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13 Jun 2010, 02:55 (Ref:2710488) | #826 | |||
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So do Honda have aspirations to go back to F1 as an engine supplier, without turbos? Equally could we see a return of Mercedes to IndyCar, with turbos? |
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13 Jun 2010, 03:37 (Ref:2710507) | #827 | ||
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No Idea.
honda: Pull out of F1, build a new motor for ACO, a new derivative of it for IRL, then another version sans turbo and go back to F1 ? Sounds bizzare to me. Mercedes or anybody else...Menard said he spent $50M on the Buick V6 turbo program. I don't know if you could do it for half of that now, or why you would do it for the IRL. No bang for the buck. |
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13 Jun 2010, 04:12 (Ref:2710513) | #828 | |||
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13 Jun 2010, 04:27 (Ref:2710517) | #829 | ||
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No coverage, but OMG...
I just read somebody say the RSR Jag ran 5 laps and puked. Fine freakin' laps at Le Mans??????? Headed over to sportcars forum to see what's up. |
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13 Jun 2010, 20:12 (Ref:2711424) | #830 | ||
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Back on the subject of the Delta Wing and its investors, here's a bit from an interview with Bowlby from Indy:
DN [interviewer]: Is there a Plan B if you don't get the deal? BB: "Obviously first refusal and the whole reason that Chip and other team owners have put resources into the project is that it's for the IndyCar series. That's what it is all about. " That scentence is a little confusing to me. "First refusal" means that if IRL says no, that doesn't mean the end of the project, right? |
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13 Jun 2010, 22:03 (Ref:2711511) | #831 | ||
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Here's the interview. Leave a comment there if you wish, I enjoyed the priviledge.
http://www.popoffvalve.com/2010/6/13...wing-interview |
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14 Jun 2010, 04:11 (Ref:2711633) | #832 | ||
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This article confirms that there may be little or no relationship between the new Honda 2.8 and the proposed 2.4 for the IRL:
http://www.motorsport.com/news/artic...FS=ALMS-LEMANS |
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14 Jun 2010, 06:24 (Ref:2711670) | #833 | ||
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was away watching LeMans and the Canadian GP at a friends out of town. Glad to get garner a few chuckles with the joke.
as always, am interested following this thread just to try to keep up with the news of all the business/politics behind the changes of the future. And on the Lemans topic, if you can ever go, its worth it just for all the diff engine sounds, really fantastic the range of them. |
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14 Jun 2010, 06:46 (Ref:2711674) | #834 | ||
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bjohn, it just occurred to me that Lola may have a problem. They plan on manufacturing the monocoques and other large components in England for exportation.
In Feb 2010 when the proposals were announced, the Euro was worth $1.39. Now it's $1.21, and expected to continue to devaluate. If the IRL is mandating a fixed low cost that provides a relatively low profit margin, Lola just lost 15% on the profit of components they intended to produce domestically. Is there a point where they might look at the bottom line and say "forget it"? That also motivates Dallara to move their manufacturing to the U.S., provided they can finance the relocation with U.S. investment funds. And move as much of their manufacturing as they can, the sooner the better. Big money is something I know very little about. I do realize the exchange rate fluctuates greatly over time, but we're talking about a 1-2 year projection. Anybody have any thoughts? |
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14 Jun 2010, 08:04 (Ref:2711705) | #835 | |||
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14 Jun 2010, 08:11 (Ref:2711711) | #836 | ||
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Cheers mate, I'll double check the math.
$1.60 down to $1.45. 10% discount. Not a good trend, if you have to lock in a contract price and watch the margin evaporate as the trend continues. Last edited by JagtechOhio; 14 Jun 2010 at 08:17. |
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14 Jun 2010, 09:28 (Ref:2711746) | #837 | |||
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As far as Lola are concerned, I thought they were looking to setup an assembly facility in the US? |
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14 Jun 2010, 10:12 (Ref:2711769) | #838 | ||
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Thanks for your insight, there is a lot for me to learn on the subject.
It reads like we are in agreement about Dallara, however. As for Lola, quoting Steve Charsley of Lola North America: "The next item is affordability. Because of the economic climate we have to work to a budget and that means it still has to be a single-make series. We would love to have two or three manufacturers out there but that would escalate costs. It would be great for competition and great for us. We'd love it, but if they want to keep to a budget it's not going to work." Lola Managing Director Robin Brundle: "The safety-related design work will be done at Huntingdon in England because that's where our technical facility is located," Brundle added. "Things like the safety cell and crash structures will be designed and manufactured in the UK initially. The first two or three cars will also be built in the UK and we will then go into the American process." Now that I read this again, I might have stepped on my d*ck. I was under the impression that much of the component manufacturing and assembly was slated for the U.S., not all of it. Looks like I got that wrong. |
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14 Jun 2010, 11:05 (Ref:2711803) | #839 | |||
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Unfortunately Steve Charsley is right but I hope ICONIC have enough forsight to allow other manufacturers to get involved, when and if the economic climate improves. As for Dallara, their most pressing problem will be the Eurozone. I said in the previous post the Italian economy is in not much better shape than Greece but Spain, Portugal and Ireland are all in equally bad shape, with massive debts. If another situation like that in Greece were to arise, in one of those other countries, I don't think France and definitely not Germany would be able to rush in and bail them out. Another thing, with a weak Euro, it's going to cost Dallara more to setup their factory in the US. Combine that with the potential of another Greek type situation occuring and their could be a part built factory or none at all. |
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14 Jun 2010, 11:36 (Ref:2711813) | #840 | |||
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If the dollar get stronger, sales become more profitable! |
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14 Jun 2010, 11:41 (Ref:2711817) | #841 | |||
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What has the Greek problem to do with a single company? In a financially weak country there can always be healthy companies; Dallara may have their own money to invest despite the general trend. The main problem could be about coordinating activities from different outfits, but it's true for virtually every entrant; even Swift, whose production is currently based in California, and will have to be displaced to Indiana |
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14 Jun 2010, 11:46 (Ref:2711819) | #842 | |||
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It would demand one more year to say the least |
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14 Jun 2010, 17:36 (Ref:2712078) | #843 | |||
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Dallara may well be healthy, but any future investment they make won't be helped by a weak Euro; everything will cost more. |
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14 Jun 2010, 19:18 (Ref:2712149) | #844 | ||
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I think I mistakenly unopened a can of worms that doesn't matter. So long as the financial health of Lola or Dallara is intact, no problem.
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15 Jun 2010, 02:36 (Ref:2712338) | #845 | ||
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15 Jun 2010, 05:05 (Ref:2712359) | #846 | ||||
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I know one racecar constructor based in Europe took out currency insurance to cover any change in currency for cars sold in the U.S. over a set period of time. Safe to say that bore out to be a savvy business manuever. Don't know how routine that is but I think some others would be doing it as well. Quote:
Last edited by Flyin Ryan; 15 Jun 2010 at 05:16. |
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15 Jun 2010, 05:16 (Ref:2712363) | #847 | ||
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If an overseas company can borrow relatively low interest dollars to build manufacturing facilities here, I guess it would make a lot more sense than waiting to play victim to the exchange rate.
I just tried to look them up, apparently Lola and Dallara are private companies not listed on European stock exchanges. Is there another way to get financial data? Ryan, I see you added some expertise while I was writing. Thank you. Your first paragraph supports the reasoning for foreign manufacturers to build U.S. facilities, right? |
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15 Jun 2010, 05:46 (Ref:2712369) | #848 | ||||
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this kind of information is not going to be made public Quote:
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15 Jun 2010, 06:12 (Ref:2712375) | #849 | ||
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Well that all is pretty obvious, but at least Lola and Dallara have some faith for the long-term prospects of IndyCar.
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15 Jun 2010, 09:13 (Ref:2712456) | #850 | |||
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Dallara has a lot to fear. If there is another crisis like the Greek one in the Eurozone, there will be a run on the Euro, which will be catastrophic and neither France nor Germany will be in a position to afford to bail out yet another country; they too have debts and have just come out of recession. Also there was a lot of internal opposition to the Greek bailout in Germany. As for Italy's debt being only domestic, they are financing their economy/debt through further borrowing. I don't think you realise how bad it is in Europe. To Jag and for your information: As for finding out financial data on Lola, that information is public and can be found out in the UK, through http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/, but I think you need to subscribe. As for Eurozone companies I couldn't tell you; you'll probably have to wade through endless red tape to find it. |
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