Sportscar/GT (and Le Mans) Rumours and Repetition

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by Simmi

I don't understand why people are trying to push gentleman drivers out of P2 - the only people that actually have any money.

If manufacturers don't step in a pro class just won't fly. The resurgence of the ELMS shows that P2 is a great formula. I wouldn't change much in the class. The clever use of a young silver can effectively give you an all-pro line-up if you want one, but still gives pro-am squads a shot.

They just need to make the WEC and its travel more attractive some how. I'm sure ironically if they do run a short season in 2015 it will be well subscribed. Graham Goodwin made a good point about the calendar. Creating stability in each round is great for attracting manufacturers, but if you are a gentleman driver why would you keep on doing the same thing again and again?

It's yet another argument to have the WEC run on great tracks, not Tilkedromes.

I completely agree with you that we don't need to change P2. Especially after Le Mans this year. P2 has always been incredibly competitive but has often flattered to deceive in terms of actual on-track action, but this year was pretty special on that front at LM.

I do wonder if the category has a future in the WEC. I'm not convinced at all that the series needs P2 or GTE-AM. I'd still prefer an ILMC-type arrangement with the local series boosting the grid numbers in a points-scoring round for their respective championship.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by lms

i mean some gentlemen drivers are prohibited to drive open top lmp2s, so they cant race them

This has nothing to do with licensing though, as you've stated. I'm not sure how long this list is anyway, I mean I can only think of Patrick Dempsey, currently not racing a LMP2 anyway, and it is strictly due to personal insurance.

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

This has nothing to do with licensing though, as you've stated. I'm not sure how long this list is anyway, I mean I can only think of Patrick Dempsey, currently not racing a LMP2 anyway, and it is strictly due to personal insurance.

Tracy Krohn is another I believe, and last I read he was looking at P2 next season.

I'm not sure how long this list is either, but P2 manufacturers are certainly feeling the need to build coupes at the request of clients. Maybe not because there's thousands of incredibly rich gentleman drivers out there who can only be insured to race a closed top car, but more because they want to keep their potential customer base as wide as possible.

Open-top cars don't seem completely dead though, both the Tiga and the Pilbeam are spyders, should they ever race.

[Koenigsegg]

I see BMW returning to Le Mans in GTE next year. Now that there is a Le Mans only BoP and Ferrari being allowed a Le Mans only aero package. That will help the Z4 GTE a lot to get some top speed.

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

Open-top cars don't seem completely dead though, both the Tiga and the Pilbeam are spyders, should they ever race.

Both the Tiga and Pillbeam are based on very old chassis'. Zytek, Oreca 03, Morgan and HPD are also all based on (very) old chassis'. All new LMP2 chassis are coupés, with Lola being the first to offer an LMP2 coupé. All the major P2 manufacturers will offer a coupé in the coming years.

PS: Don't know if Wolf are making a open-top or coupé.

[carbon_titanium]

at daytona Z4 GTE was not so slow on top speed, an average of 175-176mph against 178mph of the fastest viper. Beyond the low drag kit allowed from this year at le mans, last year at le mans the vantage had a terrible top speed and basicly was the most competitive car.

[MyNameIsNigel]

Has anybody any info about an "urgent" meeting being called by the FIA ?

[rich07]

When did BMW announce they were returning to Le Mans?

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by MyNameIsNigel

Has anybody any info about an "urgent" meeting being called by the FIA ?

I recall reading something about that. IIRC the idea was to set GTE rules going forward, with the possibility of including some of the concepts from the convergence talks. I can’t immediately find a news story about it though.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

I recall reading something about that. IIRC the idea was to set GTE rules going forward, with the possibility of including some of the concepts from the convergence talks. I can’t immediately find a news story about it though.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/d...ture-gte-regs/







L.P.

[tjh8402]

Originally Posted by lms

I hope they can!! porsche vs ferrari vs aston is getting boring, especially with the same porsche model since.... 2007????? where the f is the mclaren gte? or lexus. or bmw! or anything.

I'd question your use of the world "boring" to describe a battle between the 3 most iconic sports car racing brands racing works teams against each other. This Porsche model is new as of a couple years ago. Like all 911s, it just looks like the previous models. I'm not sure what Lexus you're suggesting they compete with, as they currently do not make any road cars that have any business being turned into a GTE car or racing against 911s, 458s, Vantages, Vettes, Vipers, etc. The Z4 is currently LM GTE homologated, but my understanding is that the TUSCC is being supported by BMW NA, not BMW AG. That being said, I've said in other forums that I don't think the Z4 should've been allowed in GTE to begin with. Chevrolet and Dodge obviously feel that TUSCC provides a better bang for their buck for their works entries, especially since they aren't lacking for competition. Only Aston Martin isn't represented in that class.

[Articus]

Porsche vs Ferrari vs Aston is getting boring? Blasphemy! .

[MagVanisher]

Comparing GTE and GT3 in terms of the number of marques, the latter has more than the former obviously.

If only FIA and ACO agreed to merge those two GT classes together... One GT class being separated between All-Pro and Pro-Am + Access to many marques = Win-Win situation for both parties.

[lms]

Originally Posted by tjh8402

The Z4 is currently LM GTE homologated, but my understanding is that the TUSCC is being supported by BMW NA, not BMW AG. That being said, I've said in other forums that I don't think the Z4 should've been allowed in GTE to begin with. .

its as much a gt car as any in the current gte field (and most of the gt3 field)

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by lms

its as much a gt car as any in the current gte field (and most of the gt3 field)

But what it ISN'T is a compliant GTE car

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

But what it ISN'T is a compliant GTE car

Then why exactly did ACO bother to BoP it in 2013...

We all know it's the same sort of gigantic waiverwagon as it's predecessor but in the current 'who gives a ****' world of LMGTE that means nothing.

[MitchZ06]

It's a bigger waiver wagen than the M3. It's the UBERWAIVERWAGEN

[Koenigsegg]

Originally Posted by MitchZ06

It's a bigger waiver wagen than the M3. It's the UBERWAIVERWAGEN

Is the AM Vantage GTE the SUPERDUPERWAIVERWAGEN then?

[Koenigsegg]

We might have a Garage 56 entry for 2017.

Students of the TU Eindhoven want to win the 2017 24h of Le Mans. With an electric engine at each wheel combined with a rotary engine.

At least their time schedule is realistic. Don't know if their funding is.

Source (last one is in Dutch):
http://inmotion.tue.nl/im01/
http://www.autoblog.nl/nieuws/tu-ein...181#post-68181

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Koenigsegg

We might have a Garage 56 entry for 2017.

Students of the TU Eindhoven want to win the 2017 24h of Le Mans. With an electric engine at each wheel combined with a rotary engine.

At least their time schedule is realistic. Don't know if their funding is.

Source (last one is in Dutch):
http://inmotion.tue.nl/im01/
http://www.autoblog.nl/nieuws/tu-ein...181#post-68181

Looks interesting at least.

[Deleted]

Want to "win" Le Mans? What, in non-compliant car? ACO would performance balance them down immediately if that goal would actually have some chance of happening.

[deltawing]

If only these people with fancy websites and renderings knew what it actually takes to win LeMans....

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Want to "win" Le Mans? What, in non-compliant car? ACO would performance balance them down immediately if that goal would actually have some chance of happening.

Think that's just a way of scoring hits and getting some momentum behind the project.

Unless they genuinely believe that...in which case, their madness will only take the project so far.

[JoestForEver]

Not a bad concept with 4 wheel electric motor, and I quite like that. With a ultra light weight design, they might indeed pull out a GTE lap time with production ICE/ Fuel Cell and four wheel motor. Just tons of traction in the corners!

[Articus]

Their are better chances of seeing Ferrari back in P1...A student run project of this kind is extremely difficult.

[Deleted]

Well there was that P1 Courage run by Tokai University few years back so similar(-ish) level projects have happened in recent years.