#10 ZYTEK 07S & #32 & #33 ZYTEK 07S/2

June 7, 2007 - Zytek - an all-British company, founded in 1982 by Bill Gibson - is involved in motor racing since a quarter century. Initially the company was specialised in manufacturing race motors, most of them being used in F3000 racing. When in 2000 the highly respected Reynard Motorsports went bankrupt, Zytek purchased the Reynard chassis and bodies. Since they manufactured already the lightest race engine in the world, the famous Zytek ZG348, with a 3.4 litre capacity good for 510 bhp, they decided to put it in the latest Reynard body, and to race the new machinery up from 2004 under the name Zytek 04S. That year ACO admitted that cars using a 3.4-litre engine without turbo aspiration were considered as LM P675 cars, a subclass of LMP1. They were allowed to be raced with a minimum weight of 675 kg. In 2005 that minimum weight was increased and up from 2007 the old LM P675 subclass disappeared. So, for 2007, Zytek had to develop a new car, the Zytek 07S with a minimum weight of 925 kg. Tim Holloway designed a new body, respecting the new ACO rules. Indeed, the 2006 Zytek 06S was an hybrid car, using the old style LM P675 chassis together with the new style of bodies. Since the old chassis could no longer be used in 2007, it was better to make a complete new car, with not only a new chassis, but also a new body.
The biggest change was ACO's 2007 requirement of a second roll hoop, giving the cars less of single seater look and feel. Anticipating these changes, Zytek designed the 06S body panels to fit on the new tub developed for the 07S.  The 07S chassis itself is relatively conventional, consisting of a carbon fibre monocoque with double wishbone suspension on both ends. Fortunately the body still reminds us of Reynard's very elegant original design, although it has been altered in many areas to comply with the LMP1/2 aero rules. To appeal to a broad range of customers, the new Zytek 07S could be ordered as either a LMP1 or a LMP2 racer, fitted with the 4 or 3.4 litre Zytek V8 engine respectively. Zytek thus designed an innovative next-generation engine that could be tailored to a wide range of applications. At its launch, the ZB408 was the smallest and lightest 4.0 litre endurance engine (630 bhp strong) ever produced. Today there are several versions already proven. The combination of the new body, the new chassis and the 4-litre 2ZG408 motor variant, resulted in the Zytek 07S LMP1 race car. By fitting the old 3-4 litre 2ZG348 motor variant in the new combination, one became the LMP2 class Zytek 07S/2. One LMP1 version was already sold to Arena Motorsport with Stefan Johansson (my former racer in my 1989 F1 Onyx team!) and Hayanara Shimoda as racers. The car is entered at the 2007 LMS and the Le Mans 24 hours and is raced with #10. Two LMP2 versions were sold to Barazi Epsilon, racing them under #32 and #33 in the LMS series and at the Le Mans 24 hours.

RESULTS 2007 - After the impressive, but also disappointing debut of the LMP2 Zytek 07S at Monza, the full LMP1 example made its first appearance in the second round of the Le Mans Series. Entered by Arena Motorsport and driven by Hayanari Shimoda and Stefan Johansson, it was easily the fastest petrol engined machine at the Valencia track. After a strong run in the race, the white and blue machine - the lonely one able to follow the two leading Peugeots 908 in the same lap after two hours of racing - was forced to retire from third place due to two throttle cables failing. At the Le Mans Test Day Shimoda realised a 3'34"340 lap, good for the 8th best time.
In LMP2 the #32 Zytek 07S/2 disappointed at Valencia, where it finished 22nd overall and 7th in its class. But at the Le Mans Test Day the two Barazi Epsilon Zyteks took the two first places in LMP2, even letting the #12 Courage LC70 AER behind. Fastest time (3'39"016) was realised by Michael Vergers on the #32 and by R. Kerr (exactly the same time) by R. Kerr, good for a 15th and 16th spot and more than 1"6 faster than the first other LMP2 car. [JPVR]

LMP1
engine Zytek 07S: 90 degree V8 Zytek 2ZG408  3,997cc  620 bhp (torque 530 Nm)
engine weight Zytek 07S: 123 kg
turbochargers: no turbos, naturally aspired
Valvetrain: 4 valves per cylinder DOHC
gearbox: Ricardo 6 speed sequential
fuel capacity: 90 litres
weight: 925 kg 
tyres: Michelin

LMP2
engine Zytek 07S/2: 90 degree V8 Zytek 2ZG348  3,396cc  510 bhp (torque 436 Nm)
engine weight Zytek 07S/2: 120 kg
turbochargers: no turbos, naturally aspiredi
Valvetrain: 4 valves per cylinder DOHC
gearbox: Ricardo 6 speed sequential
fuel capacity: 90 litres
weight: 775 kg 
tyres: Michelin