A Racer's Dream

Brazilian entrepreneur, Tarso Marques, is a former racecar driver who competed in Euro F3000, Formula 1, Champ Car, and the FIA GT Championship in the late 90's and 2000's. He had the opportunity to drive for the Penske and Minardi teams and finished his racing career in Brazil's Stock Cars Championship. 

Following his retirement from racing, Marques launched TMC, a company that specializes in the design and fabrication of custom cars, boats, and motorcycles for wealthy clientele from around the world. Among his most well known creations was a hub-less, low slung concept motorcycle. Bikes would prove a core part of his business but racing still tugged at his heart. 

That longing would lead him to create the TMC M1, a wild prototype racecar designed to meet the liberal rules of Endurance Brazil's P1 class. Endurance Brazil is the South American country’s top long-distance championship pitting all matter of GT and touring cars against purpose-built prototypes that are, generally speaking, cheaper and slower than the LMP3 machinery racing Stateside.

Since the prototype is still in development, details are scant but the M1 is reportedly powered by a twin turbocharged V-6, mounted amidships and likely sourced from Chevrolet. Marques is relying heavily on Brazilian suppliers for items like: exhaust manifold and engine tuning from Illicit Customs, Master Power turbochargers, W45-I wastegates from Auto Boost Performance Parts, fuel pump from Infutech Billet Parts, everything managed by a S8000 Injen pro ECU. 

The TMC M1, at speed

The fully enclosed, single seat racer is based on a carbon fiber monocoque, the first one to be manufactured in Brazil, while aerodynamics have been developed with extensive use of computational fluid dynamics. The car is said to weight a mere 940 kg which should make the package quite competitive, especially at a base price around $200,000. Dirt cheap for an LMP spec car... 

With the Covid 19 plague TMC's hopes to compete in the 2020 season  of Endurance Brazil with the M1 were dashed. Here's hoping Marques gets to scratch his racing itch in '22. For now the TMC M1 remains an ambitious and compelling prototype.

Sources:
Topspeed
Nivelando
Tarso Marques Concepts

The TMC M1 from above rear

The TMC M1

The TMC M1, detail

The TMC M1, steering wheel and controls

The TMC M1, in profile

The TMC M1 with a 911 Targa, rendering

The TMC M1,at rear

The TMC M1, in profile

The TMC M1, in unfinished carbon fiber

The TMC M1 sketch

The TMC M1, profile drawing

The TMC M1, in profile with raw carbon bodywork

The TMC M1 with revised front aerodynamics