I love the ByKolles team. Yes they are slow, but the love and passion behind the small team is amazing. A small group of people who drive for the love of Motorsport. I’ve visited their little facility once, a small workshop mostly used for historic racing cars. But after all, an awesome group of people which go racing for the love of the sport.
@@Ryzard that’s a funny story. A bit to my background. I‘am an aircraft engineer for Airbus. But for a year now Iam back in school for my mechanical engineering bachelors degree with a focus on aviation and Aerodynamics. I wrote an email to Boris and asked if it’s possible to work in Motorsport with an Aviation background. And I instantly got an reply to visit the ByKolles HQ in Greding to talk with Boris about a possible future with the team, I didn’t even sent an any paperwork. So I drove up the 40 minutes to their HQ and had a lovely afternoon with Boris, getting a tour threw the facility. The ByKolles HQ is very lovely. A small shop with 5 bays, mostly filled with historic customer cars like F40LM, Ford RS200 etc. (yes, Those two were actually there) and some of Collin Colles Private LaFerraris. One was stripped to get an Track conversion! Absolutely crazy. And in the last bay was the Vanderwell LMH, back from the latest test on Most, stripped of all its body panels. The shop itself is rather small, like I said the 5 bays and a separate Carbon fiber work shop. Pretty neat. And lots of their own classic cars like the LMP2‘s and HRT F1 cars were in garages opposite the building.
Agreed, but it remains kind of a mystery to me why ByKolles stubbornly stayed in the LMP1 class where they didn't stand a chance, instead of competing in the LMP2 class where they might have been much more competitive.
@@tjroelsmaI asked Boris the same. It’s the teams mentality. They want to build their own car, and not racing a spec car. It’s just for the spirit. Same for the LMH car. The chassis is produced by a small Spanish company. Not the greatest quality, but it’s something special. And that’s everything Collin wants. A car that’s build by themselves and not doing what others do.
BBQolles really know how to build a mobile chicane. On a side note, I'm perplexed as to how Kolles has had such a long history in motorsport with such an abysmal track record.
You'd think that they'd decide to stay on the much cheaper and quite frankly easier DTM until they could at least show some results, but no, let's go fight Audi, Toyota and Porsche on LMP1. Brilliant.
Great video, look forward to the Vanwall video and I hope to see one on the early Kolles Sportscars. This team running Audi R10s is such a random thing to look back on
13:26 this is actually extremely explainable when you remember it's Interlagos, which was the highest elevation circuit on the WEC calendar up until Mexico City joined in 2016. All of the LMP2s running in the WEC that year were running either the Zytek-Nissan V8 or the BMW-Judd V8. The Rebellion were also running the Toyota V8 derived from the 2011 LMP1 engine, which itself was already losing ~80 HP against the Kolles despite having the same fuel flow rate limit. All three were naturally-aspirated V8s against the Kolles' twin turbo V6.
Indeed, and it's quite surprising that the commentator can't figure out why a turbo-charged engine will lose almost no performance and therefore perform better against a NA engine that will lose power on a high-altitude track.
I love slow cars and teams, because they are ONLY there for the love of it. They aren't getting rich off sponsors. They aren't winning and getting glory. They aren't even having big leaps forward and crazy innovations. They just are there, and often happy to be there, when anyone else would be pissed in their position.
I’ve always semi admired the mentality but it always leaves me to simply go, “why not enter a category where you actually have a reasonable chance of winning”
This is something that I've always held a strong belief in but Le Mans 2017 was there chance to win, provided everything else played out as it was and sure it may have fell a couple laps of the RAPID Toyota's and porsches if again everything played out as it did they would have won that race, convincingly, by like 14 laps over the 2 porsche, it would have been a great story, the underdog, dogged with poor luck and misfortune would finally have there day in the sun and be victorious but some things are just not meant to be I guess, great video mate.
"Yet in 2009, Kolles would take part in endurance racing. However, I feel that that is worth its own separate video." Ah yes, the obscure *customer* R10s that continued racing in 2009-10 with the newly-mandated skinny wing, which looked particularly goofy on that car.
You could have bad luck, or you could have ByKolles luck. Always a fan, always hoping for their moment in the spotlight one day, even if nothing seems to work out for them in the long run.
I have to say that I admire the resiliance of the ByKholles team. They arrived with an home made chassis unlike their rival Rebellion, and tried as much as they could to make it work. They probably spent too much money on that looking at the results, by still, they tried until the end. They still benefited from the fact the WEC was lacking competitors in LMP1 class, but still, I love the privater efforts like this year Isotta Fraschini or the old Glickenhaus project. I really like this kind of story, for cars and teams that have been most of their time in the shadow. Very good video, keep it on!
Thanks for this entertaining movie - that legendary first lap in Le Mans 2017 is still a very present memory for me and very symbolic for their history. It's very fascinating how they did'nt give up for this long even when they suffered from all these problems and at one point being the only ones left from their previous class. It takes a lot of willpower to keep going with all the issues they've had.
I had a strange issue watching this video. I made it about half way through, but then my phone had a small fire. After putting it out I was able to continue watching, but had to retire my phone shortly after with a power issue.
So couple things about early Kolles. Kolles had a major legal fight with Praga-Kodewa over the the original "Lotus" - I've a sheet of notes saved somewhere, but basically a magazine found a chassis plate which the team was hiding. And Kolles ran Audi R10's at LM, and didn't get a chance to again... Because he reportedly never paid Audi for the engines...
After witnessing this year's Le Mans, I initially had no idea how the hell Isotta Fraschini able to finish Le Mans in their first attempt with ZERO reliability issues while having a less than ideal driver lineup than ByKolles/Vanwall ever did in all their attempts. Now I understand why.
IMO If they simply have a partnership with a competent LMP2 team it would have worked. Simply get Graff Racing or JOTA to operate their cars and they can basically have the know how in maintaining it
I'm still baffled at the fact that they still somehow managed to find sponsors for YEARS despite the fact that their money would often go up in smoke (sometimes literally).
I would have bought an LMP2 chassis and and modified it to get to LMP1 spec, but I'm not Colin Kolles, kudos to these absolute madlads and great video!
14:36 Wow - Seeing those LMP2 drivers overtake the Lotus LMP1-L lap after lap only to have it go down the drain on the straight - must be so frustrating! 🤣
Missing (and enjoying life) and came back with a Documentary of the Slowest LMP1 team ever Passionate team, yes. But man they need more experience to back that up.
With how bad everything seems to go for them it really shows their passion and dedication since they still put in the effort. (Or its money laundering but idc)
Some people suspect that racing teams that always get bad results yet still keep racing for a long time are using motorsports for money laundering purposes
This team can be successful if they choose focusing be customers team over at least 5 years before built they own be honest they lack of understanding how be great team reason why Rebellions and SMP do well because they started from low categories to be LMP1 because they understand how risk be top class be so by be customers team u can slowly built confident people and staff and winning racer with low categories end up with future good successful..
Sadly no much informations behind the brand were mentioned. How could they finance all of this and should they really be alowed to compete, wouldnt it be better to change to the 24h Nürburgring Like Glockenhaus? Less costs, competirion (depends on the class). Cool Team beside all of this but always felt "strange"
I have always felt that this operation was probably some sort of money-laundering scheme. They were always slow, and they were always unreliable. The drivers had a habit of hitting walls, and the car had a habit of catching fire. They never had any notable sponsorship, and they never had backing from a major manufacturer (unless you count the trademark-lawsuit shitshow that was early-2010s Lotus). And yet, they kepts making major updates to the car, and they repeatedly made high-profile driver hires. They never found success and continually dumped money into the program, yet they never had any backing from which to draw these funds or made any improvements from these updates. The whole thing seems awfully fishy.
I always found ByKolles hella sus. Somehow they manage to race every season regardless how bad their season before was. Whatever Kolles touches, fails. Somehow he doesn't manage to improve.
Simultaneously the world’s slowest LMP1 and the world’s fastest BBQ
Thats the challenger…
😂
Lmao
Bykolles, the car that runs LMP2 pace on LMP1 regulations.
Ah yes the undisputed kings of building the fastest slow cars in motorsport.
Is it the fastest slow car, or the slowest fast car? 😂
@@mgsPWloverwhy not both? 😂
@@mgsPWlover Virgin VR-01 wants to know your location
I love the ByKolles team. Yes they are slow, but the love and passion behind the small team is amazing. A small group of people who drive for the love of Motorsport. I’ve visited their little facility once, a small workshop mostly used for historic racing cars. But after all, an awesome group of people which go racing for the love of the sport.
Lovely story, that sounds awesome! How did you end up visiting?
Well done for capturing why teams like this are important. People love an underdog.
@@Ryzard that’s a funny story. A bit to my background. I‘am an aircraft engineer for Airbus. But for a year now Iam back in school for my mechanical engineering bachelors degree with a focus on aviation and Aerodynamics. I wrote an email to Boris and asked if it’s possible to work in Motorsport with an Aviation background. And I instantly got an reply to visit the ByKolles HQ in Greding to talk with Boris about a possible future with the team, I didn’t even sent an any paperwork. So I drove up the 40 minutes to their HQ and had a lovely afternoon with Boris, getting a tour threw the facility.
The ByKolles HQ is very lovely. A small shop with 5 bays, mostly filled with historic customer cars like F40LM, Ford RS200 etc. (yes, Those two were actually there) and some of Collin Colles Private LaFerraris. One was stripped to get an Track conversion! Absolutely crazy.
And in the last bay was the Vanderwell LMH, back from the latest test on Most, stripped of all its body panels.
The shop itself is rather small, like I said the 5 bays and a separate Carbon fiber work shop. Pretty neat. And lots of their own classic cars like the LMP2‘s and HRT F1 cars were in garages opposite the building.
Agreed, but it remains kind of a mystery to me why ByKolles stubbornly stayed in the LMP1 class where they didn't stand a chance, instead of competing in the LMP2 class where they might have been much more competitive.
@@tjroelsmaI asked Boris the same. It’s the teams mentality.
They want to build their own car, and not racing a spec car. It’s just for the spirit. Same for the LMH car. The chassis is produced by a small Spanish company. Not the greatest quality, but it’s something special. And that’s everything Collin wants. A car that’s build by themselves and not doing what others do.
BBQolles really know how to build a mobile chicane.
On a side note, I'm perplexed as to how Kolles has had such a long history in motorsport with such an abysmal track record.
To make a small fortune in racing, start with a large fortune.
You'd think that they'd decide to stay on the much cheaper and quite frankly easier DTM until they could at least show some results, but no, let's go fight Audi, Toyota and Porsche on LMP1. Brilliant.
Great video, look forward to the Vanwall video and I hope to see one on the early Kolles Sportscars. This team running Audi R10s is such a random thing to look back on
Tbf, they were also running Audi A4s in DTM at the same time.
Must've been a package deal to get Lotterer on board...
13:26 this is actually extremely explainable when you remember it's Interlagos, which was the highest elevation circuit on the WEC calendar up until Mexico City joined in 2016.
All of the LMP2s running in the WEC that year were running either the Zytek-Nissan V8 or the BMW-Judd V8. The Rebellion were also running the Toyota V8 derived from the 2011 LMP1 engine, which itself was already losing ~80 HP against the Kolles despite having the same fuel flow rate limit. All three were naturally-aspirated V8s against the Kolles' twin turbo V6.
Indeed, and it's quite surprising that the commentator can't figure out why a turbo-charged engine will lose almost no performance and therefore perform better against a NA engine that will lose power on a high-altitude track.
I always referred to this team as “my goodness” as in “my goodness wtf are they doing”
I love slow cars and teams, because they are ONLY there for the love of it.
They aren't getting rich off sponsors.
They aren't winning and getting glory.
They aren't even having big leaps forward and crazy innovations.
They just are there, and often happy to be there, when anyone else would be pissed in their position.
That's the reason why I love these teams, there just there. Doing nothing.
I’ve always semi admired the mentality but it always leaves me to simply go, “why not enter a category where you actually have a reasonable chance of winning”
This is something that I've always held a strong belief in but Le Mans 2017 was there chance to win, provided everything else played out as it was and sure it may have fell a couple laps of the RAPID Toyota's and porsches if again everything played out as it did they would have won that race, convincingly, by like 14 laps over the 2 porsche, it would have been a great story, the underdog, dogged with poor luck and misfortune would finally have there day in the sun and be victorious but some things are just not meant to be I guess, great video mate.
Say what you want, but John Player Special liveried cars are still sexy AF.
Iconic! One of the best liveries
more like JPS inspired livery. The gold doesn't match the original JPS-gold
always
"Yet in 2009, Kolles would take part in endurance racing. However, I feel that that is worth its own separate video."
Ah yes, the obscure *customer* R10s that continued racing in 2009-10 with the newly-mandated skinny wing, which looked particularly goofy on that car.
Is Christmas day or something? One hour of video for ByKolles?! Dude thank you very much! Keep up with the good work!
You could have bad luck, or you could have ByKolles luck.
Always a fan, always hoping for their moment in the spotlight one day, even if nothing seems to work out for them in the long run.
I'd totally forgotten how they could have won LM in 2017 if they'd managed to avoid any tech issues 😅
I have to say that I admire the resiliance of the ByKholles team. They arrived with an home made chassis unlike their rival Rebellion, and tried as much as they could to make it work. They probably spent too much money on that looking at the results, by still, they tried until the end. They still benefited from the fact the WEC was lacking competitors in LMP1 class, but still, I love the privater efforts like this year Isotta Fraschini or the old Glickenhaus project.
I really like this kind of story, for cars and teams that have been most of their time in the shadow.
Very good video, keep it on!
Thanks for this entertaining movie - that legendary first lap in Le Mans 2017 is still a very present memory for me and very symbolic for their history. It's very fascinating how they did'nt give up for this long even when they suffered from all these problems and at one point being the only ones left from their previous class. It takes a lot of willpower to keep going with all the issues they've had.
I had a strange issue watching this video. I made it about half way through, but then my phone had a small fire. After putting it out I was able to continue watching, but had to retire my phone shortly after with a power issue.
So couple things about early Kolles. Kolles had a major legal fight with Praga-Kodewa over the the original "Lotus" - I've a sheet of notes saved somewhere, but basically a magazine found a chassis plate which the team was hiding.
And Kolles ran Audi R10's at LM, and didn't get a chance to again... Because he reportedly never paid Audi for the engines...
Watching this right before Le Mans 2024
I liked their 2010 audi r10 livery
finally a piece on my favourite wheeled barbecue
They beat Rebellion fair and square - by being so slow that Rebellion eventually changed to LMP2.
After witnessing this year's Le Mans, I initially had no idea how the hell Isotta Fraschini able to finish Le Mans in their first attempt with ZERO reliability issues while having a less than ideal driver lineup than ByKolles/Vanwall ever did in all their attempts.
Now I understand why.
IMO If they simply have a partnership with a competent LMP2 team it would have worked. Simply get Graff Racing or JOTA to operate their cars and they can basically have the know how in maintaining it
I so badly wished they didn’t mess up lap 1 of Le Mans 2017. Would have loved to see how they placed given the lmp1 problems that year
I'm still baffled at the fact that they still somehow managed to find sponsors for YEARS despite the fact that their money would often go up in smoke (sometimes literally).
Love long form content like this and if it means you need more time to make the video I'm all for it. Can't wait to sit down and listen to this one.
Ah yes, ByKolles. One of the team to exist. With one of the racecar to move.
>new tyedye video
>it's on my favourite lmp1 bbq
>hell yeah
About time someone did a documentary on the ByKholles!!
Great to have you back!
I swear everyone in this genre of contant just disapered. But that was banger of a video, really well done mate. Hope to see more in the future
Perfect music selection!
Somehow they really brought excitement to LMP1 in their own way. A lot of people were rooting for them.
Amazing video! Good work, and thanks for finding so much footage!
You are by far my favorite automotive youtuber, keep the bangers coming.
I would have bought an LMP2 chassis and and modified it to get to LMP1 spec, but I'm not Colin Kolles, kudos to these absolute madlads and great video!
Awesome video. Can tell a lot of work goes into this.
This video is the perfect appetizer for today's big event ha! Thanks for the content!
I've got bad news for #4 Porsche fans.... that number will forever be cursed by ByKolles...
Fantastic video as usual. Loved it. ByKolles made good looking cars. Pity the operated like matchsticks on wheels. Look forward to more content!
Ah ByKolles... The Silliest Racing Team on Earth™
Quality video as always.
Detailed and funny
Thank you, I requested this one!!! My favorite underdog/dumpster fire
For years my favorite underdog. I never gave up on believing they could be competitive at one point. They never were unfortunately haha
27:01 Innovative DRS concept for Le Mans unveiled
So that's where the Ford Mustang got the idea!
Golly,,, an hour??? We are FEASTING
I appreciate the Veggietales DTM car to a high degree.
Love the vid! Keep up the great wrok!!!!
14:36 Wow - Seeing those LMP2 drivers overtake the Lotus LMP1-L lap after lap only to have it go down the drain on the straight - must be so frustrating! 🤣
Yesssssssssssssss super excited to watch this one
👍🏽👍🏽
ByKolles might be one of the strangest racing teams on earth ever
32 mins in, and no mention of the ByKolles car looking like the R18 '16 P1-H car?
Fun and interesting, great video!
Missing (and enjoying life) and came back with a Documentary of the Slowest LMP1 team ever
Passionate team, yes. But man they need more experience to back that up.
"...they would score... a ninety-degree, left-hander."
We need a street track failures episode on the Birmingham Superprix track
I was looking forward to this, the team will go down in modern endurance racing history for attracting so many disasters to itself.
Such an awesome video! Please do make something just an extensive about Mazda Rotaries in motorsports, especially LeMans & WRC.
This guy makes the best documentaries on cars and teams no one gave a fuck about . Can't wait for a deep dive on Arrows F1
I always quite liked ByKolles they were those scrappy underdogs that you loved watching, successful or not
Surprised this video hasn't caught fire midway through
You didn’t mention the Kolles customer Audi R10’s that kickstarted their entire Le Mans journey…
I swear to god Isottabros gave me serious ByKolles vibes and I don't know why.
4:15 quite funny as Martin Tomczyk became DTM Champion in a one year old Audi in 2011.
This video is longer then the car ever lasted at Le Mans 😂
Fantastic video. It is well beyond the level of a small CZcamsr you are.
Vitantonio had a very interesting interview on F1: Beyond The Grid
With how bad everything seems to go for them it really shows their passion and dedication since they still put in the effort. (Or its money laundering but idc)
Ayy new video
Rqcing Oceanic also realy interesting subject for this series
Some people suspect that racing teams that always get bad results yet still keep racing for a long time are using motorsports for money laundering purposes
I just realized days later the videos are an hour long lmao
This team can be successful if they choose focusing be customers team over at least 5 years before built they own be honest they lack of understanding how be great team reason why Rebellions and SMP do well because they started from low categories to be LMP1 because they understand how risk be top class be so by be customers team u can slowly built confident people and staff and winning racer with low categories end up with future good successful..
Oh tease me.... That said, yeah.... about hypercar....
I think they ran an old Audi Diesel LMP1 car for a season or two you didnt mention
the amount of times getting beaten to lmp2s💀
The moniker "golden age" has lost its meaning completely
Sadly no much informations behind the brand were mentioned. How could they finance all of this and should they really be alowed to compete, wouldnt it be better to change to the 24h Nürburgring Like Glockenhaus? Less costs, competirion (depends on the class). Cool Team beside all of this but always felt "strange"
time for an hour video
Nearly 70 minutes, how the fuck have you condensed it down to that lmao.
Dillmann!
I have always felt that this operation was probably some sort of money-laundering scheme. They were always slow, and they were always unreliable. The drivers had a habit of hitting walls, and the car had a habit of catching fire. They never had any notable sponsorship, and they never had backing from a major manufacturer (unless you count the trademark-lawsuit shitshow that was early-2010s Lotus). And yet, they kepts making major updates to the car, and they repeatedly made high-profile driver hires. They never found success and continually dumped money into the program, yet they never had any backing from which to draw these funds or made any improvements from these updates. The whole thing seems awfully fishy.
Yes the were slow, but, they were faster than the Nissan LMP1, and who knows what Nissan spent...
movie
although it was pointless i did cheer on the bykolles team, just a shame nothing ever come their way
An hour long vid dog we eating good tonight
And used vanwall to continue that bad luck lol
As a romanian idk if i should be proud that we did have an lmp1 team at some point or ashamed that it was a glorified lmp2.
You need to do a collab with @Failed Racerz
53:33 big m8 makes an appearance
Dacia Logan's worthy competitor
Nice one! Still, that elevator music …
I love underdogs, but I hate Colin Kolles. The man's a scam artist.
Hello
Underdog? Thought they were just a dog
Ambitious but rubbish in a nutshell.
Unrelated, need a vid on the SMP Racing BR1
They where to WEC what Mazda was to IMSA, but less successful.
I always found ByKolles hella sus. Somehow they manage to race every season regardless how bad their season before was. Whatever Kolles touches, fails. Somehow he doesn't manage to improve.
the only time they got a decent car is wen buy the old Audi R10 LMP1 in the year Audi replace for the R15