GT3 manufactures...

[Rodger Davies]

Sounds like Lamborghini have already shifted at least 5 in Europe and between 3 and 5 in North America. Porsche seem to be announcing a new buyer each week, and they haven't even been any in Europe yet. Something tells me there might be another on in British GT announced tomorrow or that might be something else.

Bentley don't seem to have many genuinely independent customers and I'm not sure if Ferrari is actively selling the 488 for next season yet. Could well be wrong.

I'm intrigued about new BMW and Mercedes customers as they will be buying a completely different car if they were buyers of the previous iterations of both.

[ThatGuy]

The Mercedes AMG GT road car platform is based on the old SLS, just with a shortened wheelbase I believe. The GT3 car is also using the old engine, so I would think the transition wouldn't be as drastic as those switching from the Z4 to the M6.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Yep. But isn't there a R8 cup in China/Asia so maybe those cars (16-20?) are included as well?

Not sure if a switch is planned there - they never migrated to the "Ultra" specs either...

And then, I guess a significant portion of those 45 cars will stay with Audi or some of their very closely affiliated teams.

[GHOGH]

Likely BMW M6 GT3 for Down Under.
http://www.speedcafe.com/2015/08/28/...alian-gt-grid/

[Creep89]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Not sure if a switch is planned there - they never migrated to the "Ultra" specs either...

And then, I guess a significant portion of those 45 cars will stay with Audi or some of their very closely affiliated teams.

I also don't think the R8 LMS Cup will get the new R8. At the moment they are running a mixed 2012 spec with the so called "banana-wing", which Audi was allowed to run at the N24h in 2012.

[MitchZ06]

Banana wing?

[Creep89]

Yes, the banana wing protrudes 150mm beyond the rear of the car. It's a configuration for the N24h. The FIA didn't allow them to race it back in 2012, but because the R8 was really unstable at some parts of the Nordschleife, the local organization gave them a permit to use it.

Here is a picture

And now the R8 LMS Cup also uses this type of wing. For me, the 2012 R8 LMS with the banana wing is the best looking R8 out there.

[Akrapovic]

Is there a reason it's called the Banana Wing? I expected something more like this -

[Creep89]

Don't know. I read it first in the German magazine Sport Auto. They called it banana wing (Bananenflügel).

[J Jay]

Could it be more to do with the shape of the mounts rather than the wing itself?

[HORNDAWG]

nm

[Mt. Lynx]

A little vid on the build of the M6:
http://youtu.be/8ws1Mwbljik

[divxx]

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/d...est-at-ladoux/

For me, the biggest story is the Lexus' (a car that has existed since 2014!) continued lack of pace.

Seems Toyota screwed up their performance calculations badly during development, and at this point, even if they bring it to production, who would buy it when there are so many better choices in the class? The likes of Farnbacher and LMcorsa are development partners rather than actual customers. A works team with all expenses paid for by Toyota seems the only option now.

[TF110]

I posted on that in the rumors thread, but theres only 3 cars. 2 in vln and 1 racing this weekend in Japan. The car just started this year, not 2014. Better they develop it first before giving an incomplete package to customers.

[HORNDAWG]

The car was revealed in March of 14 at Geneva and the project has had ample time since then to get a car ready to make this FIA test.









L.P.

[divxx]

Originally Posted by TF110

Better they develop it first before giving an incomplete package to customers.

The Lexus attended the previous BoP test, with the intention of becoming a customer car this year.

3 separate teams (the 2 I listed in the last post have proven, race-winning records) working on it as racing developers, in addition to whatever Lexus have been doing themselves. Over a year since work started on the project, and long after they realized it was too slow in the previous round of official testing. Who'd even want to be a paying customer now?

I realize it seems like I'm dumping on Lexus, that's not the case, always glad to see more variety, and whatever technological and image-boosting credential a race car lends to an automaker's overall lineup is a plus. Just baffled by how they could allow something like this to go on the way it has.

[Bob Baldwin]

Can anyone tell me what model Alpha will be GT 3 compliant ?

Also any known teams that will be racing them ?

[rich07]

Alpha? Maybe you mean Alfa?

[TF110]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

The car was revealed in March of 14 at Geneva and the project has had ample time since then to get a car ready to make this FIA test.









L.P.

It was revealed in 2014, it didnt race until this year. They started testing in May '14. No one is denying they had time. Its not ready in terms of performance, thats all.

Originally Posted by divxx

The Lexus attended the previous BoP test, with the intention of becoming a customer car this year.

3 separate teams (the 2 I listed in the last post have proven, race-winning records) working on it as racing developers, in addition to whatever Lexus have been doing themselves. Over a year since work started on the project, and long after they realized it was too slow in the previous round of official testing. Who'd even want to be a paying customer now?

I realize it seems like I'm dumping on Lexus, that's not the case, always glad to see more variety, and whatever technological and image-boosting credential a race car lends to an automaker's overall lineup is a plus. Just baffled by how they could allow something like this to go on the way it has.

Seems a couple teams, in tusc at least, want the car. Its going to take time to get the car right. Theres plenty of examples of gt3's improving so theres still hope. It ran good at the 'Ring a couple weeks ago, took 2nd place overall and has a pole to its name. Farnbacher seems better than Emil Frey with it so far.

[divxx]

Yeah, there are teams wanting to be the factory representative. There's a world of difference between paying for a car, and getting paid to run it. Which is why I originally said that seems to be the only remaining course.

It also technically did not run in the GT3 class at that rain-affected VLN race. Though, as you said, it did quite well then, which is why news of its struggle to meet the FIA's base criteria even now was so surprising.

[GingerPixel]

The case of the Lexus is a curious one. Pretty embarassing really, considdering the road car was largely labelled as too heavy and soft to appeal to the 'enthusiast driver'.

Why didn't they build an LFA GT3? Not enough road cars? Engine not feasable?

[TF110]

Originally Posted by divxx

Yeah, there are teams wanting to be the factory representative. There's a world of difference between paying for a car, and getting paid to run it. Which is why I originally said that seems to be the only remaining course.

It also technically did not run in the GT3 class at that rain-affected VLN race. Though, as you said, it did quite well then, which is why news of its struggle to meet the FIA's base criteria even now was so surprising.

I wonder if that news is just rehashed. I dont see anywhere reporting it but sc365. The bop on it at the Ring was comparable to the GTR and Bentley. The latter VLN rounds dont have many big players though.

About the LFA, my guess was its too expensive to turn into a GT3 and it wouldnt be making any money. The RC F road car is a Lexus first, sportscar second. But Randy Pobst nearly matched the M4 with it at Willow Springs HTM.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by TF110

I wonder if that news is just rehashed. I dont see anywhere reporting it but sc365. The bop on it at the Ring was comparable to the GTR and Bentley. The latter VLN rounds dont have many big players though.

About the LFA, my guess was its too expensive to turn into a GT3 and it wouldnt be making any money. The RC F road car is a Lexus first, sportscar second. But Randy Pobst nearly matched the M4 with it at Willow Springs HTM.

So it is OLD NEWS that the car was not at a test that JUST took place? Really?!









L.P.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

So it is OLD NEWS that the car was not at a test that JUST took place? Really?!









L.P.

Where did you get lost? The fact theyre not at the test isnt in question of being 'old news'. Its what sc365 says about struggling to meet the fia's performance window that is. Going off VLN races its not that far behind. So they may be skipping it for other reasons not just because of sc365's assumptions.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by TF110

Where did you get lost? The fact theyre not at the test isnt in question of being 'old news'. Its what sc365 says about struggling to meet the fia's performance window that is. Going off VLN races its not that far behind. So they may be skipping it for other reasons not just because of sc365's assumptions.

I didn't get lost at all! Speaking of assumptions.....





L.P.