Cadillac Northstar LMP #2 – Spark

2000 Cadillac Northstar LMP 
Pilots: W. Taylor, M. Angelelli, E. van der Poele 
Team: Team Cadillac / Bill Riley 
Race: 22nd overall (LMP900 class) at Le Mans in 2000 
Spark - SCCN02 (resin)

Published 07/11/18

In 1999 Cadillac started to work on a Le Mans prototype car to compete in the American Le Mans Series as well as an attempt to return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the last Cadillac to race at La Sarthe was in 1950. Designed by Bill Riley, the new car counted with a carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb monocoque chassis. The car had a very angular body (made up of carbon fiber panels), and furthermore with a few styling details that evoked the brand’s current cars. Specifically, if you look at the grill you will clearly see the brand’s modern cars.

Hard to say that looks like a Cadillac from this angle…

To make the ride smooth, suspension consisted of double wishbones with push-rod actuated springs and dampers. and to power the car the engine elected was the  road-going Northstar V8. But to be a good endurance engine, it was downsized, turbocharged and utterly refined. It was a 3990 cm³ V8 with DOHC and 32 valves with twin IHI turbos, capable of 575 hp.

2000 Cadillac Northstar LMP #2 - Spark
Not exactly a “far out” livery…

For the 24 Heures du Mans of 2000, Cadillac had four cars in the race. Two in a works team and the other two in the French DAMS team. However they were no match against the the R8 Audis, and their best result was a 19th place. Car #2 here finished in 22nd, 81 laps behind the winning R8 #8. Can’t say that Cadillac is a brand that floats my boat (far from that, in fact). Yet, since it’s a Le Mans car of course it automatically becomes of interest. Not much to say about the model but that it’s a regular older Spark. Therefore, you get crisp lines and nice details. Even so, detail level is a notch or two down compared to current models. It’s no winner, so not a model for everyone, but interesting to the Le Mans collector.

You can see this is an old release from Spark. Current models have more pizazz.

Now, if I could only find a Le Monstre… 🙄 And there is hope, since Spark sometimes reissues some older stuff.

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