Acura/HPD's future plans

[Deleted]

At that time there were dozens of privateer manufacturers and teams in LMP1 so it didn't really matter what sort of junk LMP2 had.

As for P2 improved pace and reliability (at LM) through advancements in class... yeah these cover all there is to say

[Deleted]

WTF? ARX-04b to Pikes Peak??
http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/11617...x-04b-p2-coupe

Never thought that would be the desired direction / plan B!

Would LOVE if they got green light.

[hondafan37]

Originally Posted by Chiana

WTF? ARX-04b to Pikes Peak??
http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/11617...x-04b-p2-coupe

Never thought that would be the desired direction / plan B!

Would LOVE if they got green light.

Guuaaau!!! I like this project. I Would LOVE if they got green light too. A P2 with 850 or 900 HP is fantastic!!!

[Deleted]

In that Pikes Peak field of (almost totally) unrestricted rules it'd be a real prototype too.

[BudLightJaguar]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

Guuaaau!!! I like this project. I Would LOVE if they got green light too. A P2 with 850 or 900 HP is fantastic!!!

I like it as well. Since the hill climb course was fully paved, there has already been prototype style cars competing so why not HPD. Peugeot put quite much effort to the hill climb even though they didn't have sales network in North America.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Chiana

In that Pikes Peak field of (almost totally) unrestricted rules it'd be a real prototype too.

Yes on the "true" prototype side given what I believe are pretty open rules. Assuming it isn't done on the cheap, that the core would be the crash structure and everything else could be mostly bespoke to the PP car?

I could be wrong, but wonder about the viability of a stock LMP crash structure used for Pike Peak. Would it be strong enough? That race has little in the way of run off protection. So they have to deal with everything from trees at edge of track to steep vertical drops and rocks. Some of the tube frame crash structures for those custom cars are a level above IMHO.

Examples of the risk...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bxcWExWmfI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnolSTQgy9Y

Richard

[J Jay]

The obvious plus point for the HPD tub versus the tube frames would be the reduced risk of cockpit intrusion. While the tubers have immense strength thanks to the materials and geometry the LMP crash structures do the same job in a different way. I think the HPD monocoque would hold up but I can see some reinforcement being added to be sure (for both HPD and PP organizers).

With that said I would love to see the ARX-04 doing the climb dance. They'll need to uprate the motor a fair amount though.

[MagVanisher]

I would like to see that, but the ARX-04b won't be breaking records!

[ThatGuy]

I would love to see them fit an over mileage Indycar engine inside and a full width rear wing. It would almost be an 04a at that point though.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by MagVanisher

I would like to see that, but the ARX-04b won't be breaking records!

You sure? The time put out by the Pug was impressive, and sure mr Loeb added to that, but let's be honest there hasn't been that great competition and manufacturer involvement at PP lately, not in the asphalt age...

04 would do good and be some good side PR. But I think if they want to go ahead with this they need proper marketing campaign and not play it low key with some useless press release after the event.

[wewantourdarbyback]

That Pug was based on a P1 car though, not a P2 that's barely raced, I'm not so sure records would be on the cards at least not without a lot of development.

[Deleted]

It shared some parts and components with the 908, but to say it was based on that car is far stretched.

[Maelochs]

Originally Posted by Chiana

04 would do good and be some good side PR. But I think if they want to go ahead with this they need proper marketing campaign and not play it low key with some useless press release after the event.

Actually, Pikes Peak is just about unusual enough, daredevil enough, to really reward a full-on promo push. Everyone has heard of it (even people who don't know there is a hillclimb there) and for those who have any interest in racing, it is sort of the On-the-Edge X-Games sort of event which could really excite the imaginations of a whole lot of people across a wider range than regular sports car racing.

Going for broke, pushing the limit, without a net ... I bet HPD publicists can come up with even better clichés, and the best part is, they will all be accurate. The ARX-04 as it stands is radical enough with its Batmobile nose ... add a gigantic wing and some enormous dive planes and giant rubber and it could really appeal.

[YZFrider]

Anybody remember Rhys Millen's unlimited car? The Hyundai PM580-T was infact a Gen. 1 Crawford chassis Daytona Prototype re-skinned and reworked for Pikes Peak. His previous PM580 was more along the looks of an lmp2, I hope HPD gives this a go...BTW long-time lurker first time poster

[Senna-F1God]

Originally Posted by Chiana

WTF? ARX-04b to Pikes Peak??
www.racer.com/imsa/item/116175-imsa-honda-working-on-wild-outing-for-arx-04b-p2-coupe[/url]

Never thought that would be the desired direction / plan B!

Would LOVE if they got green light.

This sounds like a joke to me...

Are they told they have no chances for the 2017 chassis selection process???

That's the only scenario were I should expect HPD completely losing the plot like this, particularly when their LMP2 project is a big pile of crap as of today, and their only costumer scaped to Europe away from the BOP tyranny and purchased decent Ligier cars ahead of a full break up with Honda (crappy engine as well).

This is not looking good for HPD in endurance, one has to remind the Accura Arx02 P1 car to remember what they can do, and what they could do in the future if management wasn't headless.

Put a fcking roof on the ACURA P1 tub, add two flywheels on the front and get to LeMans and do something serius!!!

If the Reynard LMP2 can still win in Gibson's latest reincarnation... what could you do ARX02???

[Maelochs]

Originally Posted by Senna-F1God

This sounds like a joke to me...

Sounds to me like they are trying to get some return on their investment in a car which at the very best might have a couple seasons (2016 and grandfathered in 2017) racing life, if they can somehow convince teams to switch form whatever chassis they are already using, after investing a lot and producing a failure.

Pike's Peak could at least get the Honda name out there, make for some good magazine ads and articles. otherwise the 04a would be a pure money sink.

As for Honda and its budgeting ... maybe you heard about F1? A truly international series which masses of people actually follow? Honda has (wisely, from an RoI point of view) decided to make its big investment in F1, not in WEC ... a series which offers some of the best racing on the planet and which is relatively unknown to the masses.

[TF110]

Hpd isnt run by the Honda doing F1. Seems like a low budget American arm which is sad.

[Bobby_status]

Originally Posted by TF110

Hpd isnt run by the Honda doing F1. Seems like a low budget American arm which is sad.

You're right HPD is a racing subsidiary of American Honda. HPD has no connection to F1 Honda. Even Honda Japans subsidiary Mugen Honda has a bigger budget than HPD.

[TF110]

Marshal Pruett was on mwm last night explaining the pikes peak run will happen if they can find a tire partner.

[Senna-F1God]

Originally Posted by Maelochs

Sounds to me like they are trying to get some return on their investment in a car which at the very best might have a couple seasons (2016 and grandfathered in 2017) racing life, if they can somehow convince teams to switch form whatever chassis they are already using, after investing a lot and producing a failure.

Pike's Peak could at least get the Honda name out there, make for some good magazine ads and articles. otherwise the 04a would be a pure money sink.

As for Honda and its budgeting ... maybe you heard about F1? A truly international series which masses of people actually follow? Honda has (wisely, from an RoI point of view) decided to make its big investment in F1, not in WEC ... a series which offers some of the best racing on the planet and which is relatively unknown to the masses.

Most people here have answered you about HPD unrelated to Honta F1, so hope you get things cleared now.

For HPD budget... just give me half the money they spent with the ARX04 and I would manage to update the ARX02 up to Toyota's level...with or without Wirth's "help".

A proper roof and all wheel drive and that beauty would fly at LeMans...

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by Senna-F1God

A proper roof and all wheel drive and that beauty would fly at LeMans...

But all-wheel drive is limited to a hybrid setup as per current LMP1 rules, remember.

Still, Honda doesn't care about going to Le Mans in the top class since they're busy tinkering out glitches for their F1 program with McLaren.

[Coach Ep]

Has Honda (not HPD) ever cared about Le Mans?

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Senna-F1God

Most people here have answered you about HPD unrelated to Honta F1, so hope you get things cleared now.

For HPD budget... just give me half the money they spent with the ARX04 and I would manage to update the ARX02 up to Toyota's level...with or without Wirth's "help".

A proper roof and all wheel drive and that beauty would fly at LeMans...

Remember to saw off 5 cm from both sides of the car, change to smaller tyres and do about 500 other changes before you fill your Le Mans entry form. Whether you were serious or not both the P1 and P2 cars are just non-starters as a base for a post-2014 rules car so your point that they should be upgrading that instead of Pikeas Peak is pretty illogical.

[Senna-F1God]

Originally Posted by deggis

Remember to saw off 5 cm from both sides of the car, change to smaller tyres and do about 500 other changes before you fill your Le Mans entry form. Whether you were serious or not both the P1 and P2 cars are just non-starters as a base for a post-2014 rules car so your point that they should be upgrading that instead of Pikeas Peak is pretty illogical.

Amm... that's why the Gibson, Morgan, Oreca old chassis are still around after being upgraded up to current ruling.

Remember the 2002 Reynard that later become Ginetta LMP2? The amount of work and money needed to upgrade the full ARX02 car (included engine) up to these rules would be a fraction of what has been spent developing the former.

With Wirth's help it would be just a straight work completed in less than 6 months.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Senna-F1God

Amm... that's why the Gibson, Morgan, Oreca old chassis are still around after being upgraded up to current ruling.

In P2 there was no similar rules change for 2014 as there was in P1. And which of those you mentioned just bolted on a cockpit on a previously open cockpit car?

Remember the 2002 Reynard that later become Ginetta LMP2? The amount of work and money needed to upgrade the full ARX02 car (included engine) up to these rules would be a fraction of what has been spent developing the former.

With Wirth's help it would be just a straight work completed in less than 6 months

Even the maximum dimensions of the cars has changed (not to mention many other less visible things). Laughable if you think you can just shrink the car, add a cockpit and somehow after all that keep the same overall aero concept not to mention actually be competitive with such a hack car.