T.50

Segment
Coupe

Delage, the historic French Automaker that shut its doors in 1953 and was revived in 2019, is now returning to racing, gracing the skin of IDEC's ORECA-Gibson 07 LMP2 that will be entered into the 100th running of Le Mans.

This comes a few years after the company debuted a crazy hybrid-V12 hypercar called the D12 in 2020, which will reportedly be the cornerstone of the company's revival.

Driven by Paul-Loup Chatin, Paul Lafargue, and Laurents Horr, the LMP2 car will wear a historic blue livery complete with the Delage logo front and center and French flag-inspired stripes that span the length of the vehicle. The brand made six appearances at Le Mans over its lifetime, including a class victory in 1937. The last appearance was in 1950, meaning the entrance this year will come 73 years since the brand gave up racing.

"[This is a]fantastic opportunity to continue rebuilding the brand's reputation internationally. I would like to thank the entire Idec Sport team for giving us this opportunity. The technical cooperation between our teams can make us optimistic for the race, as there are so many skills and enthusiasm united, as our first joint tests at Le Castellet have shown," said CEO Laurent Tapie.

IDEC Sport, which has raced at Le Mans six previous times starting in 2017, is equally excited about the chance to bring success to such a renowned brand, with team founder Patrice Lafargue saying, "This name means great things to car fans, and there is a real story in La Sarthe. We are proud that Delage recognizes our skills."

The partnership appears to go no further than aesthetics. Still, that will change if it continues into the future because what Delage has managed with the D12 is remarkable, mainly because it's street-legal in the US. Inspired by fighter jets and F1 cars, the $2.3 million vehicle features a 1+1 seating arrangement keeping the driver centered, much like another low-volume hypercar, the GMA T.50.

The hybrid system in the vehicle consists of a 7.6-liter naturally aspirated V12 that produces 976 horsepower and 614 lb-ft of torque. How much electric assistance you get depends on which trim you choose: Club or GT.

The Club trim only adds 20 hp, but the GT trim adds 109 hp. The tradeoff is weight, with the Club weighing only 2,866 pounds while the GT comes in at 3,064 lbs. This weight difference leads Delage to believe the Club will be faster around a track, and that's why it's taking it to the Nurburgring later this year to break the production car record.