changed one thing because of you fekin discord le mans nerds
Welcome to our stand!
We have always been visiting Goodwood. Not every year with a stand like today, but after all, we’re here and, instead of showing anything new (because we don’t have anything new that could be soon released), we’ll show five cars from our racing heritage.
Let’s begin from the oldest to newest.
1965 LM65
LM65. Airborne’s first attempt into Le Mans racing. It wasn’t very powerful, yet it wasn’t also very quick. It kept up with most sports cars, muscle cars and even early supercars of the era. It has modified 2.3 litre V6 engine from Mirage S2 tweaked to generate 180 hp, and in a car that weighs slightly above 900 kilograms this is a deadly mix. Combined with short ratios and excellent cornering possibilities made it great choice for twisty sections of the track. Sadly, due to short ratios it could only reach 220 km/h which basicly made this car weak on straights.
But, it had one advantage: reliability. When in 1965 Le Mans competitors broke down, needed to pit stop and such, LM65 was stopping only to refuel and, sometime, change tires.
Also, there was a short run of street-legal LM65, and the car you see is the first one out of 30 made. However, people had to wait for fully street-legal Airborne supercar to 1967, when Rome had appeared.
1987 GSX
Group B was a great possibility to create mind-blowing cars without really any limitations. Companies like Lancia, Peugeot or Audi used that possibility. Airborne did not miss that opportunity too - it had a car coded as Gruppe B in works from 1984. However, when the car was almost finished in 1986 Group B had collapsed due to series of tragic incidents. When FIA informed that something called Group S could be founded, and the only real limitation would be company’s budget and 300 hp maximum power limit, Airborne quickly converted two of the Gruppe B prototypes to be another car: the GSX.
GSX name came from “Group S Experimental” and was meant to compete in so-called Group S. Final goal was meant to be AWD mid engined monster with performance comparable to Porsche 959 and 300 hp of power. Two of those goals were reached: mid engined monster and 300 hp. Sadly, in the prototype you see there’s only RWD. It does not mean that the car isn’t quick, because it is: After official presentation in 1987 during Geneva Motor Show FIA cancelled any plans with Group S and therefore Airborne aborted GSX project, leaving it only in form of single RWD prototype (AWD one got totaled during testing).
1990 F90 Stage II
Sadly we can’t bring the car to Goodwood run because it uncontrollably throws flames from engine, therefore it’s dangerous to drive it unless we solve the issue (and if we will solve anyway). However, you can freely go to our paddock and see that car!
F90. Our entrance into short-lived revival of Formula Automation in 1990. Original F90 had raced only in one race of the competition series and with Norbert Nowicki behind the wheel got pretty good 3rd place. In hope of continuation of the series, Nowicki with Airborne Formula Team created continuation of F90: he named it Stage II.
The differences were seen even in exterior: Nowicki replaced characteristic F90 front with more streamlined one, he also got rid of wing of normal racer and replaced it with something that he was even surprised (his rememberable quote about the wing: Kurwa mać ale to wielkie) - from minor modifications there could be also two “exhaust boxes” sticking out of the body preventing it to catch fire, rear cover with more ventilation.
Engine and suspension mods covered replacing the suspension with pushrod one bought from unknown to this day tuning company (probably from Germany) and boosting the engine from 664 hp to values between 800 and 900 hp.
Sadly, F90 Stage II was never raced due to fact that Formula Automation got cancelled just after one race and AFT focused on preparing modified version for endurance racing called F91E (which failed anyway).
##1998 Synth GT1 Stradale
Airborne’s greatest motorsport success to date. During qualifying sessions to Le Mans race race-spec Synth GT1 was so quick that it doubled several 911 GTs, one R390 and plenty of other racers.
Sadly, and luckily enough it was considered by both Airborne and FIA as too good for actual racing on track and got banned. Race spec Synth GT1 (chassis GT1-00000) was transformed into street legal car you can see here on Goodwood.
There are 12 GT1 Stradales ever made (including Chassis Zero). All of them are basicly race spec models tuned down to meet street legal regulations. While still being blisteringly quick with power of 674 hp, Synth GT1 could go 330 km/h (350 km/h in race spec) and has ~3.5 seconds to 100 km/h (race spec - below 3.0). Actually, the car presented still has it’s driver racing seat mounted into the car. The car is so legendary that there were rumors back in 2010-2011 that Airborne may prepare a successor for it, but those rumors were false.
2015 F15 Patricia
F15 Patricia, Airborne’s currently last entry in endurance racing. It raced in 2015 season of Automation Motorsports World Endurance Championship and got 18th place overall. It wasn’t successful, however we revised this car after the final race.
Currently the car you see (it raced in AMWEC with this livery) has about 650 hp of power and is slightly quicker than before. It’s painted in special color called Devil Red, which we save only for best of the best from Airborne. It’s maybe not the best, but at least it won the opinion of the prettiest car in 2015 season of AMWEC.
All the cars are available to view to public and except F90 you can ask for a test drive or just diving inside them. Also, don’t miss our bonus car which is Madoka Matsusaka’s Seishi SR that she raced recently in Gunma prefecture on legendary Mount Haruna. Search for a purple Seishi with AIRJAP bodykit with fixed headlights and license plate with localization indicator of Osaka and 31-92 numbers.
Gordon Anderson (born: 1937) today.
Also, don’t miss one guest from the past: another legend, Gordon Anderson! He’s Gavin Anderson’s grandfather, his most famous journalistic cover was 1960 Earls Court Show and after 15 year hiatus he came back to public life. Also, he’s like Edward Khil of automotive industry, so you can get trolled out (you have been warned). You can see him on our stand or talking on Bonham Classic exposition.