Championship-Winning Pedigree Comes to Road with Latest TAG Model by Lanzante

[source: Lanzante]

In less than six weeks, British automotive engineering specialists Lanzante will pull the covers off the ultimate celebration of Formula 1 performance for the road. The TAG Championship by Lanzante. The lightweight model marries the iconic Porsche 930 Turbo body shape with the ultimate motorsport powerplant, in a specially designed and engineered collection of just three cars. The first of these will debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Stripped back to the bare essentials, the TAG Championship models are built to celebrate the three back-to-back titles achieved by McLaren during the dominant 1980s era, powered by Porsche-built, period TAG power units with genuine race heritage. Each of the three cars will be named by driver and year.

The Championship model is a further enhancement over the TAG Turbo by Lanzante, previously displayed at Goodwood Festival of Speed. This was a modern reimagining of the one-off car, originally built by McLaren, which coupled the 1980s Porsche 911 with a TAG-branded, Porsche-built, V6 twin turbo Formula 1 engine.

The TAG Championship by Lanzante honours the outrageous power and performance of the golden era of Formula 1, while utilising state-of-the-art motorsport technology and extensive use of carbon fibre helping to minimise weight. This crash diet sees the TAG Championship tip the scales at just 920kg – an impressive saving of more than 430kg over the original 930 Turbo donor car.

At its heart, each of the specially developed road legal models are fitted with a genuine Formula 1 engine. And not just any engine. The three cars are built with genuine race-used examples of the TAG TTE P01 1.5-litre V6 twin turbo, which claimed three consecutive world titles for McLaren with Niki Lauda and Alain Prost. The car being displayed – Championship ’85 – houses an engine raced across the 1984, ’85 and ’86 seasons, claiming two podiums for Alain Prost during 1985, when he took the first of his four world championship titles.

The 1980s period units have been reengineered and built by engine experts Cosworth, with all works certified by McLaren. Upgrades and enhancements include new pistons, conrods, valves and valve springs, revised cams, a new airbox, new cooling, a new exhaust system, and newly developed lightweight titanium turbos. These new turbo housings alone contribute 8kgs in weight saving.

The engineering changes have delivered a power unit that revs to 10,250rpm, increased power to 625hp, and a top speed of 200mph. Power is transferred to the road via a custom Porsche 993 six-speed gearbox with bespoke ratios.  Despite the upgrades, however, the TAG Championship has retained all of its driveability, running on regular fuel, and remains fully road legal.

The overall package of the Championship model is more focused towards the Formula 1 cars which they pay homage to, with subtle details across the interior and exterior. This is in contrast to the TAG Turbo by Lanzante model, which was closely matched to the original car built by McLaren.

With a stiffened Porsche 930 Turbo chassis at its core, the TAG Championship models feature extensive use of motorsport-borne technology. Body panels including the bonnet, doors, front wings, front splitter, roof, bumpers and rear wing are all formed from lightweight Formula 1-grade carbon fibre, the brakes have been upgraded to a bespoke, full carbon ceramic system, and an all-new Formula 1 wiring loom is now fitted, along with a new ECU from Cosworth.

Careful attention has also been paid to the finish of the bodywork. The paintwork has been carefully matched to the design of Prost’s 1985 helmet design, shown alongside the bare carbon finish, mirroring the style of the original MP4/2B racecar. Exposed carbon is now used for the large 1980’s-style bumpers, in place of the traditional rubber finish. Mirroring the original race car, the finished car sits on larger versions of the original racecar’s black wheels. Built by the Dymag, the same as the original versions, the 18-inch magnesium and carbon rims are now shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres.

Complete with rollcage, the stripped-out interior has removed several comfort features in the name of weight saving, including the electric mirrors and electric windows, while a lightweight climate control system has been installed. A pair of carbon-backed lightweight Recaro seats are complemented by BOSS-branded, black and white six-point harnesses. A Personal-branded, suede steering wheel, with white stitching, adds the finishing touch, echoing the title-winning MP4/2 racecars.

TAG Championship by Lanzante specification

The TAG Championship by Lanzante will make its public debut at the opening day of the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Thursday 11 July.