Glickenhaus chooses Pipo Engines for its Le Mans Hypercar

In accordance with what we mentioned at the beginning of March (see Ah n°2258), the Le Mans Hypercar of the Team Cameron Glickenhaus will be powered by a twin-turbo V8 from Pipo Engines.

The Ardèche company is very renowned for its exploits in rally et rallycross since it is to her that we owe the engine of the 206 WRC and that of Petter Solberg’s Citroën DS3 WRX. But not only that, since she then worked with Ford and Hyundai. M-Sport continues to trust it for its Bentley Continental GT3 and Hyundai for its R5 and TCR programs, where success is guaranteed. In all, Pipo has 12 planetary consecrations.

« We were looking for a partner who, just like us, is eagerly seeking a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, emphasizes Jim Glickenhaus, the owner of SCG. Pipo Engines nourishes this same ambition, as proven by all its successes in recent decades. The first time I spoke with Fred (director of Pipo Engines. Editor's note), I immediately noticed that we were on the same wavelength. »

And the latter to continue: " Pipo Engines has won a lot of things, from rally to GT, sprint and Endurance, on the circuit and on the tracks, but not Le Mans. When Luca (Ciancetti, director of Podium Advanced Technologies, which manages SCG's track operations. Editor's note) called me and told me about this opportunity to be part of the SCG team, I said to myself that it was an opportunity not to be passed up. Well before this announcement, we began working extensively on the architecture of this new V8, because we felt that it would be a prolific adventure. »

This V8 will in fact come from the combination of two 2020 versions of a turbocharged in-line V4 designed by Pipo and which was used in both WRC and Rallycross. The first passage on the bench is hoped for October, and the first running of the 007C for the month of January, the idea being to be present on March 19, 2021 at the 1000 miles of Sebring, opening round of the 2021 season of WEC.