Courage LC70
| Industry | Motorsport |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1980s |
| Founder | Yves Courage |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Racing cars (Le Mans Prototypes) |
The Courage LC70 is a Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1) developed by Courage Competition and has been actively raced since 2006. The model’s name honors founder Yves Courage, although during its development phase, the brand was acquired by ORECA, prompting a renaming. The closely related Courage-ORECA LC75 was engineered for the LMP2 category. Variants of the LC75, such as the Acura ARX-01a and ARX-01b, have competed in the American Le Mans Series starting in 2007. The LC prefix pays tribute to Lillian Courage, the late spouse of Yves Courage.
Racing history
From 2006 onward, the LC70 has been entered by teams including Courage Competition, ORECA, Swiss Spirit, and Saulnier Racing. Its primary competitions were the Le Mans Series and the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. The LC70 made its first appearance at the 2006 1000 km of Istanbul powered by a Judd V10 engine with Swiss Spirit, whereas Courage ran a variant equipped with a Mugen V8. A notable incident occurred in 2008 at Monza when Stéphane Ortelli experienced a significant accident caused by insufficient tire pressure.
The LC70 also achieved success on international circuits; Mugen-powered cars secured victories twice in the Japan Le Mans Challenge’s 1000 km of Okayama. In North America, adapted versions of the LC75 performed strongly under the Acura nameplate.
2006
- 1000 km Spa-Francorchamps: Finished 2nd overall (2nd in LMP1)
- 1000 km Donington: Placed 5th overall (4th in LMP1)
- 1000 km Jarama: Achieved 3rd overall (2nd in LMP1)
- 1000 km Okayama: Secured 1st overall (1st in LMP1)
- 24 Hours of Le Mans: No classified finishers
2007
- 1000 km Monza: Ranked 5th overall (5th in LMP1)
- 1000 km Okayama: Claimed 1st overall (1st in LMP1)
- 24 Hours of Le Mans: Finished 26th overall (12th in LMP1)
2008
- 1000 km Monza: Completed race in 6th place overall (6th in LMP1)
- 1000 km Spa: Attained 3rd place overall (3rd in LMP1)
- 1000 km Nürburgring: Ended up 6th overall (6th in LMP1)
- 1000 km Silverstone: Finished 8th overall (7th in LMP1)
- 24 Hours of Le Mans: Achieved 8th overall (8th in LMP1)
- Le Mans Series: Secured 6th place in Constructors' Championship for LMP1
Design
The LC70 was engineered to comply with the ACO and FIA regulations effective from 2005, guaranteeing eligibility for sports car events through to 2010. Its public debut took place at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. The prototype was crafted to compete across both LMP1 and LMP2 categories with minimal adjustments, forming the foundation for its smaller counterpart, the Courage-ORECA LC75. It incorporates a six-speed transmission supplied by Xtrac, alongside power units from manufacturers such as AER, Mugen, and Judd.
In 2008, ORECA implemented major aerodynamic updates to the LC70, replacing the central front air intake with dual lateral intakes positioned within the wheel arches and extensively redesigning the front splitter. Additionally, a project conducted by students from Tokai University reimagined the aerodynamics for their Le Mans entry, preserving only the underbody and monocoque structure while fitting it with a YGK engine.
Chassis
The LC70 and LC75 chassis were assigned sequential numbers reflecting their close relationship; for instance, chassis number 2 transitioned from an LC70 to an LC75 configuration. Upon entering the American Le Mans Series in 2007, Acura obtained three LC75 chassis, which served as the foundation for the development of the Acura ARX-01a and ARX-01b models. In 2008, De Ferran Motorsports contributed an additional chassis, further advancing Acura's development efforts.
References
| No. | Year | Model | Team | Engine | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006 | Courage Compétition | Development & Testing | ||
| 2007 | LC75 | Noel Del Bello Racing | AER | LMS & Le Mans | |
| 2008 | LC75 | ORECA | Development & Testing | ||
| 2009 | LC75 | Pegasus Racing | AER | LMS | |
| 2 | 2006 | LC70 | Swiss Spirit | Judd | LMS & Le Mans |
| 2007 | LC75 | Saulnier Racing | AER | LMS & Le Mans | |
| 2009 | LC75 | Ibanez Racing Service | AER | LMS | |
| 3 | 2006 | LC70 | Courage Compétition | Mugen | LMS & Le Mans |
| 2007 | LC70 | Courage Compétition | AER | LMS & Le Mans | |
| 2008 | LC70 | Team Oreca Matmut | Judd | LMS | |
| 4 | 2007 | LC70 | Courage Compétition | Mugen | Le Mans |
| 2007 | LC70 | Courage Compétition | AER | LMS & Le Mans | |
| 5 | 2006 | LC70 | Courage Compétition | Mugen | LMS |
| 2006 | LC70 | Team Mugen | Mugen | Japan Le Mans Challenge | |
| 2007 | LC70 | Team Mugen | Mugen | JLMC | |
| 2008 | LC70 | Terramos | Mugen | Le Mans | |
| 6 | 2008 | LC70 | Tōkai-Universität | YGK | Le Mans |
| 7 | 2007 | ARX-01a | Highcroft Racing | Acura | American Le Mans Series (ALMS) |
| 2008 | ARX-01b | Highcroft Racing | Acura | ALMS | |
| 8 | 2007 | ARX-01a | Andretti Green Racing | Acura | ALMS |
| 2008 | ARX-01b | Andretti Green Racing | Acura | ALMS | |
| 9 | 2007 | ARX-01a | Honda Performance Development | Acura | Test vehicle only |
| 2008 | ARX-01b | Fernández Racing | Acura | ALMS | |
| 2009 | ARX-01b | Fernández Racing | Acura | ALMS | |
| 2010 | ARX-01b | Strakka Racing | Acura | ||
| 10 | 2007
| LC70 | Courage Compétition | AER | LMS |