Dome LMP Discussion

[The Badger]

Bet they wish they had the euro .... remember that awful Italian Lire ..... I remember paying 85,000 Lire for a cheap hotel , couldnt get my head around that currancy at all !!!

[isynge]

Interestingly if you look at the Yen:Euro rate for 2001 it translates to about a €5 million development budget, and the 2005 remodelling comes in at €3 million or so. All these figures are based on yearly averages from Oanda's historic currency converter.

These look like pretty generous development budgets - okay perhaps not at Audi or Peugeot levels but, I'd argue, blowing what the likes of Creation or Pescarolo spend into the weeds, and based on nothing more than gut feel, probably a long way in excess of what Lola stump up.

I would be absolutely amazed if anything approaching what they spent on the S101 was recouped through chassis sales, parts, and servicing, which indicates it's much more a case of Dome using their sportscars as a marketing showcase for wider engineering work.

[Japanese Samurai]

I think this budget includes the money for DOME's racing activities.

[ss_collins]

Dome doesn't make a lot of money from selling racing cars...

[Japanese Samurai]

The business that sells the racing car doesn't succeed.
It is only an one make category that the constructor makes a profit .
Therefore, DOME keeps patticipating to the Le Mans with money gained in other businesses.

[P38 in workshop]

I doubt that I am the only person to hope that Dome can continue to generate enough revenue from their business activities to further develop the car for many years of competing at Le Mans.

[Purist]

If a manufacturer was looking for a development partner to actually do the fabrication, I think you could do a whole heck of a lot worse than Dome. They mentioned on the SPEED coverage of Le Mans that Dome was a major part of Toyota's sportscar program back in the '80s.

[ss_collins]

Dome is the works Honda team in more than one series and has close links to a number of manufacturers

[GTfour]

The money for the development of this projectile had to have come from Toyota. The whole "technology showcase" story seems just like a sandbagging tale to me. Add to that the fact that the drivers at LM were all top SuperGT Toyota drivers and it makes for a covered up Toyota testcase.

My bet is,that Toyota will anounce it's withdrawell from F1 and return to Le Mans to take revenge...

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by GTfour

My bet is,that Toyota will anounce it's withdrawell from F1 and return to Le Mans to take revenge...

AMEN !!! ..... about bloody time too !!!

[Japanese Samurai]

S102's test video from Japanese TV
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=x2tPSIKC6KU

[The Badger]

Nice one , thank you ..... Im really hoping that this car races again , or is a first strp return for Toyota .

[knighty]

Originally Posted by GTfour

The money for the development of this projectile had to have come from Toyota. The whole "technology showcase" story seems just like a sandbagging tale to me. Add to that the fact that the drivers at LM were all top SuperGT Toyota drivers and it makes for a covered up Toyota testcase.

My bet is,that Toyota will anounce it's withdrawell from F1 and return to Le Mans to take revenge...

while I agree with the majority of your statement I think the chances of Toyota withdrawing from F1 range from slim to none........they are just starting to get their act together, and Bernie is taking F1 to all un-developed regions.......where they need low cost transport, you just cannot buy the exposure that F1 gives them........ while £500m sounds like a big figure to you and me, but in real terms to a BIG vehicle manufacturer like Toyota, this is only half of a road car 4cyl engine programme......1000 million dollars is the typical full price for a full road car engine programme, and they always have 100's on the go.......they could happily do both F1, US and European LeMans and not notice the money one bit.

[ss_collins]

The money for the development of this projectile had to have come from Toyota. The whole "technology showcase" story seems just like a sandbagging tale to me. Add to that the fact that the drivers at LM were all top SuperGT Toyota drivers and it makes for a covered up Toyota testcase.

I can't agree there - Dome has enough money to fund this project if you visit the factory you realise that very quickly, its a very wealthy and very secretive operation. But I'm also 99% that the 2 S102's racing at Le Mans next year will not have a Judd engine (or at least a Judd branded one)

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by ss_collins

But I'm also 99% that the 2 S102's racing at Le Mans next year will not have a Judd engine (or at least a Judd branded one)

What that about ?

[ss_collins]

The pair of S102's racing at Le Mans next year will have a different engine, of that I'm 99% certain.

[The Badger]

Did I miss something about a two car effort ?

[ss_collins]

Dunno do you read the racecar site?

[The Badger]

Nope ..... whats it saying ?

Ok , cheers for that ..... some very interesting rumours running about , hope some of them come true .

[Hammerdown]

Sounds a bit like Aim saying 'sayanora' Creation then! Can't say I'm surprised.

[cdsvg]

Sounds a bit like Aim saying 'sayanora' Creation then! Can't say I'm surprised.

Yep, that was my first thought.

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by cdsavage

Yep, that was my first thought.

Hmm, doesn't AIM have a three-year exclusive contract with Courage??
There may of course be some kind of provision for exciting the contract if the desired results aren't achieved or something like that....

[knighty]

If Dome have any sense, which they obviously do, they will realise the 90 degree AIM Judd motor is no great benefit when compared to the 72 degree version, same power, just a slightly lower C of G, which is no great benefit in sports cars like it is in F1........Pescarolo have walked all over creation using the standard 72 degree customer engine, so why bother........

What Dome will quite probably do is go get a V12 Aston engine and convert for LMP1 use, it has a clear power benefit over the Judd engined cars, as stated before 700bhp for the AM V12, versus about 670/80 for the Judd........in my mind this is why the Aston was the fastest qualifying gasoline engined car at LeMans, and has been the gasoline pace-setter in the other LMS races.

[GTfour]

Originally Posted by knighty

What Dome will quite probably do is go get a V12 Aston engine and convert for LMP1 use, it has a clear power benefit over the Judd engined cars, as stated before 700bhp for the AM V12, versus about 670/80 for the Judd........in my mind this is why the Aston was the fastest qualifying gasoline engined car at LeMans, and has been the gasoline pace-setter in the other LMS races.

Ooooh yes ! That'd be a GREAT combo !

[Félix]

Or Corvette or Maserati for that matter...