Image from LeMans24Tour.com Image from LeMans24Tour.com

24 hours of Le Mans is one of the most prestigious motor races in the world. Numerous manufacturers challenge the 13.626km circuit of La Sarthe, but only a few drivers and cars manage to survive the race and make history. Even the greatest manufacturers like Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Pagani, Lamborghini had challenged the Le Mans but had to taste bitter defeat most of the times. However, despite the gruesome reality, there was a South Korean company that challenged the mighty 24 hours of Le Mans. It was not Hyundai. It was not Kia. It was not Daewoo. It was Ssangyong.

Image from Youtube Image from Youtube

Now, stop laughing for a second. Yes, I know lots of people think Ssangyong as a crappier version of Hyundai or Kia. But, if you do not care about brand value, Ssangyong makes quite a lot of high-value-for-money cars, like the Korando, Tivoli, and the Rexton these days. And in the ‘90s, Ssangyong was actually the most innovative South Korean automobile manufacturer. They entered the Paris-Dakar rally three times with their Ssangyong Musso, while their flagship saloon, the Chairman was even better than the Hyundai Dynasty and the Equus(which are both predecessors of the Genesis G90).

Image from Ssangyong Image from Ssangyong

One of their most innovative projects was definitely the Ssangyong Le Mans Solo. The reason behind the project was quite obvious. That time, Ssangyong had its engines supplied from Mercedes Benz. Furthermore, lots of Ssangyong cars were equipped with Mercedes technology like electronics or braking systems. Ssangyong wanted to build their own 2.0L engine, and they thought the 24 Hours of Le Mans would be a great testing field. Still, the problem was that Ssangyong did not have any existing sports car that could meet the homologation requirements or the performance of competitors. Therefore, they decided to enter the rather recently opened LMP2 class.

Image from GT Planet Image from GT Planet

The first challenge was the engine. FIA regulations required LMP2 cars to use one of two engines; a 3.4L naturally aspirated engine or a 2.0L turbocharged engine. Ssangyong used the 16-valve 2.0L M111.940 engine as a base, which was used in the Musso 2000. After two years of development, most of the engine components were changed, the ECU was remapped, and a single Garett turbocharger was added. The result was quite satisfying, the engine output was increased from 134hp to 380hp!

Interior of the Ssangyong Solo Le Mans. Image from Naver Blog Interior of the Ssangyong Solo Le Mans. Image from Naver Blog

Then, there was the chassis. As Ssangyong lacked the resources and experience to build a race car chassis from the start, they commissioned a French company called Welter Racing. Soon a WR-LM94 aluminum monocoque chassis arrived and further work began. Independent double-wishbone suspensions were added with Brembo racing brakes and magnesium wheels.

Ssangyong Solo Le Mans Exhaust. Image from Naver Blog Ssangyong Solo Le Mans Exhaust. Image from Naver Blog

The engine was later mated with a five-speed manual gearbox. A Ssangyong livery inspired by the Ssangyong logo was also added, and the car was now ready to roll. An interesting fact is that the car had front splitters made out of wood instead of carbon. The reasons are unknown, but we can know how much these engineers tried hard to make a race car despite the circumstances.

Image from Philippe Lesbats Image from Philippe Lesbats

In the prequalifying of Le Mans, the number 12 Ssangyong Solo Le Mans was driven by a French driver Bertrand Gachot. The car ranked 31st in the prequalifying session with a lap time of 3 minutes 59.491 seconds and a top speed of 329.004km/h but failed to qualify for the qualifying sessions. It had only a 1.5 second time difference with the Kudzu DLM Mazda, which managed to win the LMP2 class in 1996. It was expected, as other LMP2 cars were powered by engines from more experienced companies like Peugeot, but for a first run, it was not a total failure.

Image from Patrick Durand Image from Patrick Durand

Soon, the Ssangyong Solo Le Mans headed once again to France to compete in the 4 Heures du Mans Coupe d'Automne, held in the Bugatti Circuit. This time, driven by Bertrand Gachot and Emmanuel Clerico, the Ssangyong managed to qualify third, which was an incredible success. However, halfway during the main event, gravel was sucked into the intake, damaging the turbocharger, and thus ending with a DNF.

Image from Naver Blog Image from Naver Blog

Since then, the car was known to be shelved back in Ssangyong’s storage facility and was later sold as the company’s financial situation got worse. Currently, an owner of a racing team and a tuning shop in Yongin owns the car. Although it does not seem to be in the best condition, as a bit of rust and dust accumulated. Still, according to the owner, it is the favourite of his collection which ranges from a Dome Uova prototype to classic Minis.

Image from Naver Blog Image from Naver Blog

The Ssangyong Solo Le Mans failed to enter Le Mans, and never actually won a race. Regardless, it is still an important car for the whole Korean automotive history. It is the only South Korean car that challenged Le Mans, and it was not even from major companies like Hyundai and Kia. Despite the fact that it might seem like a total waste of money to develop a racing prototype, it eventually benefitted Ssangyong at the end of the day. Ssangyong later succeeded in developing their own XDI 2.0L turbo-diesel engine and the XGDI 2.0L turbocharged petrol engine used in the Rexton.

Image from Retropower Image from Retropower

At the end of the day...

Racing is not a profitable business these days. Why? Because the risks are too high to put tons of R&D money that is not usually useful for their roadgoing cars. However, this is because manufacturers think of racing as winning and losing. The idea of ‘Winner takes it all’ remains rooted in the deepest minds of automotive leaders and now deters them from entering or even continuing motorsports.

Image from Dezeen Image from Dezeen

However, I do not like to explain racing with the term winning and losing, but rather with the term of those who remain and those who leave. Every manufacturer and drivers are not competitors, but rather companions of their journey to pursue speed. Yes, some remain pursuing their dreams, while others leave for a more ‘realistic’ goals. Nobody is a loser in the motorsport world. We only advance for a higher place.

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