Porsche 963
Porsche rules the roost when it comes to Le Mans success. Ferrari’s famous 2023 victory took the Italian marque’s tally in the French classic to 10, but Porsche has a record 19 wins. The 963, which took the German firm back to the top rung of the endurance racing ladder last year, is an LMDh rather than an LMH. This means that, unlike the Ferrari, it uses some spec parts and has the LMP2-based backbone of the chassis produced by one of the four approved constructors, in this case, Multimatic.
Porsche took third in the manufacturers’ table, but the 963 is also bringing privateers back to the top class. The Hertz Team Jota entry showed that well-run customer cars can mix it with the works machinery, and even led Le Mans for a time.
At the Autosport International main stage, fans will be able to get up close and personal with the 4.6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 Porsche, as team owner Sam Hignett talks about 2023 and the team’s ambitions for the new season, with 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button part of an expanded two-car attack.
Ferrari 499P
The return of works Ferraris to the top class of sportscar racing for the first time in 50 years was already one of the big news stories heading into 2023. And when the 499P Hypercar of James Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Antonio Giovinazzi triumphed in the centenary edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours it provided arguably the motorsport highlight of the season. The car went on to give Ferrari second in the manufacturers’ World Endurance Championship, behind only the experienced Toyota squad.
The twin-turbocharged three-litre V6 hybrid-powered 499P will undoubtedly be one of the stars in Birmingham. The LMH design features semi-permanent all-wheel drive, with an electric motor at the front axle pushing out an extra 268bhp above 118mph, providing a heady 671bhp in total.
Calado will appear on Saturday (13 January), with his prototype on display throughout the show. Three 499Ps are set to contest the eight-round WEC schedule this year, with ex-Formula 1 star Robert Kubica on the driver strength.
MissionH24
Continuing the endurance racing theme and pointing to the future is MissionH24, a joint venture between H24Project and Le Mans organiser the Automobile Club de l’Ouest – and the hydrogen-powered H24 prototype will appear in Birmingham.
The H24 finished four Michelin Le Mans Cup races in 2022, an impressive sporting and technological achievement. The aim is to create a hydrogen class at Le Mans and in the World Endurance Championship, featuring cars that can compete for outright victory. Current WEC pacesetter Toyota is among those to have already expressed an interest in the category.
The race car, which emits nothing but water, will be on display at the main stage while the team talks about its ambitious plans to launch a new-generation car ahead of the 2025 season.
M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1
The Ford Puma Rally1 made a sensational debut in the World Rally Championship, winning the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally in the hands of Sebastien Loeb. Last year was challenging for the title-winning M-Sport squad, but Ott Tanak still took two victories in the Puma.
The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team will be part of Autosport International and, on Friday and Saturday, it will take to the main stage to unveil the 2024 challenger that will be driven by Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster, officially launching the squad’s campaign. The Puma will then be on display for the remainder of the weekend.
McLaren Solus GT
A world-first, track-only realisation of a McLaren concept that debuted in the virtual gaming world. Featuring a central, single-seat, closed-cockpit design with jet aircraft-style sliding canopy, and a motorsport-derived powertrain as a structural element, the 5.2-litre V10 Solus weighs less than 1000kg and can produce more than 1200kg of downforce.
The 25 customers can have a full ‘racing driver experience’, including a driving seat moulded to their individual body shape, an FIA-homologated race suit, helmet and HANS device bespoke to each owner and a driver-development coaching programme.
The Solus GT won the timed shootout at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed with McLaren factory driver Marvin Kirchhofer at the wheel.
Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II (DTM)
The Audi R8 has to be regarded as one of the cars of the highly successful GT3 category, scoring wins and titles around the world. That includes in the DTM, where Abt Sportsline drivers Ricardo Feller and Kelvin van der Linde both scored success last season and will continue in 2024.
Despite Audi turning its motorsport attention elsewhere, Abt will bring one of the 5.2-litre V10 racers to Birmingham. It’ll be a fine reminder of the success of the category that arrived in 2006 and which will form the basis of the new LMGT3 class in the World Endurance Championship, including the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Revolution 500 EVO
Building upon the success of the 427 and 500SC, which won more races in the pan-European Sports Prototype Cup than any other model, Revolution’s team of racers and engineers have unveiled the latest incarnation in the 500SC series for 2024: the Revolution 500 EVO.
With a carbon-reinforced polymer safety cell and cutting-edge technology such as a double-halo, the supercharged V6 Revolution aims to deliver LMP3 and GT3-rivalling lap times with lower cost and easier maintenance.
The car is eligible for many championships, and has its own class in the Sports Prototype Cup, racing at circuits such as Spa, Zandvoort, Donington Park and Le Mans in 2024.
Tatuus MSV-022 (GB3)
MotorSport Vision’s GB3 championship has been the UK’s leading single-seater series for several years now and has helped launch the careers of many drivers, including last year’s FIA Formula 3 runner-up Zak O’Sullivan and Macau Grand Prix victor Luke Browning, both winners of the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.
The backbone of the series is the Tatuus MSV-022, which incorporates a halo and side-impact protection. It’s two-litre, four-cylinder, normally aspirated Mountune engine produces over 250bhp at 8500rpm, a 20bhp increase over the previous specification. As a consequence of the power hike, the MSV-022 features a side air-intake and carbon airbox similar to earlier-generation F3 cars, and a switch to a fly-by-wire port throttle inlet manifold system. The engine package is mounted to a Sadev six-speed gearbox.
As well as looking out for the Tatuus in Birmingham, you can attend five GB3 events in the UK in 2024, as well as plan trips to Formula 1 venues Hungaroring, Spa and Zandvoort.
Cupra Leon Competicion (TCR UK)
TCR has become a successful tin-top category around the world. The profile of the British Touring Car Championship has made things tougher in this country, but TCR UK has still carved a good niche for itself.
Experienced Ginetta and former BTCC racer Carl Boardley took four wins from the 15 races last year to secure the drivers’ title in his CBM by Hart GT Cupra Leon Competicion, which will make an appearance in Birmingham.
The TCR UK Touring Car Championship is exhibiting in Hall 3, on stand 3650.
EuroNASCAR
The regional NASCAR series will also roar into Birmingham. After NASCAR wowed fans at Le Mans with the all-star Garage 56 entry, there’s increased interest in the category in Europe.
The main stage will echo with 400bhp of V8 power, while two of the best young drivers will make an appearance on stage: 2023 EuroNASCAR 2 champion and EuroNASCAR Pro winner Paul Jouffreau, and Rookie Trophy winner Jack Davidson.
Also joining the drivers will be EuroNASCAR president and CEO Jerome Galpin to talk about the American stock cars in Europe, ahead of the championship’s visit to the UK at Brands Hatch in June.
BriSCA F1
The combination of a two-speed gearbox and a 650+bhp six-litre V8 is an unusual one in motorsport, but that highlights the monstrous torque of the thundering short-oval BriSCA F1 cars.
Featuring wings, strong steel chassis and pure, unfiltered power, BriSCA will provide quite a sight (and sound) on the main stage, led by Frankie Wainman Jr. He has won at every championship level in the sport, including international championships in Europe and New Zealand. He also captained the British Lions Superstox team on its recent tour of New Zealand. With over 40 fixtures across the UK, there are plenty of options to enjoy the monsters again if you like what you see at the NEC.
And not forgetting...
Lotus Cortina
This year is the 60th anniversary of Formula 1 legend Jim Clark winning the British Touring Car Championship (then known as the British Saloon Car Championship) in a Ford Lotus Cortina. Multiple BTCC title winner Team Dynamics will bring its Cortina, which has been campaigned by triple BTCC champions Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden.
Mini All4 Rallycross
Driven by Max Langmaid, the Mini All4 is a turbocharged rallycross machine based on the Countryman road car. Langmaid moved to the Mini in 2023 after winning the 2021 and 2022 Junior Rallycross titles, and won the BMW Mini Rallycross crown to make it three in a row.
Project Inversion
Former racer Scott Mansell is attempting to see if a car with enough downforce really can drive upside down. Mansell has partnered with Willem Toet, the former head of aerodynamics at the Benetton, Ferrari and Sauber Formula 1 teams, to modify an Empire Wraith hillclimb car with an electric motor to take on the challenge on a purpose-built structure within the next two years.
Prodrive P25
The Subaru Impreza is one of the iconic competition cars, scoring World Rally Championship drivers’ titles with Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Petter Solberg. To mark 25 years since the arrival of the two-door WRC variant, which won the 1997 manufacturers’ crown, Prodrive produced the P25 in 2022. Prodrive masterminded Subaru’s WRC programme and will bring a P25 to the Autosport International stage today (Thursday 11 January).
