What is Aston Martin up to?

[AGD]

I see that Darren Turner has attended the Dave Richards school of PR.

Anyway, that link seems to confirm that AMR is going to do WEC GTE next year. I'm not sure if Turner is specifically talking about himself when he says he is hopeful of securing a Le Mans entry or the team. It would not make sense if he is talking about the team if they are going to the WEC.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97010

[Mystery]

I read that and was a bit mystified about some of the comments about the AMR-One. The team always said it was running a long term plan and 2011 was essentially a public test.

Granted it was a highly embarrassing public test but it seemed to be within the range of things a developing project might do.

Seemed odd to me to can it before development had seemingly finished.

[ep16]

Originally Posted by Mystery

I read that and was a bit mystified about some of the comments about the AMR-One. The team always said it was running a long term plan and 2011 was essentially a public test.

Granted it was a highly embarrassing public test but it seemed to be within the range of things a developing project might do.

Seemed odd to me to can it before development had seemingly finished.

There was budget for development, not the complete aero overhaul the car needed which i've now forgetten the source but basically high drag, low downforce...not a good combiation in any car

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Mystery

Seemed odd to me to can it before development had seemingly finished.

I'm sure the performance of the AMR-One could have been improved, but it probably would have taken a lot of time and money to get it to a competitive level. They may not have had enough time or money for the AMR-One to be worth it economically especially with the Vantage program floundering as well.

[old man]

Turner is doing what a good factory man should do, following the line that the company wants. With no Prodrive or AM stand in the show stage and press interviews are important and a brief will have been agreed, there is no mystery there.

I believe that the factory effort in GTE will be a real threat and should make for entertaining races but they are obviously cutting their coat according to their cloth and I don't expect them back in LMP1 for a while. It is all about selling cars in market where the Mclaren will take market share and is likely to feature in race wins, an LMP1 programme would limit budgets.

[Tom908V12]

No more David Richards a the head of PRODRIVE(so AMR)or only at the head of the Mini WRC program

[Acid09]

Prodrive looks to be in shambles right now, the Mini programme is not looking very strong either despite factory backing. Having no money to enter two pro-drivers for the Monte doesn't really scream serious factory effort...

[Mystery]

Richards is only leaving the shambolic Mini project to someone else.

Too much potential for horrifically bad press in Britain there so much better get some other poor sod to run it.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Mystery

Richards is only leaving the shambolic Mini project to someone else.

Too much potential for horrifically bad press in Britain there so much better get some other poor sod to run it.

The money isn't coming in from BMW - I wouldn't call it shambolic at all. There's no reason why Dani Sordo couldn't be up there fighting for a win on the Monte.

The fact that they have got rid of home grown talent Kris Meeke is bad publicity but stems from lack of budget.

[Tom908V12]

Yep the "Mini project" offered already better results than the "shambolic AMR One project"

[wewantourdarbyback]

That Mini is without a doubt a good car, given a bit of money from BMW and some time developing and Kris would have been fighting for wins.

But the money stopped, Prodrive can't really be blamed for that.

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

Originally Posted by Tom908V12

No more David Richards a the head of PRODRIVE(so AMR)or only at the head of the Mini WRC program

Tom908V12, the same Thomas908 at Endurance-Info forums ? seems you're everywhere

[Tom908V12]

Originally Posted by Subaru_WRX_STi

Tom908V12, the same Thomas908 at Endurance-Info forums ? seems you're everywhere

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by Simmi

The money isn't coming in from BMW - I wouldn't call it shambolic

oh no doubt you're right and that one is certainly BMW's fault - I wasn't meaning to sound like I was saying otherwise.

But it has been horribly managed too - whether that is only down to BMW we'll probably never know till Dave Richards writes a book.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Mystery

oh no doubt you're right and that one is certainly BMW's fault - I wasn't meaning to sound like I was saying otherwise.

But it has been horribly managed too - whether that is only down to BMW we'll probably never know till Dave Richards writes a book.

I honestly can't keep believing that it's the manufactures fault every time a Prodrive program fails.
I have great respect for Prodrive, but i feared this when they launched their bit for a F1 grid position.
Prodrive need to cut and lose some of their many programs, and focus on 2-3 where they have a chance of success.
This could be the Mini-Rally car, The Advantage GTE and a 3rd project.

I can't believe i'm saying this, but the AMR LMP project need to die once again, so it can be revived by someone else, in some years time.

[TF110]

The Mini's are doing well in Dakar! Better than nothing right?

[Marcel ten Caat]

Different project though...the Dakar Mini was built and run by Sven Quandt's X-raid GmbH.

[TF110]

It's still a Mini in the end, which means good press for the brand.

[alexkiller8]

do you think is really a good press when someone else builds a "replica" of a manufacter car showing to be the best car of the roster? i guess that people may think, X-raid has built a so much good car than mini/prodrive couldn't do the same.
Even if there hasn't been a direct fight, the thing reminds me what happened with official ferrari 550 Maranello GT against prodrive 550 GTS! that wasn't for sure a good press for ferrari.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

do you think is really a good press when someone else builds a "replica" of a manufacter car showing to be the best car of the roster? i guess that people may think, X-raid has built a so much good car than mini/prodrive couldn't do the same.
Even if there hasn't been a direct fight, the thing reminds me what happened with official ferrari 550 Maranello GT against prodrive 550 GTS! that wasn't for sure a good press for ferrari.

I don't believe Maranello built a racing version of the 550, wasn't that the 575 they did?

[The Real DMN]

The F550's where built by four companies:
N Technology
Prodrive
Wieth
Italtechnica

With the Prodrive ones being the best. Theirs where driven by Care Racing, BMS Italia, Prodrive themselves and Russian Age Racing.

The F575's where built by N Technology.

[old man]

The Prodrive F550s were built for Frederic Dor of the CARE Group and never sold at the time. They were hired out to teams who ran them, Veloqx ran them on occasion, as did Russian Age Racing and some ran in the ALMS as well. The factory effort was the 575 but the Prodrive cars were better. Good summary here

http://archive.dailysportscar.com/su...rodrive550.htm

[CTD]

nevermind

[Great Dane]

One final remark on the One project which shows a serious lack of money. I know the initial design was made before the Lola Aston (the nice looking Gulf car) and it was then decided that it would be a cheaper way into P1 to modify an existing chassis, which is what they did.
The One design was old when it was reborn and developed on the cheap - therefore I was not surprised to see it as one gigantic (belly) flop

[knighty]

how cruel........some poeple can be so nasty.......one for the Prodrive garden perhaps???........I think I remember a while back that an artist made many of them and painted them all sorts of lairy colours and was auctioning them off for serious dough.


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...&type=1&ref=nf

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