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| Founded | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Founder(s) | Ray Mallock |
| Current series | BTCC - Official Parts Supplier |
| Former series | WTCC European Le Mans Series ASCAR WRC South African Touring Car Championship World Sportscar Championship JWRC Spanish GT Championship British Rally Championship |
| Teams' Championships | 1995 (BTCC) 1998 (BTCC) 1999 (BTCC) 2001 (ELMS -GTS) 2002 (ASCAR) 2003 (ASCAR) 2007 (LMS -LMP2) 2010 (LMS -LMP2) 2010 WTCC 2011 WTCC 2012 WTCC 2013 WTCC Y. T. Trophy |
| Drivers' Championships | 1986 (Mallock, Leslie -C2) 1995 (Cleland -BTCC) 1999 (Aiello -BTCC) 2001 (McKellar, Lambert -GTS) 2007(Newton, Erdos -LMP2) 2010(Newton, Erdos -LMP2) 2010(Plato -BTCC) 2010(Muller-WTCC) 2011(Muller-WTCC) 2012(Huff-WTCC) 2013(Muller-WTCC) |
| Website | rmlgroup.com |
RML Group is aBritish total engineering solutions company based inWellingborough,Northamptonshire,England. Founded in the 1984 byRay Mallock as amotorsport team, the group has since expanded to provide advanced engineering services to OEMs and other companies in the automotive sector, as well as those in defence, aerospace, and marine.
The company has a prestigious heritage in motorsports and high-performance vehicles, and as of 2025 saw significant investment in RML Group, including the installation of a new senior management team with CEO Paul Dickinson joining the board. Operations are spread across four divisions – Power, Engineering, Motorsport and Bespoke.
Powertrain and engineering expertise have seen RML Group work with the likes ofAston Martin,McLaren Automotive,Bentley, NIO,Lotus Cars,Nissan andMG Motor on special projects, while experience with electrification in motorsport has seen the development of the VarEVolt scalable platform allows RML Group to provide bespoke, high-performance batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles.
RML supports manufacturers with factory motorsport projects and race teams across a range of formulae, includingtouring cars and GT racing. At a series level, the group has a contract as Official Parts Supplier to theBritish Touring Car Championship, providing specified NGCT-specification chassis, suspension and steering components to all teams in the competition.
The company's Bespoke division has delivered a range of projects direct to customers, initially theRML Short Wheelbase (SWB) 1960s-style grand tourer launched in 2021 and currently the Le Mans-inspired GT Hypercar.
RML's Power division is responsible for design, development and manufacturing across powertrain projects, including advanced battery systems and bespoke engine builds. Facilities include R&D, laser welding and end-of-line testing capabilities, delivering projects for teams in motorsport and OEMs in the automotive sector, as well as off-highway industries.
The Engineering division within RML develops advanced engineering projects across automotive, aerospace, defence, marine and motorsport industries. The team works on systems such as chassis and vehicle dynamics development, aerodynamics, powertrain integration, and cockpit systems with past projects including vehicles such as theNio EP9 andMcLaren Senna GTR.
RML Group was established as a motorsport team, and more than 40 years later, motor racing remains a key focus. From designing championship-winning cars to running world class racing teams, RML Group holds multiple world and national championships, and supports a variety of racing series as parts supplier and car builder.
Bespoke is RML's showcase division, creating high-performance vehicles with advanced engineering and advanced levels of craftsmanship. RML's motorsport heritage underpins the development of these cars, which have ranged from modern interpretations of classic GT cars to lightweight, advanced track vehicles, capable of being driven to and from the track in comfort.
Ray Mallock began building racing cars, alongside his brother Richard, as an assistant to his father, Major Arthur Mallock, who created the Mallock U2 chassis forClubmans racing. After racing inFormula 3, Formula Atlantic andsports car racing, Mallock founded his team, Ray Mallock Atlantic Racing, in 1979, which he renamed RML in 1984.
Ray Mallock, a driver for Viscount Downe Racing, helped develop the privateerAston Martin-poweredNimrod NRA/C2 forGroup C regulations in theWorld Endurance Championship in 1982, 1983 and 1984. In 1984, RML was contracted to build theEcurie Ecosse prototypes for the C2 class, winning the class title in 1986.
In 1987, RML returned to the main class by developing theAston Martin AMR-1. The project was closed in 1990, but RML found work with the worksNissan team instead. RML developed and prepared NPTI'sNissan R90CK programme for Le Mans. One of the cars manages to lead the race for five hours and set a new lap record.
In 1999, RML returned sportscars by producing the RML Mallock P20 Supersports Car, in association with Mallock Sports his brother Richard's company. The car won the National Supersports championships in 1999 and in 2000, when it was driven byMichael Mallock.
In 2000, RML created theSaleen S7 supercar initially as a road car, and then the racing version the S7-R, winning theEuropean Le Mans Series in the GT1 class in 2001 and theSpanish GT Championship overall in 2002. In 2004 RML entered theFIA GT Championship with two cars.
Also in 2004, RML ran anMG-Lola EX257 in theLe Mans 24 Hours andLe Mans Endurance Series. After the design became obsolete with the onset of newLMP2 regulations, RML merged components from the EX257 into theLola B05/40's chassis and bodyshell, creating the MG-Lola EX264, which won Le Mans in the LMP2 class in 2005 and 2006.
The team's car was further upgraded for the2008 Le Mans Series season, using a new XP21 motor developed by MG, and renaming the car EX265. This car was then replaced before the season finale by a coupe bodystyle, based on the newLola B08/80. Using components of the EX265, including theMGXP21 motor, the new car was christened the EX265C, and made its debut at the2008 1000km of Silverstone.[1]
In 2009, the team turned to theMazda MZR-R turbocharged engine in the back of the Lola B08/80, abandoning the MG moniker, but issues with the spec fuel caused several engine failures over the season, the car finishing only twice over the whole season. For the 2010 season, the team is retaining the Lola B08/80 chassis, but with a normally aspirated V8 engine developed byHonda Performance Development, the same engine used in theHPD ARX-01.
RML competed in the Le Mans Series in 2011 with aHPD ARX-01d LMP2 car, becoming the second team to run the ARX-01 in Europe after Strakka Racing.[2]
In 2012, RML developed a new engine on behalf of Nissan for the unique NissanDeltaWing RML, as Nissans Motorsport Partner ran the car and provided engineering and technical support at Le Mans 24 hours and Petit Le Mans where it finished 5th overall.
For 2014, RML were engaged to design and build the Nissan ZEOD RC, an innovative racing car designed to run in Le Mans Garage 56. The car was the first to switch between Electric and Petrol powered Propulsion. RML were responsible for the whole vehicle, including developing a high performance lightweight powertrain. The engine was a new RML design, a 3-cylinder 1.5 litre weighing only 40 kg and producing over 400 bhp. The ZOED RC suffered a gearbox failure due to a new part with a material defect early in the 24 hour race, however in practice had achieved the first ever all electric lap of Le Mans and over 300 km/h on in Electric mode.
Taking advantage of its relationship toEcurie Ecosse, RML made its debut intouring car racing in1992, by moving to theBritish Touring Car Championship. The team ran two semi-worksVauxhall Cavaliers for Ecurie Ecosse for two years.
RML built its first ground up Super touring car the Vauxhall Cavalier RML P7 in 1993, it took RML's maiden BTCC victory with David Leslie at the wheel at Thruxton.
Due to the team's success, RML was awarded with the works Vauxhall contract in1994 taking over fromDave Cook Racing, winning the championship the following year. The RMLVauxhall Cavalier RML P11 won the1995 in both the teams and Drivers standings. Vauxhall launched the newVectra RML P12 for 1996. The season was a transitional year with the team scoring just one victory withJames Thompson.
RML's association with Nissan in touring car racing began with the design of South African Touring car championship Sentra RML P8 in 1993. It grew in 1997 moving on from Vauxhall to become the works partner for Nissan in Super Touring, being responsible for the build, development and operation of the BTCC cars as well as the build of the cars for the German and Japanese series.
The team won the BTCC manufacturers' and teams' titles in 1998 & 1999 with RML project numbers P17 & P18 respectively and the drivers' championship in1999 withLaurent Aïello.
In2004, RML contracted withSEAT Sport UK to run twoSEAT Toledo Cupras in the BTCC with drivers Jason Plato and Rob Huff, at the end of the year RML moved into the WTCC with Chevrolet.
RML re-entered the BTCC in2009, running their ex-WTCC Chevrolet Lacettis for 2001 championJason Plato,Mat Jackson since round two andJames Nash since round four. Alex MacDowall. Their 2009 campaign has brought good results, taking 11 wins and Plato taking second in the drivers championship. In2010, RML ran the WorksChevrolet team in theBTCC, winning the drivers championship withJason Plato. On 1 February 2012, Chevrolet announced that they will be pulling out of the BTCC to focus on the WTCC, therefore RML will not be taking part in the 2012 BTCC season.
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RML won the contract to build, develop and run the worksChevrolet Lacetti in the WTCC from the2005 season. The Lacetti won 1 race in its first year, 7 wins in 2007 and 5 wins in 2008. In 2009 the newChevrolet Cruze was introduced and took 6 wins in the first year. In2010, the Chevrolet team won both the Manufacturers Championship by a substantial 74 points and, withYvan Muller, won the Drivers Championship.[3] The RML Chevrolet team won the WTCC again in 2011 with Muller and again in 2012 with Rob Huff. On 4 July 2012, Chevrolet Europe announced that the 2012 season will be the last for the Chevrolet WTCC team.[4]
On 4 March 2013, RML announced they would enter the WTCC in 2013 as an independent two-car entry with Chevrolet Cruzes run forYvan Muller and new recruit from the closed downTeam Aon team,Tom Chilton.[5] Muller will win the 2013 WTCC championship & Chilton finishes 5th overall.
Since 2014, RML develops the Chevrolet Cruze to the new 2014 TC1 specs for various teams, but did not field a team.
RML built the worksNissan Sentra for theSouth African Touring Car Championship.
At the end of 1997, Opel decided to cut down its involvement in touring cars, and contracted RML to the develop theOpel Astra Kit-car for the Formula 2 regulations for them in theWorld Rally Championship and several national rallying championships in Europe. In 1999, the RML Astra won titles in Germany, Norway and Sweden.
In late 2000 Opel assigned RML to design and build theOpel Corsa for the newSuper 1600 category, which replaced the F2 kit-cars. The car made its competition debut in the 2002JWRC class of theMonte Carlo Rally and its first title the following year.
During this period RML were responsible for the build, development and customer support of all Opel Astra and Corsa Rally cars.
RML considered lodging an entry for the2010 Formula One World Championship,[6] however decided against it, citing the current uncertainty over 2010 regulations as their reason for doing so. They were to use Cosworth engines had they submitted an entry.RML have also said they are still considering an entry intoFormula One in the future.
In 2002, RML entered the BritishASCARstock car series, based onASA-type racing, winning the 2002 and 2003 titles withNicolas Minassian andBen Collins. Also in 2002, RML preparedDarren Manning's Team St. George car for the BritishChamp Car race at theRockingham race track.
RML's engineering skills were used in road-going cars for the first time in 1990, when the company built a small number ofFord GT40 replicas. In 1994, RML created severalconcept sketches for an undisclosed Japanese manufacturer.
In 1999, RML returned with two different projects, the Opel Astra ConceptDTM, a road-going prototype based on the Opel Astra Coupé the German company would debut the following year, and the ground up design of theSaleen S7.[7]
In 2003, Nissan ordered a prototype based on the newNissan Micra, powered initially by a 265 hp (198 kW) Touring Car race engine (with a 6-speedsequential gearbox), and later by a 309 hp (230 kW) Nismo tunedV6 engine and called Micra R. The car debuted in theGeneva Auto Show.
In 2011, RML showcased theNissan Juke-R with Nissan announcing a limited production run of 'the worlds fastest crossover' in 2012.
In 2014, RML developed and built the Q50 Eau Rouge concept on behalf of Infiniti Motor Co.
RML Group produced aroad-legal converted version of theAston Martin Vulcan some time before 2018.[8][9]
In 2021, RML showcased theShort Wheelbase, essentially a modern classic inspired by the famed Ferrari 250 GT SWB.[10] Only a few months later, RML released more details, indicating that only 30 units would be made, going on sale before the end of 2021.[11]
Developed under the P39 codename, RML Group designed and built the GT Hypercar as a modern-day interpretation of road-going Le Mans racers.
Featuring a 912 PS (900bhp) turbocharged six-cylinder engine, active aerodynamics and a carbon fibre body, the GT Hypercar is intended to be the ultimate track-day weapon, but one that is comfortable to drive to and from the circuit. The first customer car was delivered in September 2025, with production under way at RML Group's Wellingborough campus.
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