2015 Japanese Super GT

[hvr777]

Originally Posted by TF110

The second driver for the Lotus is a good deal slower. Shame for the Prius, contact by the bmw took its title hopes away.

If what you mean is Kazuho Takahashi, I think maybe he should retire considering his age... (62 y.o.) In my opinion Hiroshi Hamaguchi (3rd driver this season & drove full season at 2010) will be proper enough to replace him. Looks like the team's strategy is always to make Katoh cover the most of the race before handing the car to Takahashi.

Well, cars at front row grid messed up at the race (pit start for Prius, last minute tyre burst for Lotus) and 2 Godzillas slowly moved up into 1-2 position despite weight handicap. Kudos to GT-R for this year (which is also 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series champion).

[bentley speed 8]

Just finished watching the race on delay. Congrats to Couto for the GT300 championship.
Also it was exciting to watch the Prius climbing up the field, just a shame that it had that late race contact

[MagVanisher]

@bentley speed 8
Agreed to that! Sadly, both Prius and CR-Z would be phased out in GT300 class in the future. I'm gonna miss those hybrid cars unless Toyota and Honda make another one!

[hvr777]

Originally Posted by MagVanisher

@bentley speed 8
Agreed to that! Sadly, both Prius and CR-Z would be phased out in GT300 class in the future. I'm gonna miss those hybrid cars unless Toyota and Honda make another one!

From what I've got in this forum (previous page, based on Japanese Samurai) actually Prius & CR-Z won't get phased out right away (at next season those cars are still allowed to race) but maybe the successors are need to be prepared as soon as possible.

Even if NSX has the GT3-spec (to replace current CR-Z GT300), it will be ran without its hybrid system (based on current GT3 regulation. Hopefully this kind of regulation will be altered).

[AkioAsakura95]

Originally Posted by hvr777

From what I've got in this forum (previous page, based on Japanese Samurai) actually Prius & CR-Z won't get phased out right away (at next season those cars are still allowed to race) but maybe the successors are need to be prepared as soon as possible.

Even if NSX has the GT3-spec (to replace current CR-Z GT300), it will be ran without its hybrid system (based on current GT3 regulation. Hopefully this kind of regulation will be altered).

But how about the mid-engined Toyota Prius ????
Which car is consider to replace Toyota Prius????

[hvr777]

Originally Posted by AkioAsakura95

But how about the mid-engined Toyota Prius ????
Which car is consider to replace Toyota Prius????

Probably Toyota 86 MC. Mother Chassis was designed to accomodate the hybrid system (http://www.racecar-engineering.com/n...a-in-super-gt/).

[AkioAsakura95]

Originally Posted by hvr777

Probably Toyota 86 MC. Mother Chassis was designed to accomodate the hybrid system (http://www.racecar-engineering.com/n...a-in-super-gt/).

@hvr777

That's impossible , Mother chassis car does not allowed them to changed the engine layout plus the engine is from Nissan GTA V8 engine not from Toyota.
That why Team apr is the semi work team in Toyota

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by hvr777

Probably Toyota 86 MC. Mother Chassis was designed to accomodate the hybrid system (http://www.racecar-engineering.com/n...a-in-super-gt/).

Even if the Mother Chassis can use hybrids, will Team apr still going to use the Prius as a base despite having Nissan as their engine? That's the question that only they can answer.

[AkioAsakura95]

Originally Posted by MagVanisher

Even if the Mother Chassis can use hybrids, will Team apr still going to use the Prius as a base despite having Nissan as their engine? That's the question that only they can answer.

I don't think so , because MC car are not allowed to reposition the engine. Plus the new model of Toyota Prius is coming soon for next year

[MagVanisher]

@AkioAsakura95
I know that! What I'm saying is will Team apr are going to use the Prius as a base for their MC effort, which is a front-engine hybrid car to begin with.

[rich07]

During the broadcast I noticed that Sam Collins mentioned that if they use the Prius next year they'll have to find another engine as they've run out of LMP1 engines to use as Rebellion don't use them anymore and the factory team will switch to the turbo engine at the end of this year hence the V8 engine program will end.

I've always had a soft spot for the V8 Prius. Getting one back on the treehuggers

[bentley speed 8]

Originally Posted by rich07

During the broadcast I noticed that Sam Collins mentioned that if they use the Prius next year they'll have to find another engine as they've run out of LMP1 engines to use as Rebellion don't use them anymore and the factory team will switch to the turbo engine at the end of this year hence the V8 engine program will end.

I've always had a soft spot for the V8 Prius. Getting one back on the treehuggers

I heard that too. I hope the Prius continues next year too at least.
Ah, and that Lotus... poor thing deserved at least a podium finish

[AkioAsakura95]

Originally Posted by MagVanisher

@AkioAsakura95
I know that! What I'm saying is will Team apr are going to use the Prius as a base for their MC effort, which is a front-engine hybrid car to begin with.

@MagVanisher
I don't think so, because Prius hybrid is sedan based car , and Team apr rarely choose the sedan based car as MC car plus MC car does not have a support form Toyota Racing like Team Tsuchiya.

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by rich07

During the broadcast I noticed that Sam Collins mentioned that if they use the Prius next year they'll have to find another engine as they've run out of LMP1 engines to use as Rebellion don't use them anymore and the factory team will switch to the turbo engine at the end of this year hence the V8 engine program will end.

I've always had a soft spot for the V8 Prius. Getting one back on the treehuggers

Same here! I'll be okay if Team apr tuned the original Prius engine to GT300 specifications, but the loss of V8 is quite sad for the Prius.

@AkioAsakura95
Who needs factory support when MC is catered for privateers. It's not like Team apr prefer coupes over sedan, it's up to them on whether to continue using the Prius as a base for their hybrid Mother Chassis efforts or not.

[TF110]

After the Prius, they can just use the RC F GT3. It actually finished in the top 10 this race (10th). Thats my guess as to what they do. I think the RC F GT500 may be replaced by the new Lexus Coupe (LF LC production) in a few years. They would be better to position that car in the top class as it'll be closer to the NSX and GTR in street form.

[MagVanisher]

@TF110

Well, it's a plausible idea for apr to use the Lexus RC-F GT3 car, but still it's sad that they won't use the Toyota Prius anymore beyond 2016.

[ss_collins]

I think the Prius and one of the two CR-Z's will run next year, though apr has to resolve the RVX component supply issues.

I think replacements will come in '17. apr has hinted in the past at some new as yet unseen Toyota sports car. Maybe the rumoured new Supra, or they could build a FT-1 and run that.

As for Mugen/Arta/Honda GT300 - if there is a new JAF GT300 it will not be a hybrid.

As for hybrids being outlawed in GT3, I know they are (because everyone - including manufacturers, SRO etc says so) but can anyone actually point to a regulation that says that?

[MagVanisher]

So I guess that hybrids are relegated to the top GT500 class, huh?

It's sucks that the GT300 class are now dominated by GT3-based cars and a few JAF-GT300 ones. I don't want that class to lose its variety!

[TF110]

Originally Posted by ss_collins

I think the Prius and one of the two CR-Z's will run next year, though apr has to resolve the RVX component supply issues.

I think replacements will come in '17. apr has hinted in the past at some new as yet unseen Toyota sports car. Maybe the rumoured new Supra, or they could build a FT-1 and run that.

As for Mugen/Arta/Honda GT300 - if there is a new JAF GT300 it will not be a hybrid.

As for hybrids being outlawed in GT3, I know they are (because everyone - including manufacturers, SRO etc says so) but can anyone actually point to a regulation that says that?

That would be nice. But Toyota need to get that sportscar in production. This would be the one with bmw collaboration I assume?

[ss_collins]

It's sucks that the GT300 class are now dominated by GT3-based cars and a few JAF-GT300 ones. I don't want that class to lose its variety!

GTA likes the variety but I'm told Japanese fans like the foreign cars as to them they are exotic. They are very interested to discover that us non Japanese people all prefer the Japanese built cars for the exact same reason!

JAF GT300 is not being dropped, there has just been a rule change on engine location. So cars like the BRZ can continue no issue. The Prius & CR-Z could continue too as they were built to the old rules.

I suspect we will have some new machines coming soon.

[carbsmith]

I want to say the "Prius" is probably still based on the MR2 GT300 car two body styles ago anyways.

GT300 has really improved from the addition of GT3 cars. Before they were let in wholesale those fields had a lot of really old cars. Like in 2008 you had a couple MR2s (last produced in 2004), an RX7 (2002), multiple 996s (2003), a last gen Celica (2006), and a second gen Impreza (2007). That's just the ones that that street car ever went into production in the first place, the Garaiya, Vemac, and Mosler weren't exactly new by then either. Basically that same Subaru was kept around with bodywork changes until the BRZ a couple seasons ago too.

GT3 didn't push out JAF cars, it saved the class from their near extinction in progress while maintaining a lot of class variety another way.

[banzailap]

The presence of GT3 cars has also the added benefit of allowing the implication of the Japanese subsidiaries of foreign manufacturers in the championship. Off the track Audi, BMW, Porsche, AMG, McLaren etc. are using the Super GT races for customer relation events, there is factory personnel around the garages, etc. Even if it is not at the level of the GT500 big three, it has given the paddock a more upscale and international atmosphere than it had before. I am sure the GTA does not complain about that.

[Japanese Samurai]

Autosport web reports the rumour that Prius and CR-Z won't participate in GT300 next season.
http://as-web.jp/as_feature/info_news.php?no=158#02

[MagVanisher]

No, say it ain't so for those hybrid GT300 cars! So, who's gonna take the mantle on representing hybrid in the second class?

[bentley speed 8]

That's bad. Weren't they going to be grandfathered for at least next season?