2002 Panoz Esperante Driver's Edition
The signatures in the engine bay are from the people who hand-built it.
The Driver's Edition Esperantes celebrate the Panoz Racing Team and its leading drivers' efforts. They are the direct result of a close collaboration between the Panoz Motor Sports and the Panoz Auto Development operations. Only 20 Drivers Edition Esperantes will be built to commemorate the team's leading drivers Jan Magnussen and David Brabham. 10 Magnussen Edition Esperantes and 10 Brabham Edition Esperantes will be built per year celebrating the 10 annual ALMS races. The drivers have provided direct input on the technical, aesthetic and ergonomic specifications of the cars. Suspension settings, brakes, wheels, tires, seats, trim, colors and other details have been hand selected by both Jan and David. These limited edition cars have been designed to provide more of a pure sporting environment to the customer while retaining many of the highly acclaimed GTS features, bringing more of the Le Mans performance and endurance ethos to the road cars.
The Driver's Edition Esperantes are a lighter variant of 320-horsepower, hand built convertible. They feature carbon fiber super structures, revised spring rates, adjusted rear suspension rocker ratios, an upgraded brake and rotor package, BBS LM wheels (18x 8.5 front 18x10 rear), Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires (245x40s front 275x40x18 rear) with Billet alloy pedals and shifter as standard. They are also fitted with lighter adjustable sport seats, a carbon fiber front spoiler and a rear ducktail. In total the Drivers Edition cars have over 140 different parts to the standard car.
The new Drivers Edition and 2002 Esperantes continue to feature the formidable aluminum 4.6-liter, dual overhead (DOHC) cam, Ford SVT engine hand built by two-man teams in Romeo, Michigan. Panoz will also continue to service all Esperante customers through its nationwide dealer network.
Like all Esperantes, the Driver's Edition cars come fully equipped with dual airbags, a semi-rigid power convertible top, leather seats, ABS, Electronic Traction Control and a race-inspired four-wheel independent suspension system.
The Drivers Edition Esperantes are limited run cars with only 10 Magnussen Edition and 10 Brabham Edition cars being built annually. David Brabham and Jan Magnussen will hand sign them individually.
Jan Magnussen shown below
