design cues from road going cars so spectators can recognise them.

Only Bentley in recent years has run a closed roof LM car (in LM GTP a different class to the LPM1's) but despite winning in 2003 the rules which mainly concerned rear tyre width and greater wear still favoured the open top LMP1 cars and they never returned.

But it seems the ACO want to see closed roof prototypes back at Le Mans and what they want they generally get. KWM who manufactured the CA06/H LMP1 chassis for Creation Autosportif have already announced a closed roof car and have said they might even have it racing next year or 2008 at the latest.

I can see other chassis builders like Lola and Dome building cars but I wonder if Peugeot or even Audi will still be in the sport come 2010.

Will any other major manufacturers will be back, Toyota, Mercedes maybe?

Edited by FourWheelDrift on Thursday 29th June 21:29

[FourWheelDrift]

The R8C became the basis of the Bentley Speed Eight. They shared a fair bit and were also very similar in appearance.

[FourWheelDrift]

Webber did it twice, in practice and in the mornng warm-up photo's here - www.mulsannescorner.com/benzCLR1.html

Then Peter Dumbreck decided he'd try to better Webber's effort in the race, but half way through the attempt he gave up and left the circuit.

Edited by FourWheelDrift on Friday 30th June 10:35