Panoz GTR-1

The Panoz Esperante GTR-1 (also known as the Panoz GTR-1 and Panoz GTP) is a grand touring race car developed jointly by Panoz Auto Development and Reynard Motorsport for use in various endurance racing championships. Designed by Nigel Stroud and powered by a 6.0L Ford V8 built by Roush Racing, the Esperante GTR-1 bore a passing resemblance to the Panoz Esperante road car on founder Don Panozs insistence but shared no mechanical relation to the car. Its front mid-engined layout gave rise to a distinctive appearance compared to its competition with the car having a long nose and its cockpit seated far back, giving the car the nickname "Batmobile". The car entered competition in 1997, competing in both the IMSA GT and FIA GT Championships; six chassis were built, with four going to Europe to be used by DAMS and David Price Racing and two staying in the United States for use by Panoz. The cars were revised for 1998, with one car being modified with an experimental hybrid system by David P