Pescarolo Sport to Launch LS3-powered Prototype with Accompanying Series

Pescarolo Sport introduces 04-LM Prototype with LS3 power.

French race car builder Pescarolo Sport has announced a new LS3-powered prototype that they say will compete in its own racing series in 2018. The new car, the 04-LM, resembles a modern Le Mans Prototype-style car. However, it will not be eligible for official LMP2 or LMP3 competition.

That said, it may find a home in the European V de V Prototype class or in the Creventic 24H Series’ Prototype if those series include it in their regulations. At the moment, they both allow the Ginetta G57, which is also powered by a Chevy LS3 engine.

Pescarolo is not run by former 24 Hours of Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo. His original Pescarolo Sport company shuttered its doors in 2014. However, French Le Mans driver Jean-Bernard Bouvet purchased the company’s remnants and has relaunched the Pescarolo name without Henri. Pescarolo indeed told Autosport that he was does not support the endeavor.

Regardless, the Pescarolo website claims a seven-race season is coming soon for the 04-LM that fits between the LMP3 and CN (usually hillclimbing prototypes with small engines) prototypes. The company also hinted at a more powerful Pescarolo 05, though it’s unclear into what category that car might fall.

Pescarolo Sport chooses a time to jump into the sport when Prototype categories are changing. The Automobile Clue d’Ouest (ACO) who run Le Mans changed their LMP2-class regulations for 2017. Those cars all run a common Gibson-built V8. At the moment, all LMP3-class cars run a naturally aspirated Nissan V8.

However, English race car builder Ginetta has sold several G57s, which fall outside existing LMP3 regulations. Those cars use LS3 engines, much like the Prototype Challenge Oreca FLM09s in IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. With some mild tuning, those lightweight, open-top prototypes run about 450 horsepower versions of the car to give an affordable spec engine.