It’s important to start this piece by saying that the end of the 2024 European season marked just the beginning of the end of the second generation of LMP3 prototypes.
These cars will race on everywhere that LMP3 cars are welcomed, with the exception in 2025 of the European Le Mans Series, Le Mans Cup and we expect, the Asian Le Mans Series when the 2025/26 campaign gets underway.
The current crop of cars, which debuted in 2020, are the evolution from the original 2015 LMP3s. They are powered by a 5.6-litre Nissan normally aspirated V8 and have provided a distinct low, rumbling soundtrack to hundreds of race meetings around the world over the past five years.
But their time is coming to an end, with the new cars set to house a new twin-turbo Toyota-based V6 engine, produced as a blueprinted powertrain, by ORECA.
It would be fair to say that over the years, two of the four chassis manufacturers barely featured in the competition during the Gen 2 era.
ADESS’ chassis was rarely seen in competitive settings though it did feature in a variety of non-LMP3 experimental cars, most notably the H24 project. In that form, it did race in the Le Mans Cup, albeit with very limited success and a single ADESS 03 EVO appeared just once in competitive form at the 2021 Road To Le Mans races.
Ginetta meanwhile, produced a short production run of its G61-LT-P3, with cars appearing in the Asian Le Mans Series at the hands of ARC Bratislava and later with multiple teams in both Prototype Cup Germany and Ultimate Cup. The car did achieve win races, with Konrad Motorsport in Germany.
For the more significant series though, we have to look to the two French manufacturers, Ligier and Duqueine, to tell the bulk of this formula’s story.
Between the two, they’ve claimed every major LMP3 title worldwide with the JS P320 and D08 respectively and have provided a strong platform for aspirant teams and drivers working their way up the sportscar ladder.
Below are the title winners for the series that will transition to the new generation of cars in 2025.
(NB – The Asian Le Mans Series is midway through the 2024/25 season)
Here are the champions
2020 Michelin Le Mans Cup: #3 DKR Engineering, Duqueine D08
2020 European Le Mans Series: #2 United Autosports, Ligier JS P320
2020/21 Asian Le Mans Series: #23 United Autosports, Ligier JS P320
2021 Michelin Le Mans Cup: #7 Nielsen Racing, Ligier JS P320
2021 European Le Mans Series: #4 DKR Engineering, Duqueine D08
2021/22 Asian Le Mans Series: #27 CD Sport, Ligier JS P320
2022 Michelin Le Mans Cup: #10 Racing Spirit of Léman, Ligier JS P320
2022 European Le Mans Series: #17 COOL Racing, Ligier JS P320
2022/23 Asian Le Mans Series: #8 GRAFF Racing, Ligier JS P320
2023 Michelin Le Mans Cup: #16 Team Virage, Ligier JS P320
2023 European Le Mans Series: #17 COOL Racing, Ligier JS P320
2023/24 Asian Le Mans Series: #17 COOL Racing, Ligier JS P320
2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup: #97 Cool Racing, Ligier JS P320
2024 European Le Mans Series: #15 RLR MSport, Liger JS P320
