A surprise addition to the GTX class for the 2025 24H Dubai is the brand new LM GT from new UAE-based Rossa Cars, putting a home-based company (rather than team) on the grid for the very first time in the race’s now 20-year history.
Unsurprisingly, the Rossa concern has some significant names behind it, including long-time racer, and ex-LMS, WEC, ELMS and Asian LMS champion, Roman Rusinov.
The Rossa LM GT is the first race car from the outfit which will race at the Dubai enduro, with Rusinov back in the driving seat alongside Evgeny Kireev, Nikita Mazepin and Harrison Newey.
The car, which will sport number #797, is being prepared for the race by Graff Racing, which has recent race winning history at the Dubai Autodrome in LMP3 competition.
The Rossa is a neat and tidy contemporary supercar design. The initial cars for both the track, and as a road car, are powered by a customer-specified normally aspirated V10, but future models might well see alternative power-plants, with Rossa in discussions to find a long-term engine supply partner.
Perhaps most interestingly of all, the all-carbon car has been specifically designed to LMP safety standards with front and rear crash boxes. The outfit is targeting competition in GT2 and potentially GT3 when planned road car production numbers meet the homologation levels required.
“The Rossa LM GT was inspired by the golden era of GT1 racing, but designed and built with a forward-thinking mindset,” Rusinov told DSC.
“We put a huge amount of effort into its conceptual and technical design and I think we exceeded even our own targets.
“It was key for us that the car provided LMP levels of safety, which is why we chose a carbon chassis. Integrating front and rear quick-change carbon crash structures adds to this, but also enables fast repairs after a crash.
“The LM GT looks fast, is great fun to drive and the team find it a pleasure to work on. Its exceptional design features and striking presence set it apart from any other car.
“In today’s world, it’s rare to witness the creation of a car that not only turns heads but is also built to conquer the most grueling 24-hour races.
“The whole team are incredibly proud to have brought it to life, and we can’t wait for our first race.”
The first car has been testing in Europe ahead of its race debut in Dubai, with the test pictures supplied to DSC showing the car on-track at Estoril.
Images courtesy of Rossa Cars
