GT3 manufactures...

[urdragon]

Originally Posted by lms

first the bantli continental and now a Honda Civic in gt3!
more diversity in BES XD

Just wait till it's done, It just may be like Ferrari's LMP1, just time-consuming rumors.

[merak1974]

Originally Posted by Hawkwood

Hopefully Maserati go for it. It'd be great timing for them with the Alfieri - such a gorgeous car (as you would expect for Maserati).

Totally agree!

In the meanwhile, Swiss Team hasn't given up its Maserati Gran Turismo GT3. It will on the starting grid at today's season opening race at Paul Ricard of the International GT Open 2015 series.

[Bob Baldwin]

Is the Swiss team the only ones running a Maserati this year ?

I thought there was another ?

[merak1974]

Originally Posted by Bob Baldwin

Is the Swiss team the only ones running a Maserati this year ?

I thought there was another ?

The Boutsen Ginion team is running a Maserati in the Hankook Endurance Series. Did fine (3rd in the SP2 class) in the Dubai 24H in January. It is scheduled to run in the Zandvoort 12H in the end of May.

I think their car is based on a Gran Turismo Trofeo car, whereas Swiss Team developed a proper GT3 racer a couple of years ago.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by rich07

There's a RCF GT3 running in Super GT GT300

Have you seen that drift promo on youtube?

The race RCF's are up against road RCF's and tbh I could hardly tell the difference between the GT3 car and the Super GT car apart from the engine note?

[TF110]

The gt500 car is lower and the rear wing is dtm-spec. Thats the biggest differences to a casual viewer I guess.

[hondafan37]

Callaway plan to get ready the C7 in september www.gt-eins.at

[Speed-King]

Hmm, Hans Reiter is certainly somewhat less than bullish regarding the long term prospects of GT3:

"To simplify things, you can think about it like this: There are around thirty people per year in the world that are ready to spend more than 500.000€ on a new race car.Race cars above a million € are only a thing for a handful of racing crazy millionaires, but those are really just an exception. At a price level of around 350.000€ per car you're already up to 70 - 80 potential customers per year, though right now a dozen of active GT3 manufacturers have to share this market, so everyone of them will on average only sell 5-6 new cars per year. The rest [of the customers] will buy used cars. Now if you build a car that comes in at around 150.000€, you have at least 250 potential customers around the world, because that's the number of Cup-cars Porsche sells every year [...] A GT3-scene, where the top cars already reach prices of three quarters of a million € is doomed in the long run, though the cars that are currently out there will keep the class going for at least the next five years. You can compare those [quarter million] cars to a 10€ cup of coffee. In theory, we can all buy that one, but we won't do that if we can get the same product around the corner for half the price. And many car owners think like that as well, even though they actually have a lot of money.

More (Auf Deutsch)

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Hmm, Hans Reiter is certainly somewhat less than bullish regarding the long term prospects of GT3:



More (Auf Deutsch)

I actually fully agree. GT3 costs are out of control.

[chunterer]

Yes but won't the manufacturers find a way to ensure their cars are out there (even though they aren't supposed to be running works cars)?
Easiest way to lower purchase cost is to increase the required number of cars to get homologated?

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Yes but won't the manufacturers find a way to ensure their cars are out there (even though they aren't supposed to be running works cars)?

Some of them, I guess. But for many manufacturers GT3 is not just about marketing but also a profit center in itself.

Now at least in Europe, the market for new GT3 cars seems to shrinking. There's plenty of used cars filtering down to the amateur ranks, but most national top-level series fail at mustering more than 20 GT3s per race, while numbers were 50 - 100% higher a few years ago. (And some series have shut down completely like Belcar and Spanish GT).

A smaller market means it becomes less likely for manufacturers to defray their development costs and at least those whose racing programs have to be profitable to appease the bean counters will be likely to pullout of GT3 and either move on to other classes or shut down their customer sports business completely.

Easiest way to lower purchase cost is to increase the required number of cars to get homologated?

Not sure I understand that. Are we talking "number of race cars" or "number of roadcars"?

[chunterer]

Sorry, yes, I think I mean produce more cars (without ruining exclusivity, of course) so that the makes aren't always having to re-homologate bits and bobs just to gain the extra half a second etc, which is what puts prices up.

Surely BOP means there isn't any point continually updating cars?

Is there already a rule that states the makes have to keep the same car for 3 years?

[BullMan]

New Porsche GT3 car to debut at Daytona next year.

http://sportscar365.com/gt/new-porsc...na-2016-debut/

[urdragon]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

A smaller market means it becomes less likely for manufacturers to defray their development costs and at least those whose racing programs have to be profitable to appease the bean counters will be likely to pullout of GT3 and either move on to other classes or shut down their customer sports business completely.

Nowadays not much manufacturers have this type of problems, now developers are either big car manufacturers or they build the car to a local demand, except maybe UK mfgs with lower sale volumes:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Big Mfgs, already covered costs shouldn't incurr in high development costs with platform renew:
Audi/Bmw/Merc/Ferrari

Backed by the mfg (They came into this bussines when they needn't since already a car program was there).
Lamborghini

Designed for a local target, as long as it is sold at its region should cover the costs, because they enter te market for that reason:
Nissan (Super GT 300), Lexus¿? (Super GT 300/PWC)
American mfgs Viper,Corvette,Cadillac (PWC).

UK Brands (Lower volumes, high exclusivity):
AM: Shares costs with factory effort at Le mans. Probably costs covered.
Mclaren: Since they build only supercars, should be mandatory for marketing reasons.
Bentley: On the way to cover costs, by now strong mfg backing.

Reiter:
Strong Gallardo sales backed new developements of the new cars, they've focused in reasonably unexpensive cars to favor profit.

[lms]

Originally Posted by BullMan

New Porsche GT3 car to debut at Daytona next year.

http://sportscar365.com/gt/new-porsc...na-2016-debut/

i keep seeing this new porsche for 5-6 years at least.

[BullMan]

Originally Posted by lms

i keep seeing this new porsche for 5-6 years at least.

They know that if they're going to be able to race in the US competitively, they need a new car.

[hondafan37]

Lexus-GT3-Test in Spa
http://www.sportscar-info.de/portal/...t3-test-in-spa

[TF110]

This for ADAC GT? Emil Frey?

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by TF110

This for ADAC GT? Emil Frey?

Naw, the Lexus doesn't have a full GT3 homologation as of right now, so they'll be doing (mostly?) VLN this year.

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Naw, the Lexus doesn't have a full GT3 homologation as of right now, so they'll be doing (mostly?) VLN this year.

Let's not forget that the Lexus RC-F GT3 car is currently competing in Super GT, but it seems that one car in the GT300 class couldn't compete with the likes of GT-R and the rest.

[TF110]

Right, VLN it is. Race debut in June at Rd.4 On the RC F GT3, some nice videos here. The LM Corsa car's pit crew in Super GT is ran by dealership technicians.

[Miguel]

I thought these were some pretty cool insights by Bas Leinders on the BMW Z4 GT2 vs. GT3: http://www.gt-report.com/2015/05/12/racing-the-z4/

Also, take note how he says Marc VDS is helping BMW "a bit" with the development of the M6 GT3.

[TF110]

Update on the Callaway C7 GT3 http://www.corvettemotorsport.com/ne...ing-update-668. We should be seeing it very soon!

[BullMan]

The Aston is getting an update for next season, both the GTE and GT3 models.

http://sportscar365.com/gt/aston-mar...w-car-in-2018/

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by TF110

Update on the Callaway C7 GT3 http://www.corvettemotorsport.com/ne...ing-update-668. We should be seeing it very soon!

Some 'interesting' quotes in that article:

GT class and lack of clear direction halted the project. Progress remained halted until the so-called convergence for the reorganization of the FIA ​​GTE and GT3 class failed. The GT3 situation was confusing and Callaway Competition waited until the smoke cleared.

Yeah, right GM, as if your complex, prohibitive policy re your Cadillac and Corvette GT3 models had nothing to do with it....

and

Callaway dominated the GT2 class in the mid-1990s. The Leingarten team created an all new racecar for the GT1 class. It was a Callaway design not a remake of the Corvette production car and it was called Callaway C7. It was a carbon fiber front engine GT design with gull wing doors. "But before development was completed the GT1 class ended.

Domination is certainly a very big word in reference to their BPR efforts.

I remember seeing the car(s) compete in Belcar in the late 90's:



After the C7 Callaway developed the C12 which was run by Aspen Knolls in the ALMS and Le Mans in 2001, a big GT2 muscle car.