Quote:
Originally Posted by chernaudi
This may be about IMSA, but if IMSA and the ACO are trying to edge to having similar rules between LMP1 and DPI, they have to find common ground somewhere like they have with their top GT classes being based around 95+% the same regs.
IMO, GT Prototype is ACO speak for DPI, that's possible to me. I doubt that we'll be getting car makers to build hyper cars that are supposed to be in theory road legal just to race in the top class. Personally, I think that prototypes should look like prototypes, not necessarily something street legal.
Besides, as I've pointed out a few times, the old Audi R8 and R10 had about as many road car related styling cues as the DPI cars have, which was mostly headlight and taillight lenses. The '03 Bentley GTP had very vague design similarities to the then new Continental GT.
Prototypes should be race cars, and in truth that's largely the way it's been since the 1960s. Even if Ford GT40s and Porsche 962s have been converted to being road legal. If someone's so inclined to jump through hoops they could possibly make a modern LMP road legal somewhere in the world I'm betting, too.
That all being said, even if the ACO are wanting to get back to the late '90s GT1/'99 GTP, that's very close to the spirit of current DPI, especially the latter. The Audi R8C had TT styling cues (as did the R8R, and to a lesser degree, R8 and R10), the Mercedes-Benz CLR had C-class styling cues, and the Toyota GT-One foreshadowed the last generation Celica.
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I understand that the ACO is not demanding hypercar street legal, they want prototypes in the form of hypercar.
Of course a street legal hypercar could race here.
Personally I am in favor of this idea, the current prototypes have very ugly form.
Removing the shark nose and enlarging the cabin would improve the appearance and they continue to be prototypes.
The GT1/GTP of the end of 90' and the Porsche 962 and Ford GT had hypercar form and therefore they looked very good.