2012 Japanese Super GT

[BBSB]

Thanks JS. I think it's clear now the aero rules won't change this year (was hoping for more downforce). Remains to be seen how much the increase in power. Those GT300 are going to be almost as fast as the GT500 lol

[Japanese Samurai]

Good smile racing announced 2012 SGT participation plan.

Entrant name: GSR & Studie with Team UKYO

1)#0 (GSR HatsuneMiku BMW)
Car: BMWZ4GT3 MY11 (new car?)
Driver: NOB Taniguchi, Tatsuya Kataoka
Tire: Yokohama

2)#4 (GSR ProjectMirai BMW)
Car: BMWZ4GT3 MY11 (2010 model + update kit?)
Driver: Taku Bamba, Masahiro Sakasaki
Tire: Yokohama
http://supergt.goodsmileracing.com/team.html

[Monkey Head]

Originally Posted by Japanese Samurai

Good smile racing announced 2012 SGT participation plan.

Entrant name: GSR & Studie with Team UKYO

1)#0 (GSR HatsuneMiku BMW)
Car: BMWZ4GT3 MY11 (new car?)
Driver: NOB Taniguchi, Tatsuya Kataoka
Tire: Yokohama

2)#4 (GSR ProjectMirai BMW)
Car: BMWZ4GT3 MY11 (2010 model + update kit?)
Driver: Taku Bamba, Masahiro Sakasaki
Tire: Yokohama
http://supergt.goodsmileracing.com/team.html

their 2012 race car has displayed on their annuocement show too:
http://as-web.jp/news/info.php?c_id=2&no=39061
livery not as good as last year but better the pantone posted in previous page

[Japanese Samurai]

Team Good smile racing have launched the official English (international) website.
http://supergt.goodsmileracing.com/en/

>Languages that we support are English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional),
> and French. We plan to regularly update the site with team information.

[Japanese Samurai]

Lexus announced 2012 GT500 driver lineup

LEXUS TEAM LeMans ENEOS
ENEOS SUSTINA SC430 #6
Daisuke Ito, Kazuya Oshima BS

LEXUS TEAM WedsSport BANDOH)
WedsSport ADVAN SC430 #19
Seiji Ara, Andre Couto YH

LEXUS TEAM KeePer Kraft
KeePer Kraft SC430 #35
Yuji Kunimoto, Andrea Caldarelli BS

LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM'S
PETRONAS　TOM'S SC430 #36
Kazuki Nakajima, Loic Duval BS

LEXUS TEAM ZENT CERUMO
ZENT CERUMO SC430 #38
Yuji Tachikawa, Kohei Hirate BS

LEXUS TEAM SARD
DENSO KOBELCO SC430 #39
Juichi Wakisaka, Hiroaki Ishiura MI
http://gazoo.com/G-BLOG/ne_3/514434/Article.aspx

[banzailap]

Toyota announces GT500 lineup (autosport)

6 cars as last year :

- As expected, Loïc Duval joins Kazuki Nakajima at TOM'S (36)
- Juichi Wakisaka replaces Iguchi at SARD with Hiroaki Ishiura (39). Team name becomes DENSO KOBELCO SC430 (new title sponsor on board, a large earth mover machinery maker)
- Andrea Caldarelli and Yuji Kunimoto will be driving the Kraft SC (35)
- Andre Couto is still here (that's nice) and will be driving along Seiji Ara for Bandoh (19)
- Oshima/Ito for Team Le MANS Eneos (#6) and Tachikawa/Hirate for Zent Cerumo stay put (#38)

That gives us three new drivers (Duval, Kunimoto, Caldarelli) replacing Lotterer (off to Audi), Iguchi (demoted to GT300 for the LMP Ferrari team) and Katoaoka (joining Taniguchi in the champion BMW Z4 in GT300).

I expect the SARD car to be even stronger this year with Wakisaka and Ishiura, both good at development and super experienced. I can't see Juichi making the same rookie mistakes as did Iguchi last year. Loic should do well at TOM'S, and the big unknown is the pair Caldarelli/Kunimoto. Both have more of a single seater profile, although Kunimoto did some good races in the Corolla Axio the past two seasons. But they may prove to be very quick.

[banzailap]

Sorry Samurai Sensei for the repeat, I was writing while you posted, I did not see your post.

[Japanese Samurai]

Don't mind. Banzailap.

M-TEC (MUGEN) MOTOR SPORTS ACTIVITY PLAN IN 2012
http://www.mugen-power.com/english/n...210/index.html

Team Hitotsuyama racing announced having contracted with Cyndie Allemann.
http://hitotsuyamaracing.net/news/image/20120212.pdf

Takayuki Aoki announced 2012 SGT partitcipation plan.
Team: JLOC
Car No: 88
Driver: Manabu MAX Orido, Takayuki Aoki
Car: Lamborghini gallardo GT3 LP600+
http://ameblo.jp/blue-aoki/entry-11163878462.html
(There is a rumour that team JLOC participate by four cars!)

[Ultimo]

Samurai-san, I am interested in watching some of the races live. About what time do they air locally, and could you hook me up with any links that provide streaming, possibly by PM? Many thanks.

[mirkob]

so a real FIAGT3 invasion, at least:

2x Ferrari 458,
2x Porsche,
2x BMW Z4
2x Audi R8
2x Lamborghini ?
1x Aston Martin Vantage V8
?x Nissan GT-R

any Petronas Mercedes SLS?

:-)

[tbz]

[expected] GT300 pre-entry list 2012

1x (4 expected) Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 LP600+ - Team JLOC
1x Evangelion RT Test Type-01 Apple Shiden - Eva Racing
2x Audi R8 LMS - Hitotsuyama Racing
2x BMW Z4 - GSR & Team Ukyo
1x Honda CR-Z - M-TEC Co. Ltd & Team Mugen
1x Toyota Prius Hybrid - Team APR
1x (2 expected) Porsche 911 GT3R - Hankook KTR
1x Aston Martin Vantage GT2 (The new GT3 follows in the middle of the season=) - Team A-Speed
1x Ferrari 458 GT3 - Team MACH
1x Ferrari 458 GT3 - PACIFIC RACING TEAM
1x Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 - ??
1x Mercedes SLS GT3 - Team Shift ?!
1x Subaru BRZ GT300 - R&D Sport
1x Audi R8 LMS Ultra - Team GAINER
1x Porsche 997 GT3 R - Team Endless Taisan
1x Porsche 996 GT3 RSR - Team Endless Taisan

= 20 - 23 Entries in total

I know, some are still missing or not confirmed yet.

[Speed-King]

No more Vemac, ARTA Gayara or crazy Aurises? What about the mid-engined Lexuses?

[banzailap]

"1x Ferrari 458 GT3 - PACIFIC RACING TEAM
1x Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 - ??
1x Mercedes SLS GT3 - Team Shift ?!"

As far as I know, LMP PACIFIC NAC has not announced a F458 and will enter with their F430, and the GT-R GT3 testing at Sepang had the traditional #52 race number of the team Shift, so if there is a SLS GT3 it might be from somebody else.

What about the #7 and #15 Porsche ? Those were new 2011 cars, so they might still be there. I would expect also the #74 Corolla. Aguri Suzuki was looking for a new car idea on twitter last winter, so the Garaiya will probably stay in the garage this year, although you never know. Since the Shiden is back, all bets are off regarding the regulations.

Anyway, the buzz seems to be about the GT300 this year. Those DTM talks are all and well, but meanwhile the GT500 cars age getting long in the tooth....

[TF110]

Long in the tooth? They put the DTMs performance to bed. Even this year the DTM's will be faster, but not GT500 speed. Even though they've been slowed down from a few years ago they're still about as fast as LMP2's.

[banzailap]

Sure, they do, but the GT-Rs are on their fifth season, the SCs on their fourth (not counting the previous incarnation). They used to have a three years cycle.

[TF110]

The regs haven't changed much, so no use in making brand new cars. Especially since the GTR won last year, and is currently on sale as a road car. The HSV is only 2 going on 3 years. Maybe they're just holding off until they merge with DTM to make all new cars.

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by TF110

The regs haven't changed much, so no use in making brand new cars. Especially since the GTR won last year, and is currently on sale as a road car. The HSV is only 2 going on 3 years. Maybe they're just holding off until they merge with DTM to make all new cars.

That would be great, imagine:

Nissan GTR
Lexus LFA
Honda NSX
Mercedes C-Class
Audi A5
BMW M3... The others might be:

ALFA ROMEU
MAZDA RX-9...

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

No more Vemac, ARTA Gayara or crazy Aurises? What about the mid-engined Lexuses?

The Vemac and the Gayara are getting on in years are they not? Good question about the Lexus, it'd be strange to see only the Hybrid only representing Toyota in this class. Maybe they will be on the grid but havent announced plans yet?

[Japanese Samurai]

According to Motorsport channel,
team apr might introduce FIA-GT3 car as the 2nd car.
If so, there will be no entry of Corolla Axio GT.

[Japanese Samurai]

Honda (#8, #17, #18, #100) carried out the private test at Fuji on Feb 15-16.
GTA carries out offcial test at Fuji on Feb 17.
Performance adjustments of GT300 class will be determined by this test.
http://as-web.jp/news/info.php?c_id=2&no=39137

[TF110]

That's quite a wild front fender. I'm guessing it will become one piece?

[Japanese Samurai]

No. There are some variations in the side air outlet.

[Matador]

Originally Posted by banzailap

Sure, they do, but the GT-Rs are on their fifth season, the SCs on their fourth (not counting the previous incarnation). They used to have a three years cycle.

The SCs this year are new cars. They are still on a 3 year cycle. The only thing not changing is the car they are "based" on. And that's always been that way. The Supra was in Super GT for ages.

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

now that GT300 is welcoming the GT3 cars, that's under the same Balance of Performance of the FIA, or GTA is doing like Grand-Am with modified cars ?

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Subaru_WRX_STi

now that GT300 is welcoming the GT3 cars, that's under the same Balance of Performance of the FIA, or GTA is doing like Grand-Am with modified cars ?

Basically FIA-spec cars, but at least in the past with somewhat smaller restrictors...