Cadillac currently competes in the Pirelli World Challenge with their all-new ATS-V.R, the automaker’s only factory-backed racing program, but in the early 2000s, the luxury brand’s focus was on Le Mans prototype racing.
Looking to bring the fight to Audi and their R8 LMP, Cadillac employed racecar builders Riley & Scott to develop a Northstar-powered LMP car from scratch. With a bespoke carbon fiber monocoque and a 650 horsepower twin-turbocharged version of the Aurora V8 GM used in its Indy program in the 90s, the Cadillac LMP was looking promising. However its best-ever finish at Le Mans was 15th, while the R8 LMP would go on to spark Audi’s utter dominance of Le Mans and the WEC and form the basis for its R10, R15 and R18 programs.
Due to its lack of success, the Northstar LMP cars aren’t the most desirable GM racecars ever built. We’ve seen the different chassis built change hands a number of times, and the No. 8 car is set to be sold off at Barrett-Jackson’s upcoming Palm Beach auction later this month. Oddly, the car was sold for $104,500 at its Scottsdale auction earlier this year, however that sale must have fell through, as it’s being sold from the John Rosatti collection once again this month. The auction house has sold off other Northstar LMP examples, too, with the rather neglected No. 19 car also being sold off at Scottsdale 2015 for just $99,000.
According to the listing, this Northstar LMP’s engine is currently in a state of disrepair, which will probably make it more appealing to collectors looking for a showpiece rather than race fans looking for a track day toy. You could always have the engine put back together, but finding someone with the know-how and patience required to put a 4.0-liter twin turbo Aurora engine back in a complicated LMP car could be difficult.
If you’re interested in scooping up a piece of GM race history for a relatively small chunk of change, check out the listing here.
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