The Cadillac Northstar LMP was a series of

Le Mans Prototype A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is the type of sports prototype race car used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Le Mans Prototypes were create ...

s built by

Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...

for use in the

American Le Mans Series The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The American Le Mans' hea ...

as well as an attempt to return Cadillac to the

24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose ...

since they first entered in . The Northstar LMPs were named after the Northstar V8 engines which powered them. The Cadillac project ran from 2000 until 2002 when

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American multinational automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and was the largest in the world for 77 years bef ...

decided to cancel the project to concentrate solely on their

Chevrolet Corvette The Chevrolet Corvette is a two-door, two-passenger luxury sports car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet since 1953. With eight design generations, noted sequentially from C1 to C8, the Corvette is noted for its performance and distinctive ...

program. Cadillac returned to prototype racing in 2017 with the

Cadillac DPi-V.R The Cadillac DPi-V.R is a sports prototype racing car which started competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in North America in 2017. It is the manufacturer variation of Dallara P217 base, and replaces the Corvette DP. It marke ...

in the

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship The IMSA SportsCar Championship, currently known as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship under sponsorship, is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada and organized by the International Motor Sports Association (IM ...

Development

2000

In planning the new Cadillac LMP project, GM turned to

Riley & Scott Riley & Scott Cars Inc. was an American racing constructor and racing team that primarily provided chassis for various forms of motorsport, but worked primarily in sports car racing. It was founded in 1990 by Bob Riley and Mark Scott. History Sp ...

, builders of the successful Mk III chassis. Riley & Scott developed a from-scratch LMP based around a bespoke carbon fiber monocoque. The new design featured elements of Cadillac's new Art & Science design theme such as the functional egg-crate grill on the nose, as well as the addition of large side scoops to feed the turbochargers. A highly modified version of this engine was used by General Motors racing division initially for

Indy Racing League The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of ...

competition starting in 1995, then was later used in the Cadillac Northstar LMP program in 2000. Both engines retained the 4.0 L capacity, but the Northstar LMP version was twin-turbocharged.Weitzman, Larry (2001
The Aurora by Oldsmobile (2001), Better in every respect
''Autochannel''. Retrieved on June 28, 2009. The engine for the Northstar LMP was based on a smaller 4.0 Liter variant of the Northstar used in Cadillacs, known as the L47, used in GM's

Oldsmobile Aurora The Oldsmobile Aurora is a luxury sports sedan, manufactured and marketed by General Motors from 1994 until 2003 over two generations — sharing platforms with Buick Riviera and using the Cadillac-derived G platform. At the time of produc ...

sedan. It had already been adapted for racing in 1995 for use in the

, but was thoroughly modified in order to not only increase power, but increase longevity. McLaren Engines assisted in the development of the new prototype engine, while

Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries , formerly known as , is a Japanese engineering corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan that produces and offers ships, space launch vehicles, aircraft engines, marine diesel engines, gas turbines, gas engines, railway systems, turbochargers ...

(IHI) produced twin turbochargers to increase output. A total of seven monocoques were built, with two going to Team Cadillac in the United States, three to

DAMS A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

in France, one assigned as the crash test car (became the show car), and one spare tub that was delivered to GM at the end of the program.

2001

For 2001, the Northstar LMP was evolved in order to make it more competitive against the Audi R8s. Although still based on the Riley & Scott chassis, the bodywork was completely redesigned by Nigel Stroud. A more angular approach was used, especially on the sides of the car, with the sidepods no longer being flat horizontal but instead diving downward towards the front wheel arch. The air cooling ducts were also relocated from the side of the car, and instead placed inside the wheel wells, allowing for air exits from the wheel wells to be added to the new side. The Cadillac-theme grill was also revised, no longer being a functional open piece. Beyond the bodywork, not much else was changed on the new car, known as the Northstar LMP01. Two of the previous 2000-spec cars were upgraded to the 2001 bodywork, while a third car was built fresh.

2002

Following two years of development of the Northstar V8 engine, Cadillac used 2002 to debut their new custom-built chassis. No longer relying on Riley & Scott, the new Northstar LMP02 was designed by Nigel Stroud to be a completely different machine. Although retaining some of the aerodynamic features of the Northstar LMP01, the new car featured a much more angular design. Among the most noticeable features is the use of a raised footbox in the nose, allowing for a large air intake in the center and no longer employing the use of a stylized grill. The air exits on the side were also closed down to a minimum width, leaving the design much cleaner. In the engine department, the Northstar V8 was slightly altered, with the use of new Garrett turbochargers replacing the IHI units. A new pneumatic shift system was also employed for the X-Trac gearbox. A total of three all new chassis were built for the Northstar LMP02.

Racing history

2000

For Cadillac's debut in 2000, GM decided to employ the use of two teams in two different championships in an attempt to maximize their preparation for Le Mans. Riley & Scott would run the factory team in the

under the name Team Cadillac, while Team

of France would run a customer team in the European Sports Racing World Cup. For the

24 Hours of Daytona The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layou ...

, the first race of the year, Team Cadillac would debut their two cars. Alongside their

teammates, the Northstar LMPs performed well early on, taking second and third in qualifying. During the race the cars ran on pace, although after problems they found themselves nearly 100 laps behind the leading grand tourer cars. Although one car suffered a gearbox failure in the closing moments of the race, both cars were classified as finishers, taking 13th and 14th places. This was followed by the

12 Hours of Sebring The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida, US. The event is the second roun ...

, which saw both Team Cadillac and Team DAMS would be entered, with Cadillac running two cars and DAMS one. The teams suffered some difficulties, with the DAMS entry breaking a clutch and one of the Team Cadillac entries being involved in an accident. However, the third Northstar LMP was able to finish the race and take an encouraging sixth place, although it was 29 laps behind the winning

Audi R8 The Audi R8 is a mid-engine, 2-seater sports car, which uses Audi's trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German car manufacturer Audi AG in 2006. The car is exclusively designed, developed, and manufactu ...

. Returning to Europe, DAMS debuted their first two car effort at the initial race of the Sports Racing World Cup. There, the team managed to take home seventh and eighth places, a mere three laps behind the winning

Ferrari 333 SP The Ferrari 333 SP is a sports prototype race car that was built by Italian race car manufacturer Dallara and later Michelotto to compete in the World Sports Car championship for Ferrari. Unveiled at the end of 1993, at the behest of amateur ra ...

. DAMS would go on to take a fourth-place finish at the next round, although the other team car failed to finish. At this time, the American Le Mans Series was having their first races in Europe. DAMS entered their two car effort in place of Team Cadillac, managing to take fifth at

Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in England, near the Northamptonshire villages of Towcester, Silverstone and Whittlebury. It is the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted as the 1948 British Grand Prix. The 19 ...

. DAMS would make one more Sports Racing World Cup appearance in May prior to going to Le Mans, where both cars did not finish. Team Cadillac on the other hand, believing that private testing would be better for the Northstar LMP, would not return to the American Le Mans Series prior to flying to France for the

. The cars lacked the pace necessary to compete with the major manufacturers in their class. Although a DAMS entry managed to qualify ninth, the sister car could muster only the 20th fastest lap time. The pace was equally off in the race, and mechanical woes saw only three Northstar LMPs finish, a disappointing 19th, 21st, and 22nd. Following Le Mans, DAMS participated in the second ALMS event in Europe, again taking fifth place, this time at the

Nürburgring The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around the village ...

. Returning to America, Team Cadillac finally returned to action with a single car at

Portland International Raceway Portland International Raceway (PIR) is a motorsport facility in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is part of the Delta Park complex on the former site of Vanport, just south of the Columbia River. It lies west of the Delta Park/Vanport ...

, managing eighth place.

Petit Le Mans The Petit Le Mans ( French for ''little Le Mans'') is a sports car endurance race held annually at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, USA. It uses the rules established for the 24 Hours of Le Mans by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), which ...

would see DAMS return to the United States as well, with the four car Cadillac effort seeing better results. All cars managed to finish, with the result of 6th, 7th, 8th, and 13th. Team Cadillac would record one final finish for the year at

Laguna Seca Laguna Seca may refer to: * Laguna Seca Formation, a geologic formation in California * Laguna Seca (Mexico), see Convention of London * Laguna Seca (Santa Clara County), a seasonal lake in California * Laguna Seca, Texas, United States * Ranch ...

with a seventh-place finish before the time retired for the season, skipping the Las Vegas round. DAMS made Cadillac's final appearance of the year at the

Adelaide Street Circuit The Adelaide Street Circuit (also known as the Adelaide Parklands Circuit) is a temporary street circuit in the East Parklands adjacent to the Adelaide central business district in South Australia, Australia. The "Grand Prix" version of th ...

in Australia. DAMS would finish a distant 19th and 20th places. At the end of the season, due to Team Cadillac's private testing, DAMS actually finished higher in the

championship, taking seventh place over Cadillac's eighth. In addition to this, DAMS points in the Sports Racing World Cup would earn them eighth in that championship.

2001

For the new season, General Motors decided to alter their strategy. Cadillac would prepare solely for the

with private testing, with

running only a two-car effort at the race. Team Cadillac would assist in the effort, but then would run the

only after Le Mans, when testing of the new Northstar LMP01 would be no longer necessary since General Motors was already aware that the all new Northstar LMP02 was in development. At Le Mans, the DAMS entries showed the speed potential of the Northstar V8s by taking eighth in qualifying, beating out a new Bentley EXP Speed 8, two of the Chrysler LMPs, and the

Panoz Panoz is an American manufacturer of sports automobiles founded in 1989 as Panoz Auto Development by Dan Panoz, son of Don Panoz. Panoz products have included the Panoz Roadster and AIV Roadster, the Panoz Esperante, and the Panoz Avezzano. Pa ...

squad. During the race, one of the Northstar LMP01s was taken out in an early accident, but the sole surviving car managed to improve on the team's performance from last year by taking 15th place. Now returning to the United States, Team Cadillac began their involvement in the American Le Mans Series season at

Sears Point Sears Point is a prominent landform that juts into the San Pablo Bay in Sonoma County, California, United States. This hill is the southernmost peak of the Sonoma Mountains and forms the southwestern ridge above Tolay Lake. Starting with Europ ...

. Both cars suffered problems, and were only able to finish 12th and 24th. Skipping Portland, the Cadillacs returned at

Mosport Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport Park and Mosport International Raceway) is a multi- track motorsport venue located north of Bowmanville, in Ontario, Canada, east of Toronto. The facility features a , 10-turn road course; a ad ...

and recorded their best finish ever, taking third and fourth places. After a seven- and eighth-place finish at Mid-Ohio, the cars would take fourth and fifth at Laguna Seca, before finishing the season with another fourth- and fifth-place finish at the

. Although Cadillac ran only half of the season, the team managed to be tied for fourth in the teams championship that year.

2002

With the all new Northstar LMP02, Team Cadillac prepared once again for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Team DAMS was no longer involved in the project, leaving the American team to do all development of the new car. Once again the decision was made to concentrate on private testing prior to Le Mans, although this year Cadillac would run the

. The year did not start well for the Northstar LMP02 at Sebring. One car suffered a failed electronics system towards the end of the race, while the sole remaining car came home a disappointing 31st. Moving to Le Mans, the Cadillac showed its speed in qualifying once again by taking the eighth and tenth fastest qualifying times, beating out both an

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The o ...

and a

Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North ...

. However the race itself saw the Northstar LMP02 show its potential, with both cars running in the top ten for most of the race. Cadillac managed to take home ninth and twelfth places in the end, their best Le Mans result since the start of the program. Returning to the United States, Cadillac saw competition again in Washington D.C., where the team managed to take a fourth-place finish, only a single lap behind the winners. Skipping Trois-Rivieres, Mosport saw the Northstar LMP02s finish third and sixth, followed by another third at Laguna Seca. Cadillac's best race ever would finally come on the streets of Miami, where the LMP02 of

JJ Lehto Jyrki Juhani Järvilehto (; born 31 January 1966), better known as "JJ Lehto", is a Finnish racing driver. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, in 1995 and 2005. He is also a former Formula One driver. He was a protégé of Finnish 1982 Formula ...

and

Max Angelelli Massimiliano Angelelli (born 15 December 1966) is a retired Italian racecar driver. He won the 2005 and 2017 24 Hours of Daytona and the 2001 Six Hours at the Glen. Also he was the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series champion in 2005 and 2013, as ...

would take second place, a mere fourteen seconds behind the winning Audi. The final race of the year,

, would see Cadillac coming home in third and fourth. Once again, with only half a season, Cadillac would manage an impressive fifth in the championship. At the end of 2002, General Motors announced that the Cadillac project would not continue into 2003. Feeling that the Cadillac program had achieved what General Motors believed it was meant to, the project was canceled and GM would move to concentrating solely on their more successful

program. General Motors would not offer any of the Northstar LMPs for sale to privateer customers, instead retaining the cars for themselves. In 2009 GM decided to sell some of their specialty cars that were featured in the GM Museum. The Cadillac LMP #8 (Chassis #02-002) was for the first time sold to a privateer.

Chassis history

A total of seven Riley & Scott-built Northstar LMP and Northstar LMP01s would be built, while a further three Northstar LMP02s would be built. Team

and

would be the only teams to run the cars. #LMP-00-001 * crash test car and show car, never raced #LMP-00-002 * 2000 (

) :ALMS Sebring: DNF :SRWC Barcelona: 7th :SRWC Monza: 4th :ALMS Silverstone: DNF :SRWC Spa: DNF :Le Mans: DNF * Damaged in Le Mans fire, replaced by #LMP-00-006 #LMP-00-003 * 2000 (Team

) :GARRC Daytona: 14th :ALMS Sebring: 6th :Le Mans: 21st :ALMS Petit Le Mans: 8th #LMP-00-004 * 2000 (Team

) :GARRC Daytona: 13th :ALMS Sebring: DNF :Le Mans: 22nd :ALMS Portland: 8th :ALMS Petit Le Mans: 7th :ALMS Laguna Seca: 7th * 2001 (Team

) :Le Mans: 15th (run by

) :ALMS Sears Point: DNF :ALMS Mosport: 4th :ALMS Mid-Ohio: 7th :ALMS Laguna Seca: 4th :ALMS Petit Le Mans: 4th #LMP-00-005 * 2000 (

) :SRWC Barcelona: 8th :SRWC Monza: DNF :ALMS Silverstone: 5th :SRWC Spa: DNF :Le Mans: 19th :ALMS Nürburgring: 16th :ALMS Petit Le Mans: 6th :ALMS Adelaide: DNF #LMP-00-006 * 2000 (

) :ALMS Nürburgring: 5th :ALMS Petit Le Mans: 13th :ALMS Adelaide: DNF * 2001 (Team

) :ALMS Sears Point: 12th :ALMS Mosport: 3rd :ALMS Mid-Ohio: 8th :ALMS Laguna Seca: 5th :ALMS Petit Le Mans: 5th #LMP-00-007 * Spare monocoque delivered to GM at end of program. #LMP-02-001 * 2002 (Team

) :ALMS Sebring: DNF #LMP-02-002 * 2002 (Team

) :ALMS Sebring: 31st :Le Mans: 9th :ALMS Washington: 4th :ALMS Mosport: 3rd :ALMS Laguna Seca: 3rd :ALMS Miami: 2nd :ALMS Petit Le Mans: 3rd #LMP-02-003 * 2002 (Team

) :Le Mans: 12th :ALMS Washington: DNF :ALMS Mosport: 6th :ALMS Laguna Seca: DNF :ALMS Miami: 7th :ALMS Petit Le Mans: 4th

References

External links

Mulsannes Corner
- Northstar LMP

- Northstar LMP01

- Northstar LMP02 {{Cadillac Vehicles Le Mans Prototypes

Northstar Northstar may refer to: * Polaris, a star Arts and entertainment * Northstar (band), an emo band from Alabama * Northstar (rap group), a rap group affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan * "Northstar", a 2019 song by XXXTentacion from the album '' Bad ...

24 Hours of Le Mans race cars Sports prototypes

Development

2000

2001

2002

Racing history

2000

2001

2002

Chassis history

See also

References

External links