MG-Lola EX257
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The MG-Lola EX257 (sometimes referred to as simply MG EX257) is a
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 ...
built by
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for the MG car company for their attempt to compete again at the
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in . The car has had many years of mixed success since its introduction, even in privateer hands. It was Lola's only car built specifically to
LMP675 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 crea ...
regulations, and was known by their designation as the Lola B01/60. The last EX257 in original specification was retired from racing in 2007.


Development

Following a resurgence for the MG brand in the beginnings of the 21st century, the decision was made to expand the brand into motorsports such as
touring car racing Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition with heavily modified road-going cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States. While the cars do not move ...
as well as
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. MG had previously had success at 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 racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
many decades ago, yet had never scored an overall win. At approximately the same time, the
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(ACO) had changed the
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 ...
regulations for Le Mans, making it possible for two different classes of prototype to be capable of taking an overall win. This class, known as LMP675, would use smaller turbocharged engines yet would be lighter and more nimble, making it possible for them to compete with the larger, more powerful LMP900 class. Seeing an opportunity to use a production-based engine in an LMP675 instead of a custom built engine that would be larger than anything MG had in their production cars at the time, MG decided to enter into this new class in agreement with Lola Cars International. Lola had previously built cars in 2000, known as the B2K/10 and B2K/40, but they were not designed with the LMP675 regulations in mind. Lola would therefore have to build an all new prototype design that would center on the light weight and small engines of LMP675. Since the B2K/40 was more similar to the LMP675 regulations, many design elements of it were brought over for the new car, which Lola designated B01/60. The front fender design of the B01/60 was nearly identical to that of the B2K/40, yet the nose of the car would be radically different, incorporating a large square airbox (shaped like an MG grill) in the raised nose. The sidepods would also be radically different, using sweeping lines to better manage airflow both in and out of the car. A large single air inlet was placed on the top of the car, slightly off to the side of the cockpit in order to house the turbo inlet. Using a design element borrowed from the
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, a single rollbar was used behind the driver, instead of a long rollbar that covered the entire width of the cockpit. In the rear, the wing was mounted low on the chassis in order to increase overall top speed. In the end, the EX257 would be very light, coming to approximately 690 kg at its launch (675 kg being the minimum allowed by the rules). For an engine, MG would turn to
Advanced Engine Research Advanced Engine Research, Ltd. (commonly known by the abbreviation AER) is an auto racing engine manufacturer based in Basildon, Essex, England. Established in 1997, AER has developed winning engines for a number of high-profile international race ...
(AER) for construction of their engine and Garrett for turbocharging it. Using some elements of MG's production engines, the new 2.0 Litre turbocharged Inline-4 known as the MG XP20 (AER designation P07) would come to approximately 500 hp, limited by air restrictors put in place by the ACO to equalize cars.


Modifications

In 2003, the Intersport Racing team would feel that the MG engine was lacking the power necessary for tracks used 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 ...
. The team would transplant a Judd KV675 naturally aspirated
V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...
in place of the MG XP20. This would necessitate the removal of the large turbo inlet, replacing it with an air inlet mounted behind the cockpit. This car (referred to by its Lola designation only due to the loss of the MG engine) would have a short career with some success.


Racing history

The new MG-Lola EX257 made its competition debut at the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans, with two cars being run by MG Sport & Racing Ltd. The new cars showed their pace, qualifying 14th and 17th overall, the fastest two times amongst LMP675. The problems with the LMP675 formula showed their signs early in the race. Although quick even with their small engines, these engines were highly stressed and lacked the capabilities to survive long distances. Following a mere 30 laps, one MG was forced to retire due to exhaust failure. A few hours later, the second MG succumb to an oil leak, leaving MG retired from the event at a very early stage. For 2002, the EX257s were offered to customers for the first time. Two American teams, KnightHawk Racing and Intersport Racing, would seize the opportunity and purchase one chassis each, for competition throughout 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 ...
season. Improvements to the EX257 allowed for greater durability, and it was shown at Sebring with Intersport taking the LMP675 win and seventh overall, while KnightHawk took third in LMP675. Over the rest of the season, the pair of EX257s dominated the series, taking four more wins total. KnightHawk took the LMP675 championship by a single point over Intersport. Also, for the final four races of the season, a third EX257 would join the series, in the hands of
Dyson Racing Dyson Racing is a professional sports car racing team based in Poughkeepsie, New York in the United States. Founded by Rob Dyson in 1974, the team competed successfully in North American sports car racing series, including the IMSA GT Champions ...
, who managed fifth in the championship, even with running a handful of races. Back at Le Mans, the factory MG team again returned with their two EX257s. Their reliability was improved as well, as both cars survived farther than they had the previous year. Gearbox problems eliminated one car after 129 laps. The second car was running strong until the final few hours of the race, when the engine let go. The American KnightHawk team also participated, but their car succumbed to fire during the night. After two years of being unable to finish at Le Mans, as well as financial strain on the
MG Rover Group MG Rover Group was the last domestically owned mass-production car manufacturer in the British motor industry. The company was formed when BMW sold the car-making and engine manufacturing assets of the original Rover Group to the Phoenix Con ...
lead to the sportscar project being cancelled. However
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would continue on selling the cars to customers, offering continued technical support along with
Advanced Engine Research Advanced Engine Research, Ltd. (commonly known by the abbreviation AER) is an auto racing engine manufacturer based in Basildon, Essex, England. Established in 1997, AER has developed winning engines for a number of high-profile international race ...
. 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 ...
, KnightHawk Racing would leave, yet its place would be taken by a second
Dyson Racing Dyson Racing is a professional sports car racing team based in Poughkeepsie, New York in the United States. Founded by Rob Dyson in 1974, the team competed successfully in North American sports car racing series, including the IMSA GT Champions ...
EX257. Both Dyson and Intersport would trade wins off during the entire season, with the EX257 winning every race that year to give Dyson the championship. Notably, the #16 Dyson entry, piloted by James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger, took an overall victory at the Infineon Raceway round, the first time an LMP675 car had pulled off the upset. However, Intersport made an unusual decision for the final round at
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 ...
, deciding to replace the turbocharged MG engine with a new naturally aspirated Judd KV675 V8. This move forced the team to make some mechanical changes to their car (now referred to as B01/60), but it was successful as the team managed to take the LMP675 win. Even with this perfect season for the EX257, Le Mans still saw problems. A single entry from Intersport failed to finish yet again, due to an engine failure after a mere 102 laps. The ACO decided to alter the Le Mans Prototype rules due to the inherent problems of the LMP675 class. The classes were restructured into LMP1 and LMP2, and the MG's found themselves moved into the top LMP1 class. Over in Europe, Ray Mallock Ltd. would carry on the MG name in the new
Le Mans Endurance Series The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
. The car performed well over the short season, finishing all races and achieved a best finish of fifth, earning them fifth in the teams championship. In America, Dyson would continue with their two-car squad, while Intersport would continue with their Judd-powered entry. The success of the previous year could not be repeated, as Dyson was now in the same class as the dominant
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 manufac ...
. Although Dyson was able to score an overall victory against the R8s at
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, the team had to settle for second in the championship. Intersport's hybrid car failed to perform, managing to score points in only two races. For Le Mans, both Ray Mallock, Ltd. and Intersport would participate, yet once again neither car finished. Intersport's car was taken out in an accident, while RML's entry blew an engine in the closing hours of the race. Following the dismal performance of Intersport's hybrid B01/60, the car was retired for 2005. This left only the two-car Dyson team 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 ...
, and RML in the
Le Mans Endurance Series The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
. However, RML had performance extensive modifications to their car during the off-season including the addition of a Judd XV675 V8 similar to Intersport's modification, leading to the new car being renamed the MG-Lola EX264. The car was now transferred to the LMP2 class, while Dyson's unmodified cars remained in LMP1. Dyson once again suffered against the R8s, although it did manage to take two wins over the season. The team had to once again settle for second in the LMP1 championship. In Europe, RML saw better performance against their LMP2 competition, including their first class victory at Istanbul Park. RML managed to finish second in the LMP2 championship behind Chamberlain-Synergy Motorsport. However the MG's greatest success came at Le Mans, with RML managing to not only score the car's first finish in the race, but also taking the LMP2 class victory by a mere four laps over a pair of
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Racing
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s. For 2006,
Dyson Racing Dyson Racing is a professional sports car racing team based in Poughkeepsie, New York in the United States. Founded by Rob Dyson in 1974, the team competed successfully in North American sports car racing series, including the IMSA GT Champions ...
decided that the old EX257 was no longer competitive, and purchased newer
Lola B06/10 The Lola B06/10 is a Le Mans Prototype developed by Lola Cars International for use in the LMP1 class of the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was developed in 2006 as a replacement for the Lola B2K/10 as wel ...
s. The two former Dyson EX257s were sold to two teams,
Highcroft Racing Highcroft Racing was an American auto racing team based out of Danbury, Connecticut and founded by driver Duncan Dayton in 1989. Initially founded for Dayton's involvement in historic motorsport, specifically the restoration and preparation of cla ...
and Autocon Motorsports, who would compete in limited schedules 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 ...
. Highcroft would score the best result of the season, taking third place overall at
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 ...
. Meanwhile, Ray Mallock, Ltd. would continue to campaign their EX264, now using the old MG/AER turbocharged engine once again. Another single victory was achieved by the team at
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, yet again leaving them with second place in the LMP2 championship. At Le Mans however, RML would repeat their success. Again taking the LMP2 class victory, this year they actually finished in eighth place overall, a mere 37 laps behind the overall winning Audi R10. 2007 would begin to see the end of the EX257. The final original car still in competition, Autocon Motorsport's entry, began the
2007 American Le Mans Series season The 2007 American Le Mans Series season was the 37th season for the IMSA GT Championship, with the ninth labeled as the American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes (LMP) and Grand Touring (GT) race cars divided into 4 classes: ...
. However following three rounds of racing, the team decided to buy a newer
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CA06/H after the
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.


Chassis history

The following is a list of the owners of each EX257 or B01/60 chassis. Intersport's #HU-01 and RML's #HU-03 were the chassis modified to fit a Judd engine. #HU-05 was planned but never built. #HU-01: * MG Sport & Racing, Ltd. (2001) * Intersport Racing (2002–2004) #HU-02: * MG Sport & Racing, Ltd. (2001–2002) * Mike Newton / Ray Mallock Ltd. (2003–2011) #HU-03: * MG Sport & Racing, Ltd. (2001–2002) * Chamberlain Engineering (2003) * Intersport Racing (2003, under lease) * Mike Newton (2007 - 2011) * Ascott_Collection
_(2020) #HU-04: *_KnightHawk_Racing_(2002) *_Dyson_Racing_ Dyson_Racing_is_a_professional_sports_car_racing_team_based_in_Poughkeepsie,_New_York_in_the_United_States._Founded_by__Rob_Dyson_in_1974,_the_team_competed_successfully_in_North_American_sports_car_racing_series,_including_the_IMSA_GT_Champions_...
_(2003–2005) *_Autocon_Motorsports_(2006–2007) #HU-06: *_Dyson_Racing_ Dyson_Racing_is_a_professional_sports_car_racing_team_based_in_Poughkeepsie,_New_York_in_the_United_States._Founded_by__Rob_Dyson_in_1974,_the_team_competed_successfully_in_North_American_sports_car_racing_series,_including_the_IMSA_GT_Champions_...
_(2002–2005) *_Highcroft_Racing_(2006)


_References


_External_links


Mulsannes_Corner
-_Lola_B01/60_technical_analysis

-_MG_Collection,_including_two_EX257's_for_sale
Ascott_Collection
_Ascott_Collection,_EX_257_chassis_HU_MG-LMP003_for_sale {{DEFAULTSORT:Mg-Lola_Ex257 MG_racing_models.html" ;"title="or sale a
Ascott Collection
(2020) #HU-04: * KnightHawk Racing (2002) *
Dyson Racing Dyson Racing is a professional sports car racing team based in Poughkeepsie, New York in the United States. Founded by Rob Dyson in 1974, the team competed successfully in North American sports car racing series, including the IMSA GT Champions ...
(2003–2005) * Autocon Motorsports (2006–2007) #HU-06: *
Dyson Racing Dyson Racing is a professional sports car racing team based in Poughkeepsie, New York in the United States. Founded by Rob Dyson in 1974, the team competed successfully in North American sports car racing series, including the IMSA GT Champions ...
(2002–2005) * Highcroft Racing (2006)


References


External links


Mulsannes Corner
- Lola B01/60 technical analysis

- MG Collection, including two EX257's for sale
Ascott Collection
Ascott Collection, EX 257 chassis HU MG-LMP003 for sale {{DEFAULTSORT:Mg-Lola Ex257 MG racing models">EX257 Le Mans Prototypes Lola racing cars 24 Hours of Le Mans race cars Sports prototypes