94' Rent-A-Car LeMans RT/10's--where are they now?

[viper GTS-R]

So I was going through old LeMans footage from the early 90's when the Viper first started getting into racing and I thought, where are the Rent-A-Car RT/10's? We have lists of where the GTS-R's went to but what about these two cars?

I was always fascinated by them. The bright colors really made them stand out compared to all the other cars in the field. Most of the cars in the class had pretty much straight street chassis and bodies with insane motors, seemed like a really cool time for racing and I wish I could have seen that stuff.

There's a short video on Youtube of a Bugatti EB110S losing it's wheel just in front of the #40 RT/10 and crashing into the wall and René Arnoux in the Viper just makes it through. They started 41st and finished 12th overall that year with Rene, Justin and Bertrand Balas in the #40. #41 finished 19th.

YouTube - 1994 - Le Mans - A Bugatti EB110 loses it under braking

Found these nice photos on Flickr someone had taken:

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--RS

 

[InjectTheVenom]

Last I heard #40 is residing in Switzerland and #41 was owned by someone here in Holland.

 

[ViperGTS]

I went to Switzerland a few years ago to see the car and took plenty of pictures!

Thx. Great video.

 

[danfromohio]

There are some nice 1/43 scale diecast models of these out there, relatively inexpensive (around $20), just FYI.

 

[VIPER GTSR 91]

Nice pix. Have not seen those in quite some time.

 

[Fatboy 18]

Great pics, thanks for posting

Ive just dug out some of my old photos from that year at Le mans, I have pics of the car by the dunlop bridge, I will see if I can scan them. The cars a fair way away though.

I know its shameful but I did not know much about the Vipers at that time

But when the GTS arrived, that was a different matter

Ive been to Le mans around 15 times since I first went in 1982

 

[VIPER BAZ UK]

Keep the pics coming......... PLEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[VardaMan]

The #40 Viper is a 1992 Viper and was also at the 1996 Daytona 24 hour Rolex Race. After the race it was loaded onto a open trailer and was on it's way to Sebring. The #41 Viper is a 1993 Viper. It recently appeared in Holland at a Vintage race event.
Both of these great GEN 1 Vipers represent the real beginning of the competitive racing history of the Viper.

 

[OrecaGTS-R/T]

EDIT: These were also available in 1:18th scale model form but only 100 of each were ever produced...
http://forums.viperclub.org/merchan...0119-take-look-my-collection-viperarry-2.html

I have about 40 pictures & magazine articles on both cars on my HD that I can upload as a zip folder if people are interested?

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[Fatboy 18]

Yes please, I would love to see them

 

[Vipuronr]

I have both in 1:43 scale by Universal Hobbies. There are others around, but I've never seen the 1:18...they are really nice! At this point, not worth (for me) spending the money they would bring now...especially if only 100 were built.

 

[VIPER BAZ UK]

I got both 1/18 and 1/43...Pm me if you would prefer to mail them.....

 

[VJR3]

More pics more pics................. Love vintage racing vipers.

 

[InjectTheVenom]

It recently appeared in Holland at a Vintage race event.

Do you happen to know the name of said event ?

 

[Vipuronr]

These are my 1:43's both by Eagle's Race. I know there are others by Minichamps, much more expensive, but do not notice enough difference in quality to justify buying more (Paint seems to be better):

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[viper GTS-R]

These are my 1:43's both by Eagle's Race. I know there are others by Minichamps, much more expensive, but do not notice enough difference in quality to justify buying more (Paint seems to be better):

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I should probably get those.

--RS

 

[Vipuronr]

They're a nice addition to my (small) collection of RT/10's

 

[OrecaGTS-R/T]

Here you go guys... I uploaded it as an RAR file and it has 41 images in it. The images are average quality as many of them are scans and the other images have bee around for over 15 years. Anyhow, hope you all enjoy...

Just wait for the countdown to finish on the right hand side of the page and then click regular download.

MEGAUPLOAD - The leading online storage and file delivery service

EDIT: Let me know if anyone is having problems and I'll do my best to assist.

 

[ViperArry]

Last thing I knew about the Fluo Yellow number 41 is that was owned by Tachyon Motorsport and now is owned by Roland Zoomers indeed @Injectthevenom in The Netherlands.

Just searched for their website and found interesting stuff.
The car at a Dutch show in 2008

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Someone working at Koni (also Dutch!) recognized the car and started talking about the development of the Koni's especially for these 2 cars from Luigi Racing.



Their site hosts some pictures of the Koni development.....
Just crossposted them here so it's easy to save them! (I need them too... but my pc doesn't wants to save them)

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After Lemans number 41 has been used for races in China and South-America but after 1997 it wasn't a match for the production racing Vipers anymore.
Anyone ever seen pictures of these other races the yellow one participated into?

The Viper @Zandvoort raceway

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And @Zolder raceway.

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And @Assen raceway

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Other pictures....

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These pictures should be out there somewhere for the GTS/R's too... but they rarely pop up. Who is willing to post those too..... it could become the best topic on this forum

 

[Vipuronr]

So, was the height, weight, and shape of the glass designed to add additional downforce without creating any additional (measureable) drag?????

Or was the Belgian beer a pre-race "vitamin" for the driver?

 

[justingeer82]

id love to see the inside of that intake

 

[ViperArry]

could the airflow of this intake been changed between Le Mans 1994 and the car as it is today?
The hood with frontbumper looks a lot different, with a clear gap between bumper and hood where the air has to flow in.

On the 1994 pictures there looks to be no such gap.......
The box on top of the engine looks the same though.

 

[ViperGeorge]

I've never seen these cars before. They are waaay cool.

 

[ViperArry]

These cars marked the starting of the Viper-era in racing.....

 

[Vipuronr]

I think they used the stock intake in the early days (see pics at top) and then updated to something closer to Gen III/IV when they now participate in vintage racing.

And the front bumper seems to be modified as well, I have pics of early racing days and bumper was pretty stock (looking)...see pics 1,2,3 above.

 

[ViperArry]

Looks like it.... but then again... on the intake it says Luigi Racing......

 

[ACR steve]

Sooo cool..........

 

[viper GTS-R]

Very cool, nice to know there still out there and not in a auto graveyard!

--RS

 

[Vipuronr]

Could be right...in one of the older pics, it shows the car with the hood space and the modified bumper...so possible it was done for the '96 LeMans race...

It has always surprised me that there weren't more major teams in the early days using RT's. Seems bigger teams didn't really use the Viper until the GTS.

 

[OrecaGTS-R/T]

ViperArry -> Please PM me, I have heaps to talk about.....

PS.... Viper GTS-R best breathing.... the (1997) Taisian car... best breather of them all...

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