Caterham->ke1252 is preparing to unveil a brand-new model in 2016, but until then, the company is readying itself to enter the Le Mans 24 Hours->ke1591. Caterham’s official Le Mans debut will be made this year at the end of June when the company plans to enter the race with a Zytek Z11SN-Nissan in the LMP2 category.

The car will wear number No. 41 and Caterham F1 Team Reserve Driver and Caterham Racing GP2 driver Alexander Rossi, and double LMP2 class-winner, Tom Kimber-Smith will be at the wheel. They will be joined by a crew of Caterham engineers, technicians and data analysts that will ensure the No. 41 car performs at its peak.

With this move, Caterham hopes to increase its position as a global authority in the sports car market. This move comes after a second season in the F1 series and a 50:50 partnership with Renault to develop and build its first new road model in 20 years.

Click past the jump to read more about Caterham's competitors at Le Mans.

2013 Alpine A450

A car also entering the Le Mans series this year is the Alpine A450 - and marks Alpine's return to the market after an absence of 35 years. The Alpine A450 will be powered by a Nissan-sourced V-8 engine that delivers a total of 500 horsepower and is mated to a six-speed sequential X-Trac gearbox. With a total weight of just 1,984 pounds, the new race car will hit a pretty impressive top speed of 205 mph.

Audi R18 e-Tron Hybrid Quattro

Audi R18 e-Tron is powered by a V-6 TDI engine that delivers 510 horsepower combined with two electric motors that power the front wheels. The car also uses kinetic energy that’s recovered whenever the car brakes, storing that energy in the flywheel accumulator as electricity.