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Once the rules-makers start trying to mandate the appearance of cars it is time to watch a new series.
Cars need to be quick and safe .... period. Form will follow function.
As for the chassis and tires being narrower ... sure it gives (potentially) less mechanical grip, but that is also a new challenge for the engineers.
Further, the rules-makers are Always slowing the cars down some because there are reasonable safe limits for straightaway and cornering speeds given the types of track upon which these cars race---and the limits of the human organism.
These cars were not made less safe because the tires are narrower, and if grip was all that important, ACO would mandate sprint bodywork downforce levels at Le masn, not trimmed out torpedo-cars.
2014 cars are in no way less safe---in fact they are significantly more safe because of better outward vision and more intrusion protection.
These cars might end up being alittle slower than their predeccessors for a short while, but history shows that in a short while engineers will have found ways to go faster with less.
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