Vanwall Racing is back and is aiming straight to be in action in the FIA World Endurance Championship for the 2025 season.
ByKolles Racing has been working all winter and in recent months on updates to the Vandervell 680 LMH that competed in the HYPERCAR class of the top endurance series in 2023, after which it was not given a renewal for the current season.
The team managed by Colin Kolles has never hidden its ambitions to return to the category, immediately declaring that its car would be powered by the 3.5-litre Bi-Turbo V8 engine produced by Pipo Moteurs and previously mounted on the Glickenhaus.
Vanwall Vandervell 680 LMH Track Days
Photo by: Vanwall Group
The previous naturally aspirated 4.5-litre Gibson V8’s limited power output and resulting reliability problems had been cited as the main causes of the Vanwall’s lack of competitiveness.
In recent months ByKolles, also engaged on the legal front for the use of the Vanwall name (resolved in its favor as the dedicated court ruled last week) has worked hard not only for the installation of the new engine, but also to adapt and renew the aerodynamics of the Vandervell 680.
The customer track-day model of the car was completed last week and began testing in the last few days with Tristan Vautier at the wheel.
Vanwall Vandervell 680 LMH Track Days
Photo by: Vanwall Group
This expedient will serve not only to test the car intended for wealthy private individuals who will want to buy it to have fun on the track, but also to check the aerodynamic innovations to be approved in order to then submit the application for registration to the FIA WEC and ACO.
“Our Vanwall LMH trackday car is ready for aerodynamic testing! With this test, we will make final aerodynamic adjustments before delivering the car to our customers,” explains the team’s statement.
“The trackday car already features some of the elements that the 2025 WEC Hypercar will have, according to WEC/FIA regulations.”
“The 900kg car is offered to our customers in two versions, with a 700hp naturally aspirated V8 engine weighing 900kg, or a 1000hp turbocharged V8.”
Vanwall Vandervell 680 LMH Track Days
Photo by: Vanwall Group
The 2025 FIA WEC regulations have already been presented at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, specifying that each manufacturer must enter a minimum of two cars in the HYPERCAR class.
Vanwall-ByKolles has long since made it known that it is ready to support this commitment and now all that remains is to wait for the decisions by the FIA WEC Commission on the number of those entitled to a place, considering that Isotta Fraschini and at least a couple of private Porsches are also in play, with a number of places limited to 40 units.
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