2012 Gran Turismo-featured Zytek Gibson LM P2 #008

Please note this is the actual car driven at Le Mans by Jann in 2013. The car purporting to be this car in the Gran Turismo movie released earlier this month is an LM P3.

The Zytek Z11 SN has a long and proud race career and can trace its DNA back to the Reynard 02S, a racer designed in 2000 to compete at Le Mans in the LM P675 class. The project was eventually acquired by the motorsport arm of the engineering group, Zytek. In the following years they updated the chassis to comply with changing regulations and to improve performance, particularly in aerodynamics. The Z11 SN was the final evolution of this long serving and very successful sports prototype and in 2015, following Zyteks rebranding to Gibson Technology, the Z11 SN was updated to the Gibson 015S.

This example, #008 is one of two brand new Z11 SN chassis that were ordered from Zytek for the 2012 season. It raced in ELMS and at Le Mans. The ELMS car was funded by Nissan with inaugural Gran Turismo PlayStation Academy winner, Lucas Ordóñez, and F2-graduate, Alex Brundle, to join reigning champion Tom Kimber-Smith for the season. The headlines were stolen by Alex’s father, Martin Brundle who was announced as being in the line-up for Le Mans in place of Kimber-Smith. At Le Mans, the car was running in the top five until a spin on Saturday evening beached the car, costing four laps ending its chances of a podium.

2013 saw Jann Mardenborough join the team for Le Mans 24 hours. The car also competed in the ELMS, once more with Nissan backing. Leading the team was the vastly experienced Michael Krumm, a factory driver for Nissan since 1999 and the FIA GT1 World Champion in 2011. Ordonez was back on the driver roster for the French classic, joined by up and coming star Jann Mardenborough, a top graduate of the Gran Turismo PlayStation Academy. The car received aerodynamic upgrades, unlocking further performance. The LM P2 class was extremely competitive, and the Greaves Motorsport team showed their true form by finishing on the podium, third in the category. Jann was the faster of the three drivers.

#008 enjoyed success over the 21 endurance sports car races, including four times at the Le Mans 24 Hours, with three finishes at La Sarthe. A class podium at Le Mans, two outright victories and being overall winner of the 2015 ELMS Championship were the high points in the career of this outstanding race car, however the profile of #008 has suddenly been elevated by the fact that it was co-driven by Jann Mardenborough to a third place at Le Mans. Jann is the subject of a, soon to be released, major American Movie called Gran Turismo, a biographical coming-of age sports drama directed by Neill Blomkamp, produced by Columbia Pictures and starring Archie Madekwe as Jann Mardenborough, a teenage Gran Turismo player aspiring to be a race car driver.

Nissan’s revolutionary driver discovery and development programme, 'GT Academy', struck gold in 2011 when it unearthed the raw talent of Jann Mardenborough.  He was a student on a gap year when he heard about GT Academy and, whilst he knew that he was totally comfortable lapping circuits on his PS3, could his skills in the virtual world be transferred just as successfully onto a real circuit? On his very first visit to Le Mans in 2013 and having only completed a handful of laps in the car before the event Jan finished a remarkable third in class in this very car. This result was a testament to both Jann’s talent and how fast and easy to drive the Zytek is, allowing drivers to get up to speed quickly.

#008 is currently powered by a Nissan VK45, 4.5-litre V8, producing 475bhp (restricted for Le Mans but capable of 560bhp) @ 7,250rpm which was rebuilt by Judd in 2021. It has logged two hours running time with a further 38-hours remaining before its next rebuild. The gearbox is a Ricardo LMP Transaxle with ten-hours before the next rebuild.

Well-prepared and presented, much success in the hands of some notable drivers, low-hours engine, eligible for numerous prestigious historic events worldwide and about to appear on our screens as part of a major Hollywood movie, an exciting opportunity to own the actual car driven in 2013 by Jann.

2012

Le Mans 24 Hrs; 8th in class, 15th overall. Drivers M. Brundle, A. Brundle, L. Ordóñez. Ran a steady 5th until a spin into the gravel three hours into the race. Lost four laps.

ELMS - Paul Ricard 4th, Donington Park 7th, Petit Le Mans 3rd.

2013

Le Mans 24 Hrs; 3rd in class, 9th overall, Drivers - J. Mardenborough. M. Krumm and L. Ordóñez. Faultless run.

ELMS - Silverstone DNF, Imola 5th.

2014

Le Mans 24 Hrs, 11th in class, 25th overall,  Drivers – M. McMurry, C. Dyson, T. Kimber-Smith. Gearbox rebuilt during race!

ELMS - Silverstone 4th, Imola 4th, Red Bull Ring 6th, Paul Ricard DNF, Estoril 7th.

2015

Le Mans 24 Hrs - DNF - Alternator failure. Drivers. J. Lancaster, B. Wirdheim, G. Hirsch.

ELMS – Silverstone 1st, Imola 4th, Red Bull Ring 4th, Paul Ricard 1st, Estoril 2nd. Championship Winner

2016  WEC Drivers. R. Gonzalez, B Junquiera, L Diaz,  Mexico 5th