Larbre Art Car Revealed

Photo: Larbre Competition

Larbre Competition has taken the wraps off its art car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, featuring a dayglo street art-inspired livery dubbed “Human” by the artist and painter Ramzi Adek.

Christian Philippon, Romain Brandela and Fernando Rees will pilot the GTE-Am class Corvette C7.R in what will be the French team’s 24th appearance in the race.

Brandela, who knew about Adek’s work through a mutual friend, reached out to the artist to produce “a spectacular” livery for the Corvette. 

“Straight away, I liked the idea as it reminded me of images and memories from when I was a kid, when we would go to a toyshop and run to check out the latest toy cars with their incredible design,” Adek said.

“Although I do not have a great knowledge of motorsport, I love nice things and racing cars are certainly part of that.

“With “Human”, I wanted to design a livery that kids and their parents dream of.”

Photo: Larbre Competition

A full Q&A with Adek is below:

Did you have ‘carte blanche’?

“Romain gave me key words that I adapted visually into my pop art style. The main idea of the project was to create a flow of power and strength, which will carry the drivers through the Le Mans week.

“Straight away, I wanted to give the livery an aggressive identity to make an impact and show that Larbre Competition was not coming to La Sarthe to make up the numbers.”

Photo: Larbre Competition

We can clearly feel the influence of superhero comics in the end product…

“This is my culture! I lived in the U.S. and I was inspired by the warmth and enthusiasm of comics with DayGlo colors and striking onomatopoeia.

“These are in fact messages directed to the rivals of Larbre – when the Corvette C7.R overtakes another competitor, he will get a “BOOM” right in the face! There is a slight ‘taking the Mickey’ element, like a boxer who is winding up his opponent in the ring.”

Photo: Larbre Competition

Can you explain the various elements which make up this visual painting?

“All are parts of the same story and are linked by the common thread mentioned earlier: to make super-powers available to the drivers in their quest for success at Le Mans.

“For example, the plane on the roof signifies power, whilst the shield provides protection against the attacks from other cars.”

Photo: Larbre Competition

And the female’s face?

“There are always women in stories! But this heroine follows the same design concept: her face is determined and has a strong character. She is not there for the story to be written without her.

“She has a self-assured expression, like drivers assert themselves on the track to play the leading roles. In a way, the car also has its own identity, a bit like KITT in the K-2000 series.”

Photo: Larbre Competition

The Larbre Competition Corvette will also reveal another side of her personality after dusk…

“Absolutely! The DayGlo paint on the race car will light up in the dark, to give its drivers some positive energy.

“The night is also a recurring theme with superheroes, who often assume their alternate identities once the sun goes down.

Photo: Larbre Competition

Super-heroes, a car which has its own identity – so why the name “Human” for this Art Car?

“Because we always come back to the human side of things. Everybody brought their share to the ‘Human’ project and likewise, Le Mans is a team effort that requires men and women to work together and give their all under enormous pressure.

“Personally, I had a lot of pleasure working on this project. As a painter and sculptor, I always try to provoke emotions and sensations, and Larbre Competition’s Corvette C7.R is the perfect medium for this.”

Photo: Larbre Competition

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John