LM24 New cars at Le Mans 2004

Garrett · 28 Jun 2003, 14:02 (Ref:645443)

What new cars and teams should we expect to see stay and ones to come back. Audi? Porsche? Courage? Mazda/Ford? Panoz? Lister?

Dauntless · 28 Jun 2003, 14:24 (Ref:645450)

Personaly, I long for Porsche to return ... and hope to see VW with their new technology V-10 diesel in a prototype.

rdjones · 28 Jun 2003, 14:25 (Ref:645451)

Audi will be there for sure with a new car, as will Panoz with a new GTS car, Courage will be back with a new car, built to the new rules there are rummours that it will be a GTP car. Lister will back for sure there car has been built to meet the 2004 rules. As for the Mazda/Ford car things have gone quite on that front. Also expected to see a new car from Aston Martin too.

JAG · 28 Jun 2003, 14:33 (Ref:645456)

Add to that the Lola LMGTP and Masarati GTS if it is ready.

Proshe return will be 2005 not 2004. Personally I think Mazda return will be in 2005 also. Sard-Toyota LMP/LMGTP may be ready for 2004, but again probably 2005.

Team NASAMAX (with a new chaasis) and some othe 'green fuel' cars may make a big impression with the new regs to give tham an even plying field.

pirenzo · 28 Jun 2003, 15:05 (Ref:645475)

Is that Lister built to 04 rules? (Or rather, is it easily convertable, which is i think what you really meant)

JAG · 28 Jun 2003, 15:08 (Ref:645478)

The Listers easily convertible, or at least has been said so.

On Mulsanne Mikes site Andy Thorby talks about the possibility to convert the Lister to an LMGTP design. Would be very nice to see IMO. Just wish they could have stuck a Jaguar V12 of V8 in there.

I read the cost of devloping the V8 was one of the reasons it was dropped. Isn't this engine now being devloped for Trans-Am. How about dropping a version of this engine into the Lister, or any LMP for that matter.

veeten · 28 Jun 2003, 17:54 (Ref:645532)

That's the fun part where the '04+ regs are concerned. I think the catchword here is choice; of engines, chassis, or even categories.

750 will be the best group to enter right away, as most of the new entries will be re-worked from 675 with better engines, including the Lola/MG, Reynard, Pilbeam and others. Even stillborn projects, such as the Snobeck and others will find new life as entries in 750.

The lion's share of LMP/GTPs will enter by '05, as the LMES enters it's second season. Sebring should see a rennisance of sportscar racing not seen since the 60's, with manufacturers opening the racing season at this famous track.

**Aysedasi** · 28 Jun 2003, 18:02 (Ref:645543)

Loads and loads of Audis..........

(only joking.......

)

rdjones · 28 Jun 2003, 18:07 (Ref:645548)

I have also just remembered that Prodrive are rummoured to be building a prototype for a manfactor....

**FIRE** · 28 Jun 2003, 18:26 (Ref:645557)

rdjones: Can you give us more info?

JAG · 28 Jun 2003, 18:35 (Ref:645558)

They've designed or done designe studies for Mazda and one other manufactuer, possibly Japanease as well. Also worked on 2 GTs, maybe RX-8.

Team Goh think the Japanease will return soon, as hes racing in the JGTC next year, in order to get closer links with the Japanease manufactuers and be in a position to return to LM with a works LMP,mybe in 2005.

courage · 29 Jun 2003, 09:38 (Ref:645861)

I've heard that Lola will design a LM GTP for 2004...that's wrong, that's for 2005.
Courage won't have a new car but maybe a LM GTP based on the C60.

rdjones · 29 Jun 2003, 09:52 (Ref:645871)

I heard that Prodrive where involved with the Aston Martin GTS project. Here's a long shot - they have good links with Ford via there touring car program, 2 prototypes designed 1 for Mazada (Owned by Ford) and the other Jaguar ???????????

Smokey 6 litre · 1 Jul 2003, 09:19 (Ref:648111)

its looking good for the future, more closed cars, which i prefer, makes it more like actual road cars, back towards what it was in the 60's, porshes, GT40's and Ferraris, so good, i just hope the designs of LMGTP are very diverse and imaginative.
Prodrive have a good record, i would love them to run Aston Martins.

krt917 · 2 Jul 2003, 09:45 (Ref:649361)

Yes, I've been rather hoping for that too!

Graham Goodwin · 2 Jul 2003, 09:56 (Ref:649370)

There will be a new rotary engined prototype (according to Mr Terada at scrutinerering this year)

**Aysedasi** · 2 Jul 2003, 12:47 (Ref:649585)

Designed by M. Welter.......?

Dauntless · 2 Jul 2003, 14:58 (Ref:649765)

Quote:

Originally posted by Smokey 6 litre
its looking good for the future, more closed cars, which i prefer, makes it more like actual road cars, back towards what it was in the 60's, porshes, GT40's and Ferraris, so good, i just hope the designs of LMGTP are very diverse and imaginative.
Prodrive have a good record, i would love them to run Aston Martins.

Like you, Smokey, I prefer closed cars (LMGTP-type), but not because they look more like road cars. In fact, I don't want them to look like present day road cars - for that I need only watch the GT classes. Instead, I want them to look and drive like the radical prototypes they are. That's why I like the Bentley so much, and more of that genre is what I hope to see in future.

Tim Northcutt · 2 Jul 2003, 15:06 (Ref:649769)

I hope that we see both closed and open cockpit cars....I lke the variety....

and as a guy who grew up watching open-cockpit, open whelled racing, I like being able to see the drivers, and by their helmets, you know who is driving...

If they go closed all the way, I don't mind it, but I want both
"Spyders" and Coupes" racing in the prototype categories...

Dauntless · 2 Jul 2003, 15:12 (Ref:649773)

Quote:

Originally posted by Smokey 6 litre
its looking good for the future, more closed cars, which i prefer, makes it more like actual road cars, back towards what it was in the 60's, porshes, GT40's and Ferraris, so good, i just hope the designs of LMGTP are very diverse and imaginative.
Prodrive have a good record, i would love them to run Aston Martins.

Like you, Smokey, I prefer closed cars (LMGTP-type), but not because they look more like road cars. In fact, I don't want them to look like present day road cars - for that I need only watch the GT classes. Instead, I want them to look and drive like the radical prototypes they are. That's why I like the Bentley so much, and more of that genre is what I hope to see in future.

Mal · 2 Jul 2003, 15:31 (Ref:649786)

Quote:

Originally posted by Dauntless
Like you, Smokey, I prefer closed cars (LMGTP-type), but not because they look more like road cars. In fact, I don't want them to look like present day road cars - for that I need only watch the GT classes. Instead, I want them to look and drive like the radical prototypes they are. That's why I like the Bentley so much, and more of that genre is what I hope to see in future.

I couldnt have said it better myself

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