Quote:
Originally Posted by TF110
Its not the exact same car. If it was it'd be left behind even with the bop. Look at the Jaguar as an example. AM/Prodrive know how to make race cars and its a disservice to them to say they have only done "mild cosmetic surgery".
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The XKR GT2 was total garbage, and Rocketsports an amateur Trans-Am hobby team managing it. Equipped with slow Yokohama tires. There was never hope for that combo. And it never got huge bop breaks due to the lack of direct OEM power like the other makes, IIRC the only things it got were big air restrictors (which did give it good straight line speed, though for no effect). But even if they had been gifted, it wouldn't have helped to make differences. Look at AJR Lotus Evora with it's 125?kg weight breaks and other nonsense, yet still ending up last.
I'm not saying the Vantage is as bad as those two (or the terrible GT2 conversion of the GT3 Lambo Gallardo), I mean even in the pre-WEC days I seem to remember privateers getting some podium(s?) with it. But we have to realize that now this is factory operation with factory drivers and huge politics power behind it. With those even a turd car can do it. And finally, the BoP landscape has greatly intensified since the likes of Jag roamed.
They had to do some mods for 2012 to save off face when "downgrading" classes, and they had to mod the thing now for 2016 because ACO said so. But it's the same basic car from 2008.