[FIA GT] FIA GT: Maserati testing - Fiorano

[SALEEN S7R]

Just found out today that Maserati have been testing their new Maserati GT car that will contest selected rounds of the FIA GT championship this year (Probably Spa 24hrs being one) Andrea Bertolini was at the wheel today and put in a few laps, although no times were recorded. Testing will continue tommorow. http://www.maserati.com/jsp/introSot...ceegdgimdfmg.0

Sounds like the Maserati is coming along nicely! I wonder will Bertolini be one of the Factory Maserati drivers? Hes a great driver and is probably on the Maserati short list, the question is who will partner him and who will piolt the 2nd car? If there is a 2nd car.

[PascaLM]

Good surprise ! Very beautiful car. It looks a bit like the Nissan.

[Duffacus]

I think from the cockpit onwards it looks a bit like a DP

[rdjones]

I saw the picture over on DSC earlier this evening, and I have to say it looks stunning.

[RM40]

I love it. Does it use the exact same engine as the Enzo, or is it tuned one way or another? I think it is what the Enzo should've been, those graceful curves. The road car is debuting at Geneva in March, they said. I reall, really, like it. I just hope it doesn't flop at the first race like the Lambo R-GT.

Also, in a JMB article I read they were getting the first customer car and would be racing it as soon as possible. That is good news.

:up:

[PascaLM]

I think it's nicer than the Enzo.

[jhansen]

Amazing looking car. Reminds me of the GT1 days.

[SALEEN S7R]

Thats what we are getting back towards now though Jhansen, the GT1 days when the cars really were GT1 days, not F1 cars with lids on. Now hopefully Ratel and the FIA and ACO can make the GTS class work, unlike with the GT1 class.

[Duffacus]

Sorry but i'm going with the Enzo.

[jhansen]

Saleen: I'm a big fan of the old GT1 cars. The Mercedes CLK and the Porsche GT1 were quick with looks to match! But are you saying the current GTS class is similar to the old GT1 class? Because I certainly do not see it that way at all. The old GT1 cars were fast, and the current GTS cars, well are not as fast.

[SALEEN S7R]

The GTS cars are already faster than some of the old GT1 class cars Jhansen, and with the new breed of cars coming in within the next 2 years such as the Carrera GT, Maserati GT and Lambourgini Murcielago, I think that for 2005 if Maserati have a well sorted car we could see them doing times of 3:43-3:46 - this year I think the current cars such as the Ferrari 575s and Saleen S7Rs could dip into the low 3:49s.

[jhansen]

I found the following times from Le Mans:

1998-Toyota GTOne-3:36.552
1998-Mercedes CLK-3:35.544
1998-Porsche GT1-3:38.084
1999-Toyota GTOne-3:29.930
1999-Mercedes CLR-3:31.541

2001-Saleen S7R-3:52.849
2002-Ferrari 550-3:54.091
2002-Ferrari 550-3:53.278


Pretty big gap there.

[Fogelhund]

Hmmmm... line crossed

[SALEEN S7R]

Im not debating that there is a pretty big gap in lap times, especially from the top GT1 cars to the top GTS cars, but cars like the Panoz GT1 arent very much faster than the Care Racing Ferrari 550s, as was shown in the LM 1000KM, when the new Maserati makes its debut I woudnt be suprised if its signifcantly faster than the Panoz, and Id expect to see a few more cars faster than the Panoz too, such as the Ferrari 575. If the new section of the track wasnt there now the GTS cars would be faster than some of the GT1 cars, like the Mclaren F1 and near the pace of cars like the Nissan R390 which set a 3:45.298 in LM 1998.

[SALEEN S7R]

Also Jhansen a few more other times from GT1 in 1998.

1998 #44 Panoz GT1 3:44.602
1998 #41 Mclaren F1 GTR 3:50.566
1998 #40 Mclaren F1 GTR 3:50.863

Now if the new section at LM wasnt there the GTS cars would be going much faster now than they are, perhaps even 3:48s. The GTS class is on the way up, and the ACO's stance on the regulations is showing this.

[jhansen]

If we look back in sports car racing hasn't there always been an overlap, or close to it between classes. Take for instance GT and GTS.

LeMans 2003
Bottom GTS: Chrysler Vyper GTSR, 4:04.822
Top GT: Porsche 911 GT3, 4:06.984

LeMans 2002
Bottom GTS: Saleen S7R, 4:08.549
Top GT: Porsche 911 GT3, 4:10.803

Only two seconds difference from bottom GTS and top GT. There will always be a gap between the top and bottom of each class. This also allows the next class down to compete with the tail end of the higher up class. That is why we see some GTS cars place higher than the prototypes in the race, and some GT cars place higher than GTS cars in a race. I'm not following your logic here. Perhaps you could better explain it please.

Fogelhund: I'm not trying to cross any lines or get in Saleen's face, just merely trying to understand his point.

Note to Mods: I'd gladly discuss this with Saleen in private, but he does not alow PM's and has not provided an email address for contact.

[Fogelhund]

jhansen, I apologize for the misunderstanding. I am not a moderator here, nor am I making comments to Saleens and yours valid conversation.

My line crossed was purely in reference to the car.

A beautiful stunning car no doubt, but it is not a GTS(2) car is it. It is a closet prototype. All the power if that is the direction that this is to take, but the line of road car turned into race (by some extreme means) vs. race car turned into road car for homologation has been whacked with a big stick. I wonder what the French will think of this one.

[jhansen]

Sorry for the misunderstanding on your post Fogelhund.

Cheers

[Patrick B]

I thought this car was going to run as a GTP? Since no road versions are built how can it be a GTS? Or is the ACO bending the rules again...

[Fab]

Originally posted by SALEEN S7R
Just found out today that Maserati have been testing their new Maserati GT car that will contest selected rounds of the FIA GT championship this year

A great great car IMHO... can't wait to see it ! But it looks more like a GT of the late 90' at LM, as suggested Pascal above... Nissan and the others... wonderful car.

Originally posted by jhansen
Amazing looking car. Reminds me of the GT1 days.

Definitely !

Any hope to see it enter in LMES or LM one day ? It should, definitely !

As the link SaleenS7R gives seems dead this morning, you could find the pic on Vandijk's site, if you wish, or La Gazetta dello Sporto too...

[Fab]

Originally posted by jhansen
Saleen: I'm a big fan of the old GT1 cars. The Mercedes CLK and the Porsche GT1 were quick with looks to match! But are you saying the current GTS class is similar to the old GT1 class? Because I certainly do not see it that way at all. The old GT1 cars were fast, and the current GTS cars, well are not as fast.

Originally posted by Fogelhund
I wonder what the French will think of this one.

It seems that ACO would like to pull up the GT(s) cars to a top category, in the "prototypes" spirit : prototypes with roofs. This kind of cars may be the "link" between the present GTS category and the "supercars" category to come, as mentionned Daniel Poissenot (Le Mans race director) in the last Le Mans racing issue...

Originally posted by Patrick B
Since no road versions are built how can it be a GTS? Or is the ACO bending the rules again...

Actually, Daniel Poissenot said that the things are not done yet, and that the actual rules are done to evolve and be improved. yes, the ACO's rules are moving. But as long as it's done to aloow more fantastic cars to enter, I can't see any problem.

[Mal]

http://www.fotango.com/p/eba00404809f00000001.jpg[/URL] This should provide a link to the picture. It is a stunning thing, but it does appear to be moving the goalposts in GTS and could surely bring the GTS class closer to LMP1 in the future.

[Wout]

high resolution picture at the maserati website: here

[Wout]

Originally posted by Patrick B
I thought this car was going to run as a GTP? Since no road versions are built how can it be a GTS? Or is the ACO bending the rules again...

There will be a road going version: the MCS (article)
It was always said that Maserati would return with a GT(S). To be honest I was hoping that the would look like the car that was shown at this forum a few months ago (here)

[Fab]

Thank you Wout, the pic is just great !