Acura/HPD's future plans

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Christian Mogami

Clearer picture why anybody has signed on with HPD to run P1 next year.

1)the soonest you can get the new Wirth Coupe is June 2014 but no ERS until 2015.

2)you can run the (grandfather in for 2014)ARX-03C next year but must run the NA V8 not the new V6 Turbo.

So that explains why if your Strakka or Muscle Milk you would wait until 2015 to buy the new HPD P1!

It would be better to switch their P1 to P2 spec and race in WEC P2 next year.

So next in WEC P1,there might be only a OAK or Dome with a HPD V6 Turbo engine.

You can read the interview here- http://sportscar365.com/wec/hpd-maki...w-lmp1-engine/

[gustavobamba]

Neither Honda or Nissan will step up into LMP 1 soon, with Audi, Porsche and Toyota there,they are to afraid. If the economy begins to grow and the private maket begin to have more money HPD could have a chance, but right now my thoughts for 2014 is that we will not see neither the V6 2.2 turbo engine or HPD Coupe car...

[Christian Mogami]

Level 5 plans with Scott Tucker.

They want to race in WEC P1 but they need a car because the 2014 HPD Coupe will not be ready until June 2014!

Choices....

1)Buy a ARX-03C from Muscle Milk or Strakka
Looks like they do not want to sell their cars.

2)Buy a used Lola Coupe

3)Tucker drive with another team(Strakka)That might be the best bet with Tucker funding the team and then in June going their own way when they get the new HPD Coupe or just become a two car team.

[joeb]

The question is, are hpd/wirth building a car to have ready in case someone is ready to buy in June? Or are they waiting for an order.

[Christian Mogami]

What Im hearing is nobody(Strakka,Muscle Milk and a few new teams) wants to buy the HPD P1 Coupe until the 2015 season when the ERS will be ready.

And is Wirth going to upgrade the ARX-03C with a 2014 aero package,last year they was behind the ball to the Rebellion Lola's aero in 2013.

So Tucker might buy one for only half of 2014 season because it will be a better car(aero wise) than the open top ARX-03C.

[isynge]

I can see a degree of logic in running the ARX-03C. Okay the Rebellion Lola probably had the legs of it (but not to a ridiculous level), but next year, with the likely opposition (Oak and Rebellion) both having new cars, which may well have the sort of new car glitches you can always get, a reliable grandfathered HPD could gather up some respectable results and with a sensible season could be a bit of a good outside bet for the privateer title.

[Christian Mogami]

HPD P1 Update:

The Wirth/HPD chassis and power-train is too expensive(like Audi and Porsche with full F1 tech) for a customer team to buy and run.

And even if a customer team finds the budget to buy and run it,the whole project will not be ready until 2015(Coupe mid-2014,full power-train 2015)
and the ARX-03C is not an option because it has no speed with the big front tires and the 2013 spec engine.

On the good news side......HPD is still going ahead with the coupe and power-train!

What I see in 2015 is a semi works HPD P1 program with Acura sponsorship(to showcase NSX hybrid power-train) with most likely Level-5 running the team.

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by Christian Mogami

HPD P1 Update:

The Wirth/HPD chassis and power-train is too expensive(like Audi and Porsche with full F1 tech) for a customer team to buy and run.

And even if a customer team finds the budget to buy and run it,the whole project will not be ready until 2015(Coupe mid-2014,full power-train 2015)
and the ARX-03C is not an option because it has no speed with the big front tires and the 2013 spec engine.

On the good news side......HPD is still going ahead with the coupe and power-train!

What I see in 2015 is a semi works HPD P1 program with Acura sponsorship(to showcase NSX hybrid power-train) with most likely Level-5 running the team.

Let´s hope so... the car should look awesome, Wirth design´s nice looking cars. The powertrain still a V6 turbo, 2,2 L+ERS????

[Christian Mogami]

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

Let´s hope so... the car should look awesome, Wirth design´s nice looking cars. The powertrain still a V6 turbo, 2,2 L+ERS????

yes with a F1 style e-turbo

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by Christian Mogami

yes with a F1 style e-turbo

If the chassis + powertrain is so expensive, probably the powertrain is derivated from the new F1!!!!!!

That would be great :-)

I would love to see Honda/HPD or even Mclaren(using Wirth chassis renamed) in P1 in 2015 with the V6 turbo plus KERS and ERS.

[manthey]

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

If the chassis + powertrain is so expensive, probably the powertrain is derivated from the new F1!!!!!!

That would be great :-)

I would love to see Honda/HPD or even Mclaren(using Wirth chassis renamed) in P1 in 2015 with the V6 turbo plus KERS and ERS.

do you intend derived from next 2015 honda - mclaren F1 turbo engine?

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by manthey

do you intend derived from next 2015 honda - mclaren F1 turbo engine?

Yes indeed

They could test the engines in LMP1 because F1 test are forbiden.

[JoestForEver]

Previous news release stated that it was derived from indycar engine, HR22T

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by JoestForEver

Previous news release stated that it was derived from indycar engine, HR22T

Yes exactly, but i would like the engine to be the new 1.6 V6 turbo from HONDA RACING

[JoestForEver]

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

Yes exactly, but i would like the engine to be the new 1.6 V6 turbo from HONDA RACING

Possibly Honda's new F1 is based on the Indycar one as well? My mind just goes too wild

[manthey]

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

Yes indeed

They could test the engines in LMP1 because F1 test are forbiden.

sounds quite reasonable, they can test some tricky parts (i.e. integration with ers-h&k)
if they do it, I assume they will be the only F1 engine supplier to test engine
(as Ferrari,Mercedes &Renault no LMP1)

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by manthey

sounds quite reasonable, they can test some tricky parts (i.e. integration with ers-h&k)
if they do it, I assume they will be the only F1 engine supplier to test engine
(as Ferrari,Mercedes &Renault no LMP1)

FIA President said the new 1.6 V6 Turbo could be eligiable bouth F1 and Endurance championship´s

[manthey]

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

FIA President said the new 1.6 V6 Turbo could be eligiable bouth F1 and Endurance championship´s

I don't think other teams will be happy if honda takes some advantage, they could boycott this choice (Montezemolo already admitted he was contrary "tiny" 1.6 engine)

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by manthey

I don't think other teams will be happy if honda takes some advantage, they could boycott this choice (Montezemolo already admitted he was contrary "tiny" 1.6 engine)

They could rebadge the engine , problem solved?!?!?!?

[CTD]

Originally Posted by manthey

I don't think other teams will be happy if honda takes some advantage, they could boycott this choice (Montezemolo already admitted he was contrary "tiny" 1.6 engine)

Well, isn't the same opportunity available for them as Honda? .

If Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault got a problem with Honda testing F1 engines in WEC, then they can do it themselves.

Although I would fear this development as WEC would be labelled as a "F1 testbed" instead of a series equal to F1.

[manthey]

Originally Posted by CTD

Well, isn't the same opportunity available for them as Honda? .

If Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault got a problem with Honda testing F1 engines in WEC, then they can do it themselves.

Although I would fear this development as WEC would be labelled as a "F1 testbed" instead of a series equal to F1.

I agree, maybe renault&co consider not a proper "budget reduction" open also a wec program, also if only as engine supplier

I see instead they could reduct costs, testing directly and take the right development decisions based on real field instead spend cash&cash on simulators and cfd (remember ferrari's big mistake last year with small f1 models in tmg wind-tunnel)

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by Christian Mogami

On the good news side......HPD is still going ahead with the coupe and power-train!

I'm not sure what that means. Are two and a half engineers going to play around with a model on a computer screen until a check comes, or are they actually going to build it?

Originally Posted by Christian Mogami

What I see in 2015 is a semi works HPD P1 program with Acura sponsorship(to showcase NSX hybrid power-train) with most likely Level-5 running the team.

Why would Level-5 promote Acura NSX in Europe where it's going to be sold as a Honda? They only place whey it'd be relevant to run an Acura-branded P1 is Austin (IF that WEC event takes place).

Originally Posted by CTD

Although I would fear this development as WEC would be labelled as a "F1 testbed" instead of a series equal to F1.

One way or another it'll never be thought of as 'equal' by F1 people, because money. And I sure hope WEC will never become the kind of circus capable of F1-grade cash turnover.

[TF110]

Acura is not isolated to the U.S. I think itd be a good idea to have Acura branding. Also, the NSX is being built in America as an Acura. Afaik, it will be the race cars name as well.

[JoestForEver]

One thing funny is that what kind of hybrid will HPD adopt. All super GT spec hybrid are supplied by Zytek and it's possible that they borrow that and modify it.

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by TF110

Acura is not isolated to the U.S. I think itd be a good idea to have Acura branding. Also, the NSX is being built in America as an Acura. Afaik, it will be the race cars name as well.

IS Acura brand officially represented anywhere outside NA? Where?
NSX is Honda in SGT why wouldn't it be worldwide?