Sportscar/GT (and Le Mans) Rumours and Repetition

[The Badger]

Maybe he might use Damian Faulkner .

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Wasn't the reason Pappas moved to GTC was lack of budget? Now he wants to move up to GTE with the most expensive car of all.

And like you said BMW will concentrate on DTM and GT3. I don't expect much development on the GT2.

Money situations can change fast . Man , I could win the lotto tomorrow !!!

I reckon there will be development work done on these cars , by RLL and BMW North America . I dont expect them to sit on their holes after this year .

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Chiana

So another Bimmer to the grid... ohh

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I've said my piece about M3s. Many times over many years. Enough is enough.

Well, if it is true that BMW has stopped development on the M3 and if there are some privateer teams running them next year, it sounds like more reason to give them another restrictor break!


Yeah, I'm just ruffling your feathers, but don't be surprised if it works that way. Since we are talking about BMW, it is worth noting what kind of season Joey Hand had this year. He had a great run. I know there aren't a lot of Joey Hand fans on here, but it's not too often an American driver takes a class by storm.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by AGD

I know there aren't a lot of Joey Hand fans on here, but it's not too often an American driver takes a class by storm.

I heard he has been linked with a drive in the DTM next year. It's definitely silly season.

[AGD]

Originally Posted by Simmi

I heard he has been linked with a drive in the DTM next year. It's definitely silly season.

That would be a big loss for the ALMS if true. It does make sense for BMW to put their best drivers in their main programs though so I guess that makes sense. Then again, it is BMW so he could be back in a new BMW sports car program in 3-4 years!

[Ron S]

I also understanf that Falkner has signed with the same GTC team he drove for last year. ( LeSaffre and Green Hornet Racing)

[MitchZ06]

Not too sure where to ask this but could a LMP car (say Lola B12/60) be made road legal? (ofcourse if sufficient money were tossed at the idea)

[NightStalk3r]

Originally Posted by AGD

That would be a big loss for the ALMS if true. It does make sense for BMW to put their best drivers in their main programs though so I guess that makes sense. Then again, it is BMW so he could be back in a new BMW sports car program in 3-4 years!

Hand and Auberlen are RLL drivers not Official BMW drivers.

[FstrthnU]

Originally Posted by MitchZ06

Not too sure where to ask this but could a LMP car (say Lola B12/60) be made road legal? (ofcourse if sufficient money were tossed at the idea)

I think the odds of this happening are on par with trying to make a Formula One car street-legal

[TF110]

Toyota GT-One, Mercedes CLK-LM, Porsche 911 GT1, Nissan R390 Road car, these are just 4 examples of race cars that were on the streets. 'Homologation specials' you may say, but nothing put them apart except the 'road use' parts, clipped wings and power. So I'd say it's possible.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by TF110

Toyota GT-One, Mercedes CLK-LM, Porsche 911 GT1, Nissan R390 Road car, these are just 4 examples of race cars that were on the streets. 'Homologation specials' you may say, but nothing put them apart except the 'road use' parts, clipped wings and power. So I'd say it's possible.

There is some differences between the Gt-One and the Lola, which make it very hard to transform, one is just it's much more detailed aero.

The Porsche 962 is told to be a very difficult car to transform from a Le Mans racer to road car, and comparing a grp. c with a Lmp you will see that today's Lmp's would be more complicated than the 962.

[alexkiller8]

Originally Posted by TF110

Toyota GT-One, Mercedes CLK-LM, Porsche 911 GT1, Nissan R390 Road car, these are just 4 examples of race cars that were on the streets. 'Homologation specials' you may say, but nothing put them apart except the 'road use' parts, clipped wings and power. So I'd say it's possible.

you forgot mclaren f1 gtr longtail too.....

your example is right but this way to do of manufacters simply destroyed the competition because the costs had become too much high also for them... just watch the entry of fia gt 97 and the poorer 98.
By the way i know that 3 road gt-one have been built (had to be 10 or 20 for the homologation if i remeber well) but never put on sale "publicly"... it was a smart (or irregolar) way to enterpret a rule building cars that in the reality were just made of spare parts bodywork for the racing cars.

maserati mc12 too is part of this "family".

[WolfsburgRS]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Wasn't the reason Pappas moved to GTC was lack of budget? Now he wants to move up to GTE with the most expensive car of all.

And like you said BMW will concentrate on DTM and GT3. I don't expect much development on the GT2.

Although I can't say for sure, I'm fairly certain his choice to run GTC rather than GTE/2 with the 2009 ex-farnbacher RSR car (now sold to Paul Miller Racing) was more to do with where he could compete and do well, and continue to learn, rather than be a backmarker. From my understanding budget has never been the issue. The GTC class seems to be doing its job in that sense - seat time and further experience before moving up to the big-leagues in GTE/2. Now if only some LMPC teams would do the same....

Originally Posted by gert

Hmmm... I thought Pappas fielding a Porsche was one of the reasons why he could count on the Bleekemolens?

very good point. Although Jeroen did run for Rebellion this year, and unlike Henzler, Long, Bergmeister and the rest, the brothers bleekemolens are not factory Porsche drivers, so perhaps can go where they please - or at least to whomever will pay the bills.

Either way I was hoping to hear that Pappas moved up to GTE for 2012 - after all, with 2 back to back GTC championships it's time to get with the next challenge. I think they'll be up to it.

[FIRE]

I don't see a reason why Bleekemolen would not drive something else than Porsche.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by FIRE

I don't see a reason why Bleekemolen would not drive something else than Porsche.

Which in fact he has done this year, at least at Le Mans, 6th overall and first petrol car for Rebellion let's not forget.

[AGD]

E-I has posted two articles today discussing the latest rumors in the world of WEC/ALMS/LMS. I don't think much here is groundbreaking, but there are some interesting statements that are new or are translated poorly. First, what is this about a Lola B09/86 in the Autocon section? The translation provides nothing. Also, what is this about Cytosport and LMP2? Is that just for Le Mans or what?

Also, the Pecom WEC LMP2 rumor is new I believe.

Part 1
Part 2

[seanyb505]

My French isn't great, but reading the original and the translation it looks like they're trying to say we shouldn't rule out that Cytosport won't run LMP2 in the 24.

[The Badger]

Why and with what in P2 ? Their supposed to be going P1 ALMS with a HPD-03A ?

[JAG]

The Google translation of EI is more than adequate.


http://translate.google.co.uk/transl...%26prmd%3Divns

[AGD]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Why and with what in P2 ? Their supposed to be going P1 ALMS with a HPD-03A ?

The ARX-03a is just a rumored route that they may take. Nothing is set in stone. The LMP2 rumor is news to me though. Would Pickett even get amateur status if he got an LMP2? He ran as a "gold" driver in 2011.

[lms]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Why and with what in P2 ?

Maybe with an arx 03b. But the alms rumor said 03a, and i dont think they will use both cars next year.

[gustavobamba]

A few months back ACO tell´s that they where in talks with 3 big manufactures and one small to enter in the near future in Le Mans.

By my calculations Toyota and Porsche are 2 of the 3 big´s. So who is the third Big manufacture and the small one??????

NISSAN/RENAULT???

HYUNDAI???

BTH, with the introduction of WEC and European and Asian manufacturer´s present on the Championship, aren´t missing a American LMP1 Brand????

[gwyllion]

Nissan and Jaguar are the first names that come to mind.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

BTH, with the introduction of WEC and European and Asian manufacturer´s present on the Championship, aren´t missing a American LMP1 Brand????

We certainly are . Their always complaining about the state of their own series ..... but nobody comes forward to support it . Thank God for the Europeans ..... and the Japanese lately !!!

[CTD]

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

A few months back ACO tell´s that they where in talks with 3 big manufactures and one small to enter in the near future in Le Mans.

By my calculations Toyota and Porsche are 2 of the 3 big´s. So who is the third Big manufacture and the small one??????

NISSAN/RENAULT???

HYUNDAI???

BTH, with the introduction of WEC and European and Asian manufacturer´s present on the Championship, aren´t missing a American LMP1 Brand????

Originally Posted by gwyllion

Nissan and Jaguar are the first names that come to mind.

More interesting is who are the "small" manufacture... (and how they define small)