[WEC] Kolles Prototype

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Sounds like the usual rent ride service is gonna continue this year too.

This line says it all:
"Simon will do the full season and we will have a pool of drivers, which will include Toni and Pierre, like we have in the past."

Also, Hewland gearbox has been replaced by Xtrac, among other details under the hood

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/ite...s-for-wec-lmp1

[TF110]

Under 'car' on the webpage, the suspension is "steel fabricated wishbones and pushrods, rocker activated torsion bar and adjustable damper"

Steel?

[Simmi]

Shame Liuzzi probably isn't going Le Mans. That's what, three years in sportscars where he's managed to miss it.

The car looks good though to me.

[Deleted]

CLM's made it to Ricard.

[NelisB]

That's a lot better then they managed last year.

[tux]

So whats the feeling here? Do we all want it to fail so we can say, YES told you so?

Do we want to see it racing with Rebellion?

OR do we want to see Rebellion driving around on their own..

So many negative reactions to this car, its kind of weird. So many of you are saying Death to LMP2 2017 regs etc, yet when you get a one off car and team trying to compete you seem to want the project to die.

[ss_collins]

Perhaps its to do with the team management, or perhaps it is the cars origin.

[Deleted]

Yeah I would say it's mainly CK's weird imago and personality he's managed to create within his brief involvement in this business, and the lack of information coming out from the team. But thumbs up for trying to keep LMP1 privateer side alive. It's going to be an interesting year against the Rebellion, and closer I feel

[GT6]

Well i am glad to see it and hope it will go as well as it looks

[pirenzo]

Originally Posted by TF110

Under 'car' on the webpage, the suspension is "steel fabricated wishbones and pushrods, rocker activated torsion bar and adjustable damper"

Steel?

If you're wondering why not carbon, article 12.4 of the 2015 LMP1 regulations states that the suspension arms must be made from "a homogeneous metal"

EDIT: whoops, didn't realise I was dragging that up from two weeks ago...

[tux]

My comments might have been too strong and if this is the case i apologise.

I just like these smaller projects and want them to do well regardless of who is involved.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by pirenzo

If you're wondering why not carbon, article 12.4 of the 2015 LMP1 regulations states that the suspension arms must be made from "a homogeneous metal"

EDIT: whoops, didn't realise I was dragging that up from two weeks ago...

Why not Aluminum I guess its cheaper to use steel?

[pirenzo]

Originally Posted by TF110

Why not Aluminum I guess its cheaper to use steel?

Steel has superior stiffness and has higher fatigue strength, which is important given the cyclical loading the suspension wishbones face.

This page has the numbers and also mentions that buckling is more of an issue with aluminium.

[Pontlieue]

Originally Posted by tux

So whats the feeling here? Do we all want it to fail so we can say, YES told you so?

Do we want to see it racing with Rebellion?

OR do we want to see Rebellion driving around on their own..

So many negative reactions to this car, its kind of weird. So many of you are saying Death to LMP2 2017 regs etc, yet when you get a one off car and team trying to compete you seem to want the project to die.

It's not that I want the project to fail, it's just that last year's performance doesn't give many reasons for being optimistic about it. Still, at least they're trying and add some variety to the grid and keep the privateer LMP1 battle alive.

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by Pontlieue

It's not that I want the project to fail, it's just that last year's performance doesn't give many reasons for being optimistic about it. Still, at least they're trying and add some variety to the grid and keep the privateer LMP1 battle alive.

I don't know, I think it does.
With the races last year being their only testing, when considering that by Interlagos they were a second behind Rebellion (whose car, while not a finished package, was certainly more 'together' than the CLM) in qualy, and considering all the work they've done over the winter (that Rebellion have also missed out on), all adds up to give the Kolles boys and girls some confidence for the 2015 season.

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by Chiana

CLM's made it to Ricard.

I know people get annoyed about all the LMP1s being white, but that is an absolute beauty!
I hope is stays looking like that.

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by Hawkwood

I don't know, I think it does.
With the races last year being their only testing, when considering that by Interlagos they were a second behind Rebellion (whose car, while not a finished package, was certainly more 'together' than the CLM) in qualy, and considering all the work they've done over the winter (that Rebellion have also missed out on), all adds up to give the Kolles boys and girls some confidence for the 2015 season.

I think the excellent AER engine in the back of the car helped (especially those twin turbos) against the rather lacklustre Toyota powerplant in the back of the Rebellion flattered the performance at the dizzy heights of Interlagos, but you're right; they did make some good strides.

If the car really is at the minimum weight then they've made some big gains on top of that.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

If the car really is at the minimum weight then they've made some big gains on top of that.

Not really because it seems that the privateer minimum weight is back at 850kg, instead of 800kg at the end of last year. For some reason. So if Kodewa-Kolles-Lotus-whatever was 75kg overweight last year it'd only mean they've lost 25kg over the winter to meet the 850. Assuming what they say about lowering the weight is actually true in the first place.

None of that helps to keep Kolles and Rebellion far away from LMP2 pace of course.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Not really because it seems that the privateer minimum weight is back at 850kg, instead of 800kg at the end of last year. For some reason. So if Kodewa-Kolles-Lotus-whatever was 75kg overweight last year it'd only mean they've lost 25kg over the winter to meet the 850. Assuming what they say about lowering the weight is actually true in the first place.

None of that helps to keep Kolles and Rebellion far away from LMP2 pace of course.

Yeah, but expect that LMP1-L or whatever its called now, to be given a few more breaks after they show their pace.

[Deleted]

If I would be cynical - which I often am - I would say that the ACO has brought the weight back from 800kg to 850 in order to close in the gap between Rebellion and Kodewa because they 'knew' that Kolles couldn't decrease their overweight any further.

[TF110]

I dont think thats the reason. It was 850 originally, so they probably just left it there. Its up to the teams to hit that target. If they cant thats on them, like Nissan. I doubt itll be staying that weight anyway.

[Deleted]

It's still +50 kg between Interlagos and Silverstone for what reason? That ACO can and will play the same reducing game all year long, but why not stick to that 800... it's not like the privateer BoP tables are something holy and sacred, they move all the time in relation to the factory stats. Unless there was some background motive

[Deleted]

Not the greatest of views with the factory cars blocking and camera angle, but the look of the CLM is really growing on me

[templer]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Not the greatest of views with the factory cars blocking and camera angle, but the look of the CLM is really growing on me

Nice pics. Very steep rear wing flap compared to the works teams. Hard to see but it seems the only aero update is longer rear tail with changed wing endplates

[Giba]

Just to double check this but with LMP1-H and LMP1-L being merged this year, are the points given out for the privateer entries for there position in the LMP1 class as a whole?

The reason is that if it ran under the system last year then as long as the CLM finished the first two races, it would have a nice lead going into Le Mans already. However, if points are given out how I think they are then the benefit of being at the first two races and rebellion not is less.