IMSA: Panoz to evaluate new GT model

Don Panoz will commission tests to determine whether the new Panoz Avezzano road car would be suitable for a production-based racer that could compete in IMSA. The Avezzano (pictured), which was revealed earlier this week, is built on an aluminum frame, uses a supercharged Chevrolet engine, and is an extension of the longstanding Esperante model.

"We actually raced that model shape a number of years ago, a fastback car," Panoz told RACER. "And we did that just to see and find out how that body shape worked. And we started out back in early 2000 doing all aluminum intensive vehicles. Of course, that was great at its time. Of course, since then there's been a lot of other technology that has come out related to the way we do the aluminum chassis.

"We finally got around to the point of we liked the shape of the car. And then we spent about a year and a half developing a new chassis for it. And then we put it all together and now we got the car. It's got the latest knowledge that we have about how to improve the chassis performance and strength and everything else."

Track testing with the Avezzano is next on the schedule.

"From that, that car could develop into a racecar, it could be like a GT4 car," Panoz added. "We just finished the car, literally, three days ago. We want to do a little testing and we would like to check it out a little bit better before we make a commitment to any racing. But that is a possibility."