WM P88
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| Category | Group C1 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Welter-Meunier | ||||||||
| Designers | Gérard Welter Michel Meunier | ||||||||
| Predecessor | WM P87 | ||||||||
| Successor | WM P489 | ||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Chassis | Aluminum | ||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbone | ||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Same as front | ||||||||
| Engine | Peugeot ZNS5 3.0 L (2,974 cc) V6 twin turbocharged Mid-engined, longitudinally mounted | ||||||||
| Transmission | Hewland ZG400 5-speed manual | ||||||||
| Power | 910 hp | ||||||||
| Weight | 900 kg (1,984 lb) | ||||||||
| Fuel | Essence | ||||||||
| Tyres | Michelin | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | WM Secateva | ||||||||
| Notable drivers | |||||||||
| Debut | 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
The Welter-Meunier P88 is a Group C sports prototype race car, designed, developed, and built by the French racing team Welter Racing, specifically to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year. It was designed and constructed according to the FIA's technical and sporting regulations for sports car racing.[1]
The car is notable for breaking the top speed record at the legendary Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe, as it attained a maximum speed of 405 km/h (252 mph), which is still the fastest speed ever recorded at the Circuit.[2]
Gerard Welter and Michel Meunier, two Peugeot designers, in 1969 created their first racing car in their spare time by obtaining it from the chassis and mechanics of a Peugeot 204 convertible and baptizing it WM P69. Over time they became increasingly involved in this activity and in 1976 made their debut at Le Mans with a GTP car (a closed-body sports prototype) powered by an elaborate version of the Peugeot PRV. The car, built by a team of volunteers, achieved interesting results in subsequent editions but struggled to compare with the Group C cars that arrived on the track starting in 1982.[3]
For this Welter and Meunier changed their programs after the 1986 edition of the French marathon, concentrating their efforts and their limited economic resources on a new and emblematic goal: to overcome the 400 km/h barrier on the Hunaudières straight. The car built for the Objectif 400 project was an evolution of the previous car, as had always been the tradition of the small French house in Thorigny Sur Marne.[4]
Design
Starting from the 1986 car, for the WM P87 the aluminium monocoque chassis with a central reinforcement beam, somewhat conventional, was modified, adding box-like structures in the nose and sides to be able to support the new bodywork, which was significantly wider than the previous one. The independent suspension on the four wheels was also quite conventional. The bodywork was modelled in the Peugeot wind tunnel, which also supplied the engine, where the team carried out tests on Sunday over a period of four months: the resulting shape had an increased width, which covered the wheels and greatly reduced the aerodynamic resistance and a better solution were found for the flow of fresh air to the intercoolers of the two turbochargers, by means of pipes that passed from the nose under the front suspension. As permitted by the Group C regulations, the car exploited the ground effect to generate downforce and the P87 saw the wheelbase and Venturi channels lengthened compared to the model that preceded it, in order to improve aerodynamic efficiency. While most of the downforce was produced from the bottom of the car, there was still a front splitter and a big rear wing, for aerodynamic balancing purposes.[5]
As for the propulsion system, Welter-Meunier had a privileged relationship with Peugeot (Gérard Welter and Michel Meunier working on week days at Peugeot Style Centre – Welter becoming eventually the Director) and their cars had always been powered by highly elaborated versions of the PRV engine that fitted the French manufacturer's sedans. The P87 could count on a 2.8-liter version with double turbocharging of this 90° V6 engine, capable of producing up to 850 hp when the boost pressure was at maximum.
Based on the experience gained with the P87, the new car for 1988 was built with the help of the French coachbuilder Heuliez, called WM P88, refining and lightening the previous car (the weight saving was 65 kg ), equipping it with new rear suspensions that allowed the use of larger Venturi tunnels and creating an engine with a larger displacement and capable of delivering up to 900 hp.[6]