Cadillac was in the beginning stages of a rebirth in 2002. The brand turned 100 years old that year and continued a racing program that many scoffed at when it was introduced but stopped scoffing when it proved to be a competitive operation. Racing against the great European marques in their own ballgame, endurance racing, Cadillac quickly rose to the challenge to become a legit thorn in their sides.
The cars we found for sale on AutoTraderClassics are chassis number two and three of three P1 Cadillac endurance race cars. Running as “prototypes” they feature carbon fiber bodies and tubs, full custom suspension systems which were engineered in England, and neatly, they sport twin turbocharged four-liter Northstar V8 engines that were fitted with flat cranks. The horsepower is probably stout but not mind numbing as the cars were designed to haul ass for hours on end. A feat they pulled off pretty well in 2002 as both cars finished in the top 10 at Lemans that year.
The transmission is a paddle-shifter six speed X-trac unit, which means it is a fully custom piece and would be worth more than your home in the event it broke and needed replacement.
The coolest part of the whole deal is that these were the last two race cars Cadillac built and ran. The racing program provided the necessary image boost and was not continued after 2002. The Cadillac brand has since gone from an afterthought that was attracting buyers in their late elderly years to a hit producer of luxury performance cars that rival the best from all over the world.
Find a buddy and split the price!
Source — AutoTraderClassic.com — 2002 Cadillac P1 racer
