|
| Site Partners: | SpotterGuides | Veloce Books |
| Related Sites: | Your Link Here |
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
12 Nov 2003, 15:42 (Ref:781106)
|
#1 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,215
 |
Where Do These "2004 Projects" Stand??
I recall various items in the "News" section on this site (that were reported from other news sources BTW) about new prototype projects for 2004 that we haven't heard about since....
I'm starting this thread to see if anyone has heard or read anything recently about them: LMP1 Cars: Piper Design -- the "Model" for the 2004 regs...at one point it was reported that Mr. Lavaggi would be starting an LMES program with a "new Prototype" and that the Piper Design car would be it... 1. Any word on whether or not this is happeing? 2. Is ANYONE going to buy or race this chassis? LMP2 Cars: Three makers have been reported as building cars for this class: Lucchini (Sept. News) Promec (Sept. News) Dome (May News?) Anyone heard anything else about these??? Any others (besides the new Audi we have been kept apprised of) out there that have been forgotten??? We saw the new thread on the Lola LMP2 today, which sparked this one that I am starting now... |
||
|
__________________
Finally... One American Open Wheel Series! 
|
|
12 Nov 2003, 15:45 (Ref:781107)
|
#2 | ||
|
Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 9,482
 |
Nothing, absolutely nothing...
|
||
|
|
|
|
12 Nov 2003, 15:56 (Ref:781117)
|
#3 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,721
|
Yes, it's all a bit worrying, really. After all, it's November already.
|
||
|
|
__________________
Interviewer: "Will the McLaren F1 be your answer to the Ferrari F40?" Gordon Murray: "Hmm... I don't think we have anyone at McLaren who can weld that badly..."
|
|
12 Nov 2003, 16:40 (Ref:781174)
|
#4 | |
 Race OfficialVeteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,741
|
And Lola's project?
Is this not what happens every year? A lott rumours and plans but at the start of the new season....
|
|
|
|
|
|
12 Nov 2003, 18:07 (Ref:781251)
|
#5 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,215
|
Supposedly, DSC has an artist rendering somewhere on their site....
There is another thread posted within our forum....but no on posted the rendering or a link, probably because DSC is a subscribed site... BTW...I have e-mailed promec, and will e-mail Lucchini at some point today... Does anyone know a link to Dome's site? |
||
|
|
__________________
Finally... One American Open Wheel Series!
|
|
12 Nov 2003, 18:22 (Ref:781273)
|
#6 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 10,241
|
there might be one on Mulsannescorner's links page (i haven't checked)
|
||
|
|
|
|
12 Nov 2003, 18:48 (Ref:781294)
|
#7 | ||
|
Race Official Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,741
|
Quote:
|
||
|
|
|
|
12 Nov 2003, 18:50 (Ref:781296)
|
#8 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,215
|
Thanks, FIRE...
I just checked their site and I sent them an e-mail as well... Let's see if ANYONE responds to me... |
||
|
|
__________________
Finally... One American Open Wheel Series!
|
|
12 Nov 2003, 18:53 (Ref:781297)
|
#9 | |
|
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 10,500
|
Lola are supposed to be weeks away from announcing a new project.
It was supposed to be announced 2 or 3 weeks ago. The Piper seems to be still go will GLV buying a car. Dome are looking at LMP2 and LMP1, suppose it depends on what RFH want. Theres no rush for new cars seeing as current cars can still race. Manufactuers will only start entering in 2005 at the earliest once the new regs have been fully assesed and the LMES has run successfully. As Ratel and the ACO have said the LMES and rebirth of European prototype racing will not be a 1 or 2 year project but 3 years +. IMO the major factor for optimism in prototypes is the renewed interest from teams such as RML, Nasamax etc who previously only ran at LM and maybe PM/Sebring it at all. Its no use having new cars if there are no new team. And for what seems an absolute age we are now seeing 'new' teams commiting to prototypes in Europe. |
|
|
|
|
|
17 Nov 2003, 14:00 (Ref:785936)
|
#10 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,215
|
Concerning Dome's plans, this is the response that they sent to me over the weekend:
Thank you, Mr. Yuchi....we appreciate your candor and your response to our query.... Dear Mr.Tim Northcutt, Thank you for your e-mail about LMP2 prototype. Regarding the possibility of our LMP2, we used to consider to design and manufacture LMP2 for 2004 regulation. We also considered SR2 cars in the past. However, considering the situation of the sports car market, we decided not to proceed the design work and manufacturing unfortunately. For next year, we also decided not to manufacture LMP1 car under the new regulation. Of course, to maintain our technology for the sport car, we keep testing the car in the wind tunnel. However, as mentioned, it is difficult to produce an bran new car under the current situation of the sport car market. Thank you very much for your intest on our sport car and ourselves. Thanks. Hiroshi Yuchi R&D. DEPT. DOME CO.,LTD. |
||
|
|
__________________
Finally... One American Open Wheel Series!
|
|
17 Nov 2003, 14:20 (Ref:785969)
|
#11 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,237
|
Not great news then...
|
||
|
|
__________________
You're either at Le Mans, or waiting for Le Mans. ('86, '87, '88, '89, '90, '91, '93, '94, '95, '97, '98, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15, '16, '17)
|
|
17 Nov 2003, 15:09 (Ref:786022)
|
#12 | |
|
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 10,500
|
Personally I think it is totally irrelevant who is or is not producing new LMPs. The most important thing for prototype racing as a whole is to have a successful prototype championship in Europe.
The LMES should provide this and eventually attract major manufactuers, not just the specialist makers. Ever since the end of GT1 in FIA GTs there has been no 'top class' sportscar racing in Europe of any significance (ie cars capable of winning LM outright). The LMES over time, I am sure, will change this. Its no use producing customer cars if there is no one to race them. All you need is a couple of competitive customer chassis, ie Lola and Courage, to compete with the factories and you will have great prototype racing. In Group C customers only had Porsche or Spice cars to choose from if they wanted to be relatively competitive. Last edited by JAG; 17 Nov 2003 at 15:12. |
|
|
|
|
|
17 Nov 2003, 15:13 (Ref:786027)
|
#13 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,215
|
I agree that the LMES is a real key to the future of the sport and having the major sportscar prototypes under the umbrella of the ACO as an overall sanctioning organization is the big key to the whole equation...
However, I think that both Europe and North America are equally important keys to getting the manufacturers to return...because the North American market has a great deal of disposable income, and it provides a platform for the manufacturers to get their name and their image in front of people who will spend the $$$ for their products... |
||
|
|
__________________
Finally... One American Open Wheel Series!
|
|
17 Nov 2003, 16:30 (Ref:786154)
|
#14 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,525
|
Does anyone know if the Courage GTP class car will go ahead or will they be making their 675 car or what :confused:
|
||
|
|
__________________
Interviewer: The strategy, have you got any tortoises, any hares in the Jaguar team? Brundle: Didn’t see too many in practice
|
|
17 Nov 2003, 16:41 (Ref:786171)
|
#15 | ||
|
Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 9,482
|
We still don't know, Duffacus ; but there's gosssips about this roofed car... is that the good news that Yves Courage is talking about ? :confused: wait and see !
Last edited by Fab; 17 Nov 2003 at 16:41. |
||
|
|
|
|
17 Nov 2003, 16:58 (Ref:786191)
|
#16 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,525
|
I hope it is!
|
||
|
|
__________________
Interviewer: The strategy, have you got any tortoises, any hares in the Jaguar team? Brundle: Didn’t see too many in practice
|
|
19 Nov 2003, 21:03 (Ref:788680)
|
#17 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,010
|
I would like to see a Porsche Fabcar Daytona Prototype enter as a LM2 next year or something with a Ferrari V8 in it.
Under the rules there would be little required to get it allowed for LM2 and considering the competition it should be a very competitive platform. Maybe it would shut all the DP haters up too. I would really like to see a GTP 750 class, it would be pretty cool. |
||
|
|
|
|
19 Nov 2003, 21:16 (Ref:788690)
|
#18 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,592
|
DP´s in Le Mans? no please. I am not a DP hater but certainly I would hate to see them in Le Mans or LMES......
|
||
|
|
__________________
"It seemed that Andy had another 75bhp on me, and that as soon as he got on the straight he´d press a button, turn a knob and off he went", Steve Soper
|
|
19 Nov 2003, 21:31 (Ref:788702)
|
#19 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,215
|
Question:
Have the DPs gone through FIA or ACO crash testing???? Cars that raced in Grand Am last year apparently had not, or it wasn't required, because the Robinson Racing "revised" R&S was not eligible for ALMS this year, because it had not been crash tested.... They would have to go through that befoe being eligible for consideration.... Personally, I'm not fond of the DPs...but I believe that the current engines in most of them are too large to meet LMP2 specs, aren't they??? Please correct me if I'm wrong on that.... and if those cars have larger, fairly powerful (somewhat powerful?)engines now, how slow will they be with power that is of the correct displacements to compete in LMP2???? They could make the Norma look fast by comparison.... |
||
|
|
__________________
Finally... One American Open Wheel Series!
|
|
20 Nov 2003, 03:33 (Ref:789010)
|
#20 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,010
|
only the porsche has a small enough motor, but supposedly there are going to be Maserati 3.6s coming soon.
Im not sure if they would be slow or not. If the ACO has to limit the Pilbeam of all cars to slow it down, I think the DP would do fine. I dont want to see em at Le mans either, I just want to see one race with one car to see how it does, or hell, even run the same track to see how they compare, I will take that even...can you say Mid Ohio? |
||
|
|
|
|
20 Nov 2003, 03:35 (Ref:789012)
|
#21 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,010
|
oh yeah, I think robinsons deal was like the new Bucknum pilbeam, the changes were considered so radical that it would be classed as a different car, so it would require all new testing...
Im pretty sure the DPs were crash tested...Chris Dyson crash tested a Fabcar at Watkins Glen for Fabcar last year... Ill ask my friend... |
||
|
|
|
|
20 Nov 2003, 03:51 (Ref:789018)
|
#22 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,010
|
Ok, no crash tests at all. They used NASCAR data based on materials used in construction, but each car has a data recorder in the event of a crash.
So the pipe dream is just a pipe dream, oh well, guess i gotta play the comparison game as I am sure others will do too... |
||
|
|
|
|
20 Nov 2003, 11:00 (Ref:789248)
|
#23 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 5,404
|
Quote:
The MP91, is definitely faster than the original car, and I certainly can't see any reason you'd have to limit the MP84-even the fastest of those (from memory Rowan Racing's example in the FIA series during 2001 was usually pretty competitive) was generally slower than the Lola, although it was competitive with the Lucchinis etc Last edited by KA; 20 Nov 2003 at 11:00. |
||
|
|
|
|
20 Nov 2003, 12:45 (Ref:789417)
|
#24 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 5,404
|
Re: Where Do These "2004 Projects" Stand??
Quote:
They also report that Nasamax will be sticking with their Reynard and plan some updates- including a potential conversion to the 2004 rules..... |
||
|
|
|
|
20 Nov 2003, 13:46 (Ref:789506)
|
#25 | ||
|
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,215
|
From everything I've read, I have no idea how Nasamax is going to "Convert" that chassis to 2004 rules...
Mulsanne Mike told us it is extremely difficult, and Mr. Thorby, who has been sharing information with us in other threads told us in the "Lister Thread" that was running a few weeks ago that this conversion process would not be feasible to do... Sounds like Nasamax is going to throw good money after bad...but they have been making what I consider to be poor decisions all along, so this may be par for the course... Glad to hear that Lavaggi is pushing on....does anyone know how to reach him??? Does his team that raced the old Ferrari chassis in FIA-SCC the past few years have a site???? |
||
|
|
__________________
Finally... One American Open Wheel Series!
|
 |
|
|
Similar Threads
|
||||
| Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
| Will Ferrari be forced to "fight" in 2004? | Sodemo | Formula One | 23 | 29 Dec 2003 04:50 |
| "Be a Grand Prix Driver" 2004 series | jamescrofts | National & International Single Seaters | 2 | 1 Aug 2003 14:57 |
| What does "GT" stand for?? | Speedo | Sportscar & GT Racing | 5 | 31 May 2001 21:24 |
Linear Mode
