Lola shows the way in motorsport-to-defence

A row of long, cigar shapes is lined up in the warehouse, emblazoned with military symbols against its grey flanks, the colour of storm clouds. Alongside them is a stack of long, flat containers, each one featuring a pair of wings. These are Watchkeepers, the army’s newest surveillance tool unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed to keep tabs on situations ahead of troops for planning and strategy. And they were built by engineers better known for designing and making racing cars.

Based in Cambridgeshire, Lola is one of the best-known names in motor racing, with more than half a century of heritage on the race tracks. It has been part of the Formula One (F1) fraternity; it has built racing cars for Paul Newman’s IndyCar operation; and it is currently one of the leaders of the pack for endurance racing, currently holding the constructors’ title in two classes (Le Mans Prototype 1 and 2), and with five wins of the 24-Hour Le Mans race since 2000.