Quote:
Originally Posted by r3my
The only companies that made an effort for Grand-Am were Chevy, Ferrari, Audi, and Mazda. Porsche just imported the GT3 Cup cars over, and Ford would run with the Mustang at Daytona with private teams once in a blue moon. They were just talking about this on the TUSCC qualifying in Detroit. Companies want GT3 spec cars because they're closer to the cars they sell at dealerships. That's more or less what Grand-Am was.. it was stock cars with roll cages and endurance parts installed. But it didn't get the press or coverage like the factory backed GT3/GT2 series did.
|
I don't think it's fair for you to say Porsche didn't put any effort in it.
The RX 8 and Turner M3 were built on Riley tube frame chassis. The RX 8s also had three rotor engines instead of two rotors like the production models. Not "stock cars with roll cages and endurance parts" as you describe.
If you were Porsche and you were evaluating building a car specifically for Grand Am rules why would you green-light the project when you would be competing against tube frame silhouette cars that resembled far less capable, prestigious, and valuable road cars?
I'm sure some casual fans bought RX 8s because they would hear one of those glorious rotary engines in a car that was neck to neck with a GT3 Cup. They probably thought that the 911 must be terrible because they couldn't outrun a Mazda that probably cost 20% of a GT3 and that the Mazda was a tremendous value. Grand Am didn't deserve Porsche's blessing.