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  Spice SE89C Cosworth      

  Article Image gallery (81) Chassis (2) Specifications  
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Country of origin:Great Britain
Produced in:1989
Numbers built:5
Designed by:Graham Humphrey for Spice Engineering
Predecessor:Spice SE88C Cosworth
Successor:Spice SE90C Cosworth
Author:Wouter Melissen
Last updated:May 03, 2017
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Click here to download printer friendly versionAlready an accomplished and hugely successful driver, Gordon Spice established Spice Engineering in the early 1980s. Initially, the Silverstone based company focused on preparing and developing existing sports racers. Ahead of the 1986 season, however, Spice was tasked by Geneva Motors with the construction of a new Pontiac IMSA GTP racer. In addition to the cars headed Stateside, Spice also fielded Group C2 variants in the World Championship with great success.

For the 1988 season, Spice readied a second generation prototype racer. Designed to be very versatile, it could be used on both sides of the Atlantic, as a Group C, Group C2, GTP or GTP Lights depending on the engine fitted. For Group C and Group C2, the cars were most commonly equipped with a choice of Ford Cosworth engines, most commonly the 3.2-litre DFL or the 3.5-litre DFZ. Among the engines used in the IMSA GTP championship were production-based Pontiac V8s, Buick V6s and even a Ferrari V8.

Like its predecessor, the new-for-1988 Spice SE88 was built around an aluminium monocoque chassis designed by Graham Humphrey and constructed by specialists B.S. Fabrications. Suspension was by double wishbones on all four corners with the in-board springs and dampers at the rear actuated by rockers. The most significant change compared to the earlier Pontiac commissioned Spices was a sleeker bodywork that replaced the slab-sided Fiero look-a-like body.

In the World Sports Car Championship, the SE88C carried on where the earlier SE86C and SE87C had left off. The works cars, one of which was piloted by Gordon Spice himself and Ray Bellm, absolutely dominated the Group C2 class. The Cosworth-engined Spice won 10 of the 11 rounds, including a class win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Spice, Bellm and Pierre de Thoisy. At the end of the year, Spice and Bellm were World Champions, which was Spice's fourth consecutive drivers' title in the Group C2 class.

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  Article Image gallery (81) Chassis (2) Specifications