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Keniss LM88

8,007 FlyingBathtub  1.8 years ago

The Keniss LM88 marked the return of Keniss to european endurance racing following the death of William Wethersfield at Spa-Francorchamps in 1974. It finished well in its debut in Group B, posting a 2-3 and a 6-7 finish at Jerez. This example, the iconic number 177, was driven by three separate drivers in the 1988 24h of Le Mans.
Jimmy Wolf, an experienced American IndyCar driver, as well as a future 3-time NASCAR champion.
Pietro Valmaroff, a Ukrainian rookie from German F3000. Would go on to win LeMans on 3 separate occasions.
Dave Walsh, an extremely experienced endurance racer, having driven the likes of the Ferrari P4 in his career. The 1988 season would be his last before retirement at age 48.

Over the course of the 1988 and 1989 seasons, the car scored 9 class victories, and 4 overall victories. It was equipped with a monster of an engine, a 7.4 Liter V8 that made nearly 900 horsepower in race spec. The top speed, with a governor, was 218mph; but during the Gold Prix Challenge at Sky Park Raceway, the limiter was removed and the pair of LM88 were recorded going in excess of 243mph on the straights, setting a speed record that would not be broken until 2009. The car was also noted for its imposing size, at just over 21 feet in length and 5 feet tall, it was bigger and heavier than any other car on track, but due to the engine, gearbox and downforce, the car was as fast and sometimes faster than any other car.

Photos:

On a side note, the rear right suspension simply needs the rotator attached to the gearbox to be reconnected, I don't know why it disconnected when I posted it.

Spotlights

General Characteristics

Performance

  • Wing Loading 142.0lbs/ft2 (693.5kg/m2)
  • Wing Area 54.5ft2 (5.1m2)
  • Drag Points 3532

Parts

  • Number of Parts 340
  • Control Surfaces 0
  • Performance Cost 1,723