Panoz
 | |
| Company type | Corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Braselton, Georgia, USA |
Key people | Danny Panoz, Don Panoz |
| Products | Limited-production sports cars |
| Website | http://www.panozauto.com |
Panoz Auto Development is an American manufacturer of high-performance automobiles founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz, son of pharmaceutical and motorsport mogul Don Panoz. The company is located in Braselton, GA. Panoz products have included the Panoz Roadster and AIV Roadster, and the Panoz Esperante. All Panoz road cars are tested exhaustively at Panoz-owned Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia and handcrafted at the Braselton workshop.
Panoz and racing
Since 1997, Panoz cars have competed in racing series around the world. Panoz has shifted its American Le Mans and European racing programs toward production-based classes that allow Esperante variants to be raced in modified form. In addition to Le Mans series wins, an Esperante GTLM won the GT2 class at the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans. For the 2007 American LeMans season, Panoz has contracted longtime BMW Motorsport partner Prototype Technology Group to campaign the GTLM in the ALMS and Le Mans. Panoz has also provided IndyCar with the G-Force IR3 and IR5; and the Champ Car World Series with their race car, the Panoz DP01.
Road cars
- Panoz (AIV) Roadster
- Panoz Esperante
- Panoz Esperante GT
- Panoz Esperante GTLM
- Panoz Esperante JRD (tuned By JRD)
- Panoz Esperante GTR-1 (street legal version)
- Panoz Abruzzi (in development)
Race cars
- Panoz Esperante GTR-1
- Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S
- Panoz LMP07
- Panoz LMP01 Evo
- Panoz Esperante GTS
- Panoz Esperante GTLM (race version)
Panoz Motor Sports Group
The Panoz Motor Sports Group is an entity made up of the motorsports-related holdings of Don Panoz. Headquartered in the over-lay district in Braselton, Georgia, the group includes several racing series and race tracks, as well as racing car constructors. The group also owns a racing school operating at multiple locations.
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created by Don Panoz in 1999. It held its inaugural event, the 1998 Petit Le Mans as part of the Professional Sportscar Racing series. The ALMS has a partnership with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, the organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, to allow teams to compete to the same regulations. The series now holds 12 round across North America.
Panoz also owns the International Motor Sports Association, the organization that sanctions the ALMS.
Circuits
The Panoz group owns and operated two road racing circuits in North America:Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, and Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida. It previous owned Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario Canada but was sold in 2011. The tracks host the American Le Mans series, in addition to other top-level auto and motorcycle racing series.
Élan Motorsport Technologies
Élan Motorsport Technologies is an umbrella company containing the racing car manufacturing companies owned by Panoz. Panoz began by making their own car, the Esperante GTR-1, and have since acquired other manufacturers, including famous Formula Ford builders Van Diemen and Indy Racing League constructor G-Force Technologies. Élan-built cars now race in the Indy Racing League, Champ Car World Series, American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, and other championships.
Panoz Racing School & Series
The Panoz Racing School is a driver training school operated at Road Atlanta and Sebring International Raceway. Students learn racing techniques in purpose-built Panoz GT-RA cars. Following completion of the course, students are eligible for an SCCA regional racing license. The school also includes programs where customers can receive instruction in their own road cars.
The Panoz Racing Series is a one-make series made up of the Panoz school cars, as well as the more powerful Panoz GTS model. The series is designed for amateurs to learn racing in a low-cost environment.
Leisure holdings
Panoz also owns and operates Château Élan Resort & Winery in Braselton, Georgia, the Diablo Grande Winery & Resort in Patterson, California, and the St. Andrews Bay hotel in St Andrews, Scotland.