This is the 1991 Harrier LR9 road/concept car. In the early 1980’s, a man named Lester Ray created a company known then as Harrier Racing Ltd., and began racing sports prototype race cars regularly in the C2 class in World Championship Group C racing, as well as in UK Thundersports. Ray’s first ever car, was developed for the FIA GTP C-junior category in 1982, and was a Mazda-powered RX83-C. In the year 1991, Ray brought in a stylist by the name of Dave Fidgeon to begin work on a road-going sports car named the ‘LR-9’ or ‘Lester Ray 9’. The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile’s Group C formula was designed mainly for the World Endurance Championship. Group C, and the World Sportscar Championship lasted only until 1992, however, in 1994, Group GT1 was announced. The GT1 category served as the top class of the BPR Global GT series, and ran from 1994 until 1996, eventually becoming the FIA GT Championship in 1997. While the LR9 was originally designed to be a road car, however, in 1994, at the British GT Championship on the Silverstone Circuit, Astratech Racing would enter a variation of the LR9 into the race known as the LR9-C, where it unfortunately did not finish due to electrical issues. The Harrier company planned to offer two variations of it’s LR9 to the public both for competition and road use, the LR9-T, powered by a Alfa Romeo-sourced V6, and the LR9-C, powered by a Ford Cosworth turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder. The LR9 saw it’s second race outing at the 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans, this time, as an open-top car, called the LR9 Spyder LM. The LR9 saw it’s first 1st place finish in 1995 in round 6 of the British GT Championship, and following this, the LR9 saw use in BPR GT, British GT, GT1 and GT2 racing all the way until 2004. Multiple variations were developed over the years including the LR9 GT97, and the GT1-98, but this car shown here was believed to be the original and only road car prototype.
How many made? Believed to be 1 of 1
Engine: 3.0L Alfa Romeo V6 - 236hp
Debut: press release, August, 1993
Top Speed: n/a
0-60mph: n/a
Photo Credit: Harrier Cars LTD. Press/Media kit, Sergei Yakovlev
Research: @rarecarsonly