Oreca
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport, Automotive |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | Hugues de Chaunac |
| Headquarters | France , France |
Key people | Hugues de Chaunac (head) |
| Products | Race cars, Motorsport team services |
ORECA (Organisation Exploitation Compétition Automobiles) is a French motorsport team and race car manufacturer established in 1973, headed by Hugues de Chaunac, who previously managed the F1 outfit AGS. The organization has garnered accomplishments across multiple racing categories, with a primary emphasis on sports cars and GT competition since the early 1990s.
Team
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Oreca drivers including Alain Prost, Jacques Laffite, and Jean Alesi collectively earned an unprecedented 11 French Formula Three Championship titles for the team.
In the 1990s, Oreca operated a BMW program in the French Supertouring Championship and claimed victories in the FIA GT Championship as well as the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Chrysler Viper GTS-R. Additionally, they achieved an overall win at Le Mans in 1991 with the Mazda 787B.
The team also prepared rally-spec Renault Clio S1600 vehicles and secured success in the Andros Trophy ice racing series piloting a Toyota Corolla driven by Alain Prost.
During the 2000s, Oreca collaborated with Renault Sport on the Mégane V6 for the Renault Eurocup Mégane Sport and entered an Audi R8 at the 2005 Le Mans 24 Hours representing Audi France. In 2006, Oreca campaigned a Saleen S7R in the Le Mans Series, achieving victory at Spa-Francorchamps.
Between 2006 and 2007, Oreca worked closely with Dodge on the Viper Competition Coupe project, manufacturing over one hundred GT3-spec customer vehicles.
In 2010, Oreca fielded a customer-spec Peugeot 908 HDi FAP with partial factory support, winning overall at Algarve and capturing the Le Mans Series title ahead of official Peugeot squads. The following year saw Oreca triumph at the 12 Hours of Sebring using a retired Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP.
Selected in 2012 to operate Toyota’s TS030 Hybrid LMP1 car in the FIA World Endurance Championship including Le Mans, Oreca demonstrated competitive pace but struggled with reliability that hindered race completions.
Manufacturer
On September 14, 2007, Oreca expanded its manufacturing capabilities by acquiring sports prototype builder Courage Compétition. Their inaugural project under this banner was the Oreca 01 LMP1 prototype which debuted at the 2009 1000 km of Spa with two entries.
In 2009, Oreca introduced the Formula Le Mans 'FLM09,' originally designed for its own racing series before extending to endurance events such as the American Le Mans Series within an LMPC category—offering cost-effective racing solutions for smaller teams entering endurance motorsport.
The Oreca 03 was launched in 2011 to comply with updated LMP2 regulations. Featuring a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis and adhering to budget restrictions while accommodating production-based V8 engines, most clients opted for Nissan’s VK45DE or Judd-BMW power units.
From 2011 through 2015, both the Oreca 03 and its evolved version, the 03R, accumulated over sixty race starts and more than twenty-five class victories across competitions including the European Le Mans Series, FIA World Endurance Championship, and Asian Le Mans Series. Notable achievements include wins at São Paulo and Shanghai with G-Drive Racing alongside multiple ELMS championships secured by Thiriet by TDS Racing.
A number of Oreca chassis continue to compete in historic racing events organized by Masters Endurance Legends across Europe and North America.
Building on the success of the Oreca 03 under new LMP2 regulations, Oreca unveiled the Oreca 05 in 2015 which subsequently claimed its class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Designated as one of four official LMP2 manufacturers in 2017, Oreca released the Oreca 07 model. Derivatives include the Rebellion R13 developed for LMP1 competition within the FIA World Endurance Championship and the Acura ARX-05 crafted alongside Honda Performance Development to meet Daytona Prototype international (DPi) specifications for IMSA racing. The R13 was later rebranded as Alpine A480 to compete as a grandfathered entry in Le Mans Hypercar class events. Furthermore, Oreca secured a contract to supply chassis under forthcoming LMP2 regulations set for implementation in 2028.
Among four suppliers approved for LMDh sports prototype regulations, Oreca currently provides chassis for Acura (ARX-06) and Alpine (A424) programs. Future commitments include supplying Genesis beginning in 2026 and Ford from 2027 under these standards.
Models
| Year | Vehicle | Powerplant | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Oreca 01 | AIM (Judd) YS5.5 5.5L V10 | LMP1 |
| Oreca FLM 09 | General Motors LS3 6.2L V8 | LMPC | |
| 2011 | Oreca 03 | Judd-BMW HK 3.6L V8 Nissan VK45DE 4.5L V8 |
LMP2 |
| 2014 | Rebellion R-One | Toyota RV8KLM 3.4L V8 AER P60 2.4L V6 |
LMP1-L |
| 2015 | Oreca 05 | Nissan VK45DE 4.5L V8 | LMP2 |
| 2017 | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428 4.2L V8 | LMP2 |
| 2018 | Acura ARX-05 | Acura AR35TT 3.5L V6 | DPi |
| 2018 | Oreca R4 kit | Oreca 1.6L I4 | Group R4 |
| 2018 | Rebellion R13 | Gibson GL458 4.5L V8 | LMP1 |
| 2021 | Alpine A480 | Gibson GL458 4.5L V8 | LMP1 |
| 2023 | Acura ARX-06 | Acura AR24e 2.4L V6 | LMDh |
| 2024 | Alpine A424 | Alpine V634 3.4L V6 | LMDh |
| 2026 | Genesis GMR-001 | Genesis V8 | LMDh |