Photo: RM Sotheby's
Racing cars have often been described by gearheads, automotive journalists, regulators, and others as being the essence of driving. But to be able to control the machine and have it succumb to precise maneuvering and physics, well… It takes a lot. If you’re ready, then here’s your shot at owning something with pedigree.
Lola Cars, the iconic British customer race car manufacturer, is, as of 2022, under American control. That’s one amazing feat considering that Lola built vehicles for various racing events held at Le Mans or for championships like Formula 1, IndyCar, Formula 3000, and Formula 5000. Now, under new leadership, Lola’s coming back in full force.
So, it could be the right time to add to your collection a 2011 Lola B11/83 that comes with all the right qualities. In its fighting days, the race car made use of a complex Honda Performance Development (HPD) powertrain. The twin-turbo 2.8-liter V6 engine was installed because the American racing team that ordered it wanted to make sure it could race with it at the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and American Le Mans Series.
The vehicle performed well at Le Mans in Europe. After occupying the third spot in its class, it finished in tenth place overall. Considering that the 2011 race was its official debut, we could say it did rather well. The team wanted to continue racing and move to Italy, but logistics made this impossible.
The B11/83 ended up leased to a younger racing team, which made its debut with it at Sebring. The car’s final race was the 2 Hours of Long Beach, where it could’ve scored spectacularly. But an accident stopped the adventure in its tracks.
The racing car went through a thorough rebuilding process and now sports a V8 since it is claimed that the HPD power unit was too complicated to be maintained by someone without constant access to engineers. The Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox is a rebuilt unit to which a new pneumatic paddle shift system has been added.
The car is finished in its original livery from 2011 and is currently available at Sotheby’s Private Sales for the asking price of £385,000 ($465,503).
So, it could be the right time to add to your collection a 2011 Lola B11/83 that comes with all the right qualities. In its fighting days, the race car made use of a complex Honda Performance Development (HPD) powertrain. The twin-turbo 2.8-liter V6 engine was installed because the American racing team that ordered it wanted to make sure it could race with it at the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and American Le Mans Series.
The vehicle performed well at Le Mans in Europe. After occupying the third spot in its class, it finished in tenth place overall. Considering that the 2011 race was its official debut, we could say it did rather well. The team wanted to continue racing and move to Italy, but logistics made this impossible.
The B11/83 ended up leased to a younger racing team, which made its debut with it at Sebring. The car’s final race was the 2 Hours of Long Beach, where it could’ve scored spectacularly. But an accident stopped the adventure in its tracks.
The racing car went through a thorough rebuilding process and now sports a V8 since it is claimed that the HPD power unit was too complicated to be maintained by someone without constant access to engineers. The Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox is a rebuilt unit to which a new pneumatic paddle shift system has been added.
The car is finished in its original livery from 2011 and is currently available at Sotheby’s Private Sales for the asking price of £385,000 ($465,503).
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