ORECA is aiming to launch its new Oreca 09 LMP2 in the second quarter of next year, according to technical director Remi Taffin, who said the project has moved well into the design phase even though the official technical rules have not been finalized yet.
Along with Ligier Automotive, the pair of French manufacturers have obtained licenses to manufacture the forthcoming-generation prototype, which will be equipped with a 3.4-liter twin-turbo powertrain from Gibson Technology, with only a small portion of other technical specifications disclosed publicly.
Plans call for its unveiling at the opening race of the 2028 European Le Mans Series, after which it would be eligible for Le Mans 2028 as well, with a winter introduction to the Asian Le Mans Series ahead of its IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut in 2029.
“LMP2 is set to race in 2028, so we are clearly in the design phase at this point,” Taffin told Sportscar365. “There is substantial work underway on the monocoque.”
“I hope we’ll be testing the car next year, probably in the second quarter.”
“Keep in mind that this is a completely new chassis and a new project in every sense. It’s something we must deliver, given that the car is slated for completion by the end of next year.”
Taffin said that period will be especially busy at the Signes-based company, which is expected to collaborate with at least two OEMs under the converged top-class prototype regulations planned for 2030, while continuing to build and support Ferrari’s 296 GT3 Evo and the Toyota-based V6 engine across all LMP3 cars.
“There will be some overlap with any Hypercar program we have for 2030,” he noted. “We shouldn’t forget that we’re also getting Genesis and Ford involved over the next three years, so there will still be work there.”
“That will be the major focus at the end of this year and the start of next year, in terms of designing the LMP2.”
“Then we will shift to any [2030] Hypercar project that we need to pursue for around a year-and-a-half or two.”
“In the meantime, production will be in full swing to manufacture the LMP2 cars, which is a different scenario from Hypercar because you’re building around 30 cars or so to populate grids.”
“When Hypercar comes into play, it will be one, two, three, four different cars.”
“Ultimately, each new car we develop is another chance for us to improve.”
“Whether it’s GT3, LMP2, or Hypercar, whenever there’s an opportunity to introduce something new, that’s the favorable side for us.”
When asked what they can currently do without the LMP2 regulations rubber-stamped, Taffin said: “I’m not asserting that there is nothing usable for now.”
“But there comes a point when you need to close some doors to progress to the next level. It’s sometimes tricky, but we’ll make it work.”
Taffin: There is No Guarantee in LMP2
While historically the dominant constructor under the current LMP2 rules, which first appeared in 2017 and allowed four manufacturers, ORECA is not resting on its laurels, according to Taffin.
“There is nothing guaranteed in LMP2,” he said. “Many people assume it’s a single-make series, but that’s not the case. The reason it’s viewed that way is that the Oreca is currently the quickest car.”
“When you try to balance this, at the end of the day you’re not selling a product to a single customer; you’re offering what the customer wants to purchase.”
“If you produce a car that customers don’t like, they won’t buy it.”
“I have to admit that in our sport you could even give it away, but if it doesn’t help you reach the objective—winning—then what is the point?”
“For us it’s extremely demanding because we must also respect what we’ve achieved so far.”
“Sometimes people say we should make a better car. I’d say we should make an equivalent car. Things are evolving, but we’re still striving to maximize what we have.”
