PICTURES: The Ilmor X3.

These are the first pictures of the new Ilmor X3 MotoGP machine, which will be raced for the first time in this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril.

The 800cc racer, built to 2007 engine regulations, is the brainchild of Ilmor co-founder Mario Illien and former grand prix rider Eskil Suter of Suter Racing Technology (SRT). Illien has used his world championship winning F1 engine experience to design the machine's V4 powerplant, with Suter - who has previously designed Kawasaki's MotoGP chassis - in charge of the twin-spar aluminium frame.

The X3 uses a V4 engine configuration - like all of the future 2007 MotoGP machines - and features four-valves per cylinder, twin-cams, gear-driven camshafts and pneumatically operated valves.

Former 500cc GP winner Garry McCoy will ride the Michelin-shod bike this weekend at Estoril, but faces a tough task against the 990cc opposition. However, the Ilmor SRT team's main goal will be to prove that it is serious about its two-wheel intentions and so secure the backing needed to run an intended two-rider team in the full 2007 world championship.

"Over the years I've followed MotoGP, visited one or two races a year and have generally been fascinated by the technology - especially when it went to four-strokes - and we wanted to find a way to participate," explained Illien. "I'd like to thank Carmelo (Ezpeleta - Dorna) for giving us the chance to be here. He gave us this fantastic chance to come here with the bike.

"Obviously it's very early in the programme and we're on a very steep learning curve - so don't expect too much from us here - but we want to learn and prepare ourselves for next year, when we want to be competitive," he added. "It's been a big task (to set this project up), especially as we had a very small group of people working on it - both from our side and SRT. Both companies put our own resources into it and so we also had to manage that to make sure we had the money to go racing here."

"As Mario said, it's a big task for us to participate here because the project is very new so it's going to be more like a test rather than a 'real' race," explained Suter. "We have had a short development time and we shouldn't forget that we are racing an 800cc machine against the 990cc machines.

"We had some very good tests, but then some difficulties when we changed tyre (brands)," he revealed. "Obviously there is a big difference between the standard Dunlop tyres we used at the first tests and the best Michelin tyres (that they will race with). The grip level and behaviour is different so we had to start the whole set-up work from scratch and we probably needed a few more test days to be properly prepared for this GP."

"There are a lot of people who have come from car racing into bikes and they haven't done too well - we have come here to learn and the combination of Mario and Eskil's experience gives us a very good starting point," stated Ilmor managing director Steve Miller. "Naturally, we haven't designed the bike engine anything like we would design a car engine and we're pretty confident that we have got some of the compromises right, as Mario said we are at the start of a very long road and it's going to be a steep learning curve. It's fantastic to be here, we've wanted to be here for so long so it's great to finally get here! We are the new boys on the block, so much media interest is very flattering but we're also a little in awe."

The Ilmor X3 will complete its first MotoGP laps during Friday morning's first free practice session and is also scheduled to race in the season-ending Valencian Grand Prix on October 29.

"For us the presentation of Ilmor as a new MotoGP team is very important," said Ezpeleta, boss of MotoGP commercial rights holders Dorna Sports. "I have been talking with Mario about this for years and I even visited the Ilmor facility in Northampton - I was so impressed by the quality and the technology they have there but I wasn't surprised given Ilmor's background in other motorsports.

"It's a very important moment for MotoGP, Ilmor is a very prestigious engineering company to have taken the decision to come to MotoGP and we wish them all the best. Of course they have a lot of hard work ahead of them compared to the well established teams but given all of Ilmor's experience I think they will have a good chance next year to battle the other teams, to be in the middle or maybe even better than that. I wish them all the best," he added.