2013 Oreca 03 Nissan - LMP2

For Sale

10 Mar

£ 295,000

A period race winner with Le Mans history, beautifully presented and perfect for Masters Endurance Legends and all the major historic events in North America.

Overview

Successful example of the Oreca 03 LMP2 that dominated the class between 2011 and 2017
Full carbon fibre monocoque and body
Participant in the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans with TDS Racing
Overall winner of the 2013 Red Bull Ring 3 Hours
Professionally maintained by British specialists Nine-W Engineering
Fitted with a newly rebuilt, zero-hour, Nissan 4.5L, naturally-aspirated, V8 producing in the region of 460bhp
Offered in race-ready condition with valid fuel cell certificates and crack testing
Accompanied by an extensive spares package
Easy to drive courtesy of paddle-shift gearbox, traction control and power steering
Eligible for Masters Endurance Legends, HSR in the US (inc. Sebring and Daytona classics, Monterey Motorsports Reunion etc)

Late in 2007, two of France's most renowned motorsport companies joined forces when Oreca acquired Courage Compétition. Established in 1973 by Hughes de Chaunac, Oreca was hugely successful fielding single seaters and sports cars, famously winning Le Mans in 1991 with Mazda. Specialising in developing and building Le Mans Prototypes, Courage Compétition offered Oreca the opportunity to become a constructor in its own right. Initially, the French company continued with the existing Courage models but in 2009 a new LMP1 car was introduced. Two years later it was followed by the '03' LMP2 car, which would proove very successful, scoring class and outright victories as late as 2017.
The introduction of the 03 coincided with a comprehensive rule change for the LMP2 category, which included a €325,000 cost cap for the chassis and €400,000 for the complete car. Evolutions of the bodywork were also restricted to one per year. All this was to ensure that the sport remained financially accessible for privateer teams. However, the regulations also very closely followed those in place for LMP1, which meant that the new generation LMP2 cars shared many common components. First and foremost, this included the carbon-fibre composite monocoque chassis that was identical to that of the 01. The 03 was instantly recognisable as an Oreca by the striking blade-shape roll-over ‘hoops’.
Like the LMP1 car, the 03 featured push-rod suspension and Brembo carbon-ceramic discs. Part of the package was an XTrac-built, paddle-shift, six-speed gearbox. It was also equipped with traction control and power steering. The new regulations stipulated that the engine had to be based on a production unit so Oreca offered the 03 with a choice of either the Nismo/Gibson-tuned Nissan VK45DE V8 or the BMW M3 derived Judd HK V8. The rumbling 4.5-litre Nissan V8 proved to be the engine of choice for most customers, combining reliability and power. With the mandatory restrictor fitted, it produced around 500 bhp.
The Oreca 03 made its competition debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring, which was the opening round of the 2011 Intercontinental Cup. Soheil Ayari immediately qualified the Nissan-engined example on pole position. The Signatech-entered car would eventually finish second in class. It was the start of a highly successful season and career for that matter. The Signatech team won the LMP2 championship that year in the Intercontinental Cup and Oreca was the winner of the Constructor's Championship in the Le Mans Series.
For Oreca, the 03 represents a breakthrough prototype racer and established the firm grip that the French manufacturers holds on the LMP2 category to this day. It remained competitive well after it was replaced by the Oreca 05 in 2015. In addition to the numerous class and outright race victories scored, it powered teams and drivers to 11 championships around the world and also earned Oreca two constructors' trophies. Although popular with the teams, it was not built in the sheer numbers that the 05 and subsequent 07 were, so the 03 is relatively rare today. As such it is a welcome and competitive entry in historic events on both sides of the Atlantic.
A new car built for the 2013 season, this Nissan VK45DE powered Oreca 03 is understood to have been entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans by Sebastien Loeb Racing. Although the entry was withdrawn, chassis LMP2-14 was nevertheless hastily pressed into service at Le Mans for the Thiriet by TDS Racing team who crashed their own car in qualifying and required a replacement.
Thiriet by TDS was a highly competitive French team that had previously won the European Le Mans Series in 2012 with a similar Nissan-engined Oreca 03, piloted by Pierre Thiriet and Mathias Beche.
With backing from his family's Maison Thiriet retail business, Pierre Thiriet was entered for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013 by TDS Racing. He shared the Oreca 03 with Maxime Martin and Ludovic Badey. In qualifying they clocked the 19th time overall and would line up for the race 11th in class. Unfortunately, an accident severely damaged their original Oreca 03 and a deal was struck to hastily re-livery the withdrawn LMP2-14 as the #46 Thiriet TDS Racing entry in time for the team to make the start. As this was not the car the team had qualified, the Oreca 03 was relegated to the back of the LMP2 field so lined up 37th on the grid.
Belgian Maxime Martin started the race and put in a remarkable opening stint. Two laps into the race, he had already moved up to 25th overall. In the final lap before his lap 15 pit-stop, Martin crossed the line in ninth, ahead of all but one of the other LMP2 cars. As the race settled down, the #46 Oreca 03 showed great pace and remained in the top 15 overall. Sadly, disaster struck late in the race as an off-track excursion on lap 310 under changeable conditions forced an early retirement. Chassis LMP2-14 was running in an impressive 12th position at the time.
With their original car not yet ready, the Thiriet by TDS Racing team also used chassis LMP2-14 for the remaining European Le Mans Series rounds. As defending champions, the car proudly wore the #1 for these three races. Sharing with Mathias Beche, Thiriet started third for the Red Bull Ring 3 Hours. The two Frenchmen managed to convert that great starting position in the car's first outright victory. Later in the year, LMP2-14 also finished sixth at the Hungaroring and then concluded the campaign with a delayed 22nd place finish at Paul Ricard. Both Pierre Thiriet and the team ended the year as runners-up in the championship.
Not used again after the 2013 season, chassis LMP2-14 was acquired by the vendor to compete in the Masters Endurance Legends series. The car was meticulously prepared by British outfit, Nine-W Engineering, and first raced during the 2018 season. During the subsequent years, the vendor continued to race at select Masters events.
Now offered for sale, Oreca 03 LMP2-14 is ready to go with valid fuel-cell certificates, up-to-date crack tests and zero hours on a freshly rebuilt Nissan V8 engine. It is accompanied by a welcome spares package and sports the attractive livery used during its appearance in the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Technical Passport:
- Issuer: Masters Historic Racing
- Expiry Date: No expiry date
Crack Testing:
- Last Date Completed: August 2024
Engine Life:
- Last Rebuild: Early 2025 by Judd
- Current Engine Mileage: 0 miles
- Recommended Engine Rebuild Interval: 4,400 miles
Gearbox:
- Maintained as required
Fuel Cell Certification:
- Expiry Date: April 2026
Fire Extinguisher:
- Next Service Date: April 2026
- Category: LMP2
- Chassis: Carbon fibre monocoque, carbon fibre body panels
- Engine: 4,494cc, 24 valve, DOHC, Nissan VK45DE V8 engine, naturally-aspirated, producing in the region of 460bhp with restrictors
- Gearbox: Xtrac, 6-speed sequential paddle-shift
- Front suspension: Double wishbones, inboard coil over adjustable PKM Oreca dampers
- Rear suspension: Double wishbones, inboard coil over adjustable PKM Oreca dampers
- Braking System: Ventilated carbon discs, 6-piston Brembo aluminium callipers, all-round
- Tyres: Goodyear/Michelin Racing Slicks/Wets
Masters Endurance Legends
For Le Mans Prototypes and GT cars, which competed in the major endurance championships between 1995 and 2016, Masters Endurance Legends holds a full annual calendar of events both in the UK and in Europe. These events take place at a variety of iconic circuits including Silverstone, Zandvoort and Paul Ricard.
HSR Group 6 - Including Daytona and Sebring Classics
For IMSA/FIA prototypes, which competed post-1998, HSR’s Group 6 holds a number of events in the United States. Among these events are two of the premier events for historic endurance competition, which are HSR Classic Daytona in November and HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour in December.
Wheels:
- Wheels x 8
- Wheel sockets x 2
Bodywork:
- Front winglets x 3
- Bodywork pieces x 2
Engine:
- Air filters x 2
- Fast fuel fill pipe x 1
Drivetrain:
- Halfshaft x 2
- Clutch (with bearing) x 1
Suspension:
- Pushrod x 1
- Wishbones x 8
Brakes:
- Carbon brake pad x 1
Electrical:
- ECU x 1
- Cables x various
- Battery x 1
- LED light x 1
- Wheel sensor x 1
- IR Beacon Transmitter x 1
Miscellaneous:
- Tyre blankets (including pre-heater) x 4
Car Location: this car is located at our Petersfield showrooms in Hampshire, United Kingdom where viewings are welcome by appointment.
Taxes: UK

Sam Says

“ Having raced directly against the Oreca 03 in the final years of my ‘contemporary’ career, I know just how good the design was. Friendly to drive for amateurs and hugely rewarding for professionals, I’m convinced this balance was the backbone of the car’s dominance in period given the importance of the amateur driver’s performance on race results. In the context of historic racing, this car’s next custodian can be assured of a machine capable not only of regular class wins, but also the odd overall podium if well driven... no pressure! ”