Though as of this year only four constructors are allowed to build LM P2 chassis (Oreca, Onroak Automotive, Dallara et Riley/Multimatic), these last few years the class has also been a part of the long history, nearly a decade now, of the Zytek chassis, even including the appearance of a Russian prototype.

Zytek and Gibson 2011-2014: two wins and a long life - Whether called Zytek or Gibson (since 2015), it sometimes feels like it has always been here...and since the early 2010s, its design has proved as timeless as it is effective. Of the last six editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Zytek Z11SN has won the LM P2 class twice, thanks to two British teams: Greaves Motorsport (2011) and Jota Sport (2014). In 2015, Jota Sport also finished second. In 2015 and 2016, the newly named Gibson 015S brought to a close its career in the European Le Mans Series, with two LM P2 titles for Greaves Motorsport (2015) and G-Drive Racing (2016).

Lola 2008-2011: between LM P2 and LM P1 - At the very end of the 2000s, the constructor Lola made a remarkable return to prototypes, both in LM P1 and LM P2. In 2009, the Anglo-Swiss team Speedy Racing Team Sebah succeeded in classifying one in both the classes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with 12th place overall for Leuenberger-Pompidou-Kane (also third in LM P2) and 14th for Nicolas Prost-Andrea Belicchi-Neel Jani (LM P1). The following year, the team adopted the name Rebellion Racing and ended its involvement in the LM P2 class, becoming a major player among private LM P1 teams, with the Lola chassis (up until 2013) then its own Rebellion R-One chassis until 2016. This year, the team is returning to LM P2 under the moniker Vaillante Rebellion. The Lola's last strokes of brilliance in LM P2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans are thanks to RML and Level 5 Motorsports, third in the class in 2010 and 2011, respectively. These two results were reached with at the wheel two previous winners at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: British driver Andy Wallace with RML and French driver Christophe Bouchut with Level 5, winners in 1988 and 1993, respectively.

BR01 2015-2016: the Russian exception - After having won with the Oreca 03 the FIA Endurance LM P2 Drivers and Teams Trophies in 2014, the Russian team SMP Racing decided to take another step and become a constructor. The 2015 season included the appearance of the BR01 (for the initials of Boris Rotenberg, owner of SMP Racing). The prototype was designed by a renowned expert: Paolo Catone, creator of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP winner at the 2009 24 Hours. Entered in the European Le Mans Series in 2015, it finished in the top 5 in the LM P2 class at Le Mans (fifth) before claiming the third step on the LM P2 podium last year. After the announcement of the four constructors approved for the LM P2 class' new 2017 regulations (see above), Boris Rotenberg is currently preparing for his debut in the LM P1 Private Teams class.

Click below for the first two installments in this series:

LM P2 constructors at Le Mans 2008-2016 (1) - Porsche, Honda and ORECA

LM P2 constructors at Le Mans 2008-2016 (2) - Alpine, Ligier and Morgan

Photo: A two-time winner in LM P2 at Le Mans (pictured here Jota Sport's winning car), the Zytek chassis made its mark on the class with its exceptional stamina.