Sportscar/GT (and Le Mans) Rumours and Repetition

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Articus

So then is it probable that Toyota races in the WRC and WEC. Otherwise they would just be losing out to VW group regardless of what series they run.

I do see a gain in running both series .
WEC to promote Hybrid technology and WRC to promote a selected model.

The most likely high profile race series, i see Lexus in, is DTM, battling with their main market competition of Audi, Mercedes and BMW. (a discussion for the DTM part of the forum, of course)

[alexkiller8]

toyota could enter in DTM only if wants to promote a car in the german market. Outside germany DTM hasn't a great media coverage.

[Articus]

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

toyota could enter in DTM only if wants to promote a car in the german market. Outside germany DTM hasn't a great media coverage.

I was in Munich back in June and I do not remember seeing a single Lexus. Do they even sell Lexus in Germany.

Edit: they have a "website". Well then they need all the brand exposure they can get.

[chernaudi]

There's a performance Lexus that's being worked on by TMG in Cologne, and the car is supposed to be branded as a TMG edition Lexus, or as a TMG product in and of itself.

Considering how much motorsports work that they do, it overshadows the fact that Toyota Motorsport GmbH is also a Toyota/Lexus tuning company, too.

[alexkiller8]

a lmp1 program, a SGT program, a future WRC program, a possible DTM program... maybe too much, even for the most important automotive manufacturer in the world.

[Articus]

I think they shiuld stick to things that have more international coverage and locations. like WEC and perhaps WRC.
Toyota will always race in Super GT in the same way that Audi will always race in DTM in the same way that the American manufacturers always race in Nascar.

I dont believe the Lexus DTM program is that high on the list. Unless the series plans on changing names because Duetsche Tourenwagen a Lexus is not......

[Dead-Eye]

Originally Posted by Articus

I was in Munich back in June and I do not remember seeing a single Lexus. Do they even sell Lexus in Germany.

Edit: they have a "website". Well then they need all the brand exposure they can get.

I live in Germany, and they're actually a fairly regular sight.

[DS"]

Originally Posted by alexkiller8

a lmp1 program, a SGT program, a future WRC program, a possible DTM program... maybe too much, even for the most important automotive manufacturer in the world.

A LMP1 program, a DTM program, a GT3 program, an IRC program, a future WRC program, a future WTCC program...maybe too much for a company like Volkswagen.

But Toyota entering WRC? Sorry, but the series has devolved more and more into a joke. A customer car for the IRC might be possible, but that's all. WRC isn't what it used to be 10 years ago.

But Toyota entering DTM? Nah, TMG's resources are perhaps completely streched out with their LMP1.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by DS"

A LMP1 program, a DTM program, a GT3 program, an IRC program, a future WRC program, a future WTCC program...maybe too much for a company like Volkswagen.

But Toyota entering WRC? Sorry, but the series has devolved more and more into a joke. A customer car for the IRC might be possible, but that's all. WRC isn't what it used to be 10 years ago.

But Toyota entering DTM? Nah, TMG's resources are perhaps completely streched out with their LMP1.

Well, VW enters WRC, so there must be something there .

And my comment about Lexus and DTM, was not to raise a discussion in this forum, but only a comment on where they might have the biggest PR success for the brand. I would love to discuss this - in a DTM thread, not here.

[alexkiller8]

is really different, is true that audi and porsche are part of VW holding but they are car manufacters with a good amount of freedom and autonomy. To explain, audi use their sport section (audi sport) to support autonomously their lmp1, dtm and gt3 official/customer programs, surely VW has some influence on audi managment, but i don't think that VW supports audi sport economicly. The same can be said for porsche. While speaking about toyota, TMG (lmp1 program) and TRD (SGT, WRC) are not different brand/manufacters owned by toyota, but simply sport sections of toyota.

[hondafan37]

Originally Posted by CTD

I do see a gain in running both series .
WEC to promote Hybrid technology and WRC to promote a selected model.

The most likely high profile race series, i see Lexus in, is DTM, battling with their main market competition of Audi, Mercedes and BMW. (a discussion for the DTM part of the forum, of course)

You must not forget about the negotiations between Super GT and DTM to unify regulations. If this happens surely Japanese brands will be in the DTM and Germany brands will be in Super GT. And possibly all of these brands make feasible the DTM USA.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

And possibly all of these brands make feasible the DTM USA.

And perhaps the Americans will get involved in entering a chassis in Europe ?

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

And possibly all of these brands make feasible the DTM USA.

Or, maybe they could compete in Grand-Am in both DP and GT classes.

[alexkiller8]

don't hope so much in this... japanese manufacters will never accept to use an european shared chassis for their cars, while german manufacters won't accept newcoming manufacters that want to use a different chassis and not the one shared by bmw, audi and mercedes. Also about engines, japanese manufacters don't agree to use a 4.0 V8.
Very probably maybe JAF will let DTM cars to run in GT500, knowing that dtm cars won't never be fast like the GT500 (some years ago, JAF let run GT1 cars like dbr9, murcielago R-GT in GT500 for the same reason)

About ADTM (A as american) don't trust even here... it's about 2 years that rumors talk about this serie and for now is just a vaporware.

[CTD]

Can we please take the DTM discussion to a DTM thread!?.
I'm sorry i ever mentioned it, but this is just too much OT, IMO.

[TF110]

TMG facilities 'stretched out'? I laughed at that a little. They're LMP program took a back seat to others using the facilities. It obviously still has yet to take 'full advantage', at least with the amount of time spent 'using up' all of the facilities. PURE is using it for their F1 engine, so we know numerous projects are going on. The WRC might be a customer thing as well.

[Articus]

Originally Posted by Dead-Eye

I live in Germany, and they're actually a fairly regular sight.

What part?

Regular sighting in Germany is a BMW, Audi, Mercedes(the car and the Taxi), Renault,VW, Skoda, and maybe Opel.(Porsche as well) That is what I deemed regular. There is no way I completely missed seeing Lexus' if they are as regularly seen as the cars I just mentioned.

[lms]

interesting Graham Goodwin (dsceditor) tweets:

"News coming later this week of a returnee to LMP racing - and a new addition to the LMP2 engine roster"

"Dunno - manufacturer rather than team news coming"

[Puzzle]

surely this is implying Nissan is coming back they have had such a large footprint in lmp racing lately and honda have been a little too involved to be described as returning. of all the makes I can think of it that could return to sports cars it just seems by far the most likely unless this is more Porsche news but then seeing as that has been out in the open for a while why would he not just say that more porsche news is coming?

[steeb58]

As posted elsewhere, saw over the weekend that team principal for Nigeria Racing Eagles announced the team will switch from Audi to Bentley for 2014 GT series. Plans seemed legit, but since then have seen nothing to confirm this. Not clear which GT series either. Any informed speculation?

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Puzzle

surely this is implying Nissan is coming back they have had such a large footprint in lmp racing lately and honda have been a little too involved to be described as returning. of all the makes I can think of it that could return to sports cars it just seems by far the most likely unless this is more Porsche news but then seeing as that has been out in the open for a while why would he not just say that more porsche news is coming?

Hmm one problem with Nissan and Honda...
They are already supplying engines to LMP2.
Nissan could be the team that is mentioned, but i do not thing Graham would announce an increase of involvement as a "return" for Honda.

I'm expecting a normal (thats non car manufacture) team returning, and a new "manufacture" engine, like the BMW Judd engine.

That - or Peugeot returning in LMP1 and supplying a Diesel Lmp2 engine! (90% joking, 10% serious about the Lmp2 engine, but more as a WR project)

[DS"]

Originally Posted by lms

interesting Graham Goodwin (dsceditor) tweets:

"News coming later this week of a returnee to LMP racing - and a new addition to the LMP2 engine roster"

"Dunno - manufacturer rather than team news coming"

That's one way to push the listenership for today's MWM.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by lms

interesting Graham Goodwin (dsceditor) tweets:

"News coming later this week of a returnee to LMP racing - and a new addition to the LMP2 engine roster"

"Dunno - manufacturer rather than team news coming"

So is the returnee team a separate item than the new LMP2 engine?

I would guess the engine is a GTE lump - probably the Aston.

[lms]

we will see in a couple of days

[kober]

Originally Posted by joeb

So is the returnee team a separate item than the new LMP2 engine?

It sounds like the new LMP2 engine supplier IS the LMP-racing returnee. Ford?