[WEC] Porsche Prototype Discussion

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

"It did have regulations"

"It is deregulated"

Amusing

Cars awesome. But it isn't a Le Mans Prototype or a race car any more. It is most certainly a purpose built time attack car.

I actually meant to write de-restricted, but I think it was clear.

This car was not purpose built car for a time attack. It is a modified car for time attack. It may seem like semantics to you, but they are two very different things. It's limitations were existing platform, engine and budget.

[Akrapovic]

They are very different things. But so is a car built to specific regulations and a car outside regulations.

Again, this car is awesome. But people making a big deal about how it's faster than an F1 car. Yeah...but the F1 cars are slowed down by regs. Open one of those up and see how it goes.

Great marketing. Great fun. But won't even be in the race car records list. Probably could've done it with a stock 919 and had it a bit more meaningful.

[deggis]

Ironically I'd appreciate this marketing exercise more if it was a clean sheet design.

"Deregulated LMP1" is a fitting name, as most of the changes are pretty no-bainer additions and any head designed would implement them in an instant if the rules allowed them, and how much of the performance is simply coming from the deregulated engine? Case in point: when Toyota was running outside the fuel flow rules at Paul Ricard...

Hence a clean sheet design would be more impressive.

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by deggis

Ironically I'd appreciate this marketing exercise more if it was a clean sheet design.

"Deregulated LMP1" is a fitting name, as most of the changes are pretty no-bainer additions and any head designed would implement them in an instant if the rules allowed them, and how much of the performance is simply coming from the deregulated engine? Case in point: when Toyota was running outside the fuel flow rules at Paul Ricard...

Hence a clean sheet design would be more impressive.

No Budget for that.

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

They are very different things. But so is a car built to specific regulations and a car outside regulations.

Again, this car is awesome. But people making a big deal about how it's faster than an F1 car. Yeah...but the F1 cars are slowed down by regs. Open one of those up and see how it goes.

Great marketing. Great fun. But won't even be in the race car records list. Probably could've done it with a stock 919 and had it a bit more meaningful.

Comparing it to the F1 is not my thing. The Spa record will be broken this year by the current F1 cars.
Porsche will smash the record at the Ring and there will be no F1 time to compare it with.

[Adam43]

Deregulated. Brilliant

Perfect to compare to a regulated F1 car.

[Richard C]

I am not sure I understand why people can't accept what the car is. It is not a regulation LMP1 car, nor is it a bespoke design that has no roots in regulations. It's clearly a modern LMP1 car that has been modified beyond the regulations.

The car clearly is relatively similar to it's regulatory incarnation. I have no doubt that Porsche could have taken it even further than they did. The modifications are not THAT extreme. They clearly wanted to "evolve" the design. To show what could be done with the platform. At the same time it keeps it's roots.

Richard

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

No Budget for that.

Does anyone have any idea of what the budget for this 'tour' actually is?

[Victor_RO]

Don't think anyone knows, but I don't think the bean counters would have approved it if it was in any way close to a WEC season's budget, so I'm guessing it's probably an order of magnitude less. So if last season they spent 250 million Euros or something, I can't see the budget for this being more than 25-30 million.

[Aysedasi]

Ah, a drop in the ocean then. Good to see that the money is being well spent.....

[TF110]

If anything it's got everyone talking about it. Free publicity for Porsche. Love it or not, it's generating interest and discussion. Something the car wouldn't have much of if it just sat in a garage or museum somewhere. Not to mention that the 'regular' version is being driven by motoring journalists. Look for those in the magazine isle!

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Ah, a drop in the ocean then. Good to see that the money is being well spent.....

I suspect it is a damn sight less than racing! What with it being regulationless.

Originally Posted by TF110

If anything it's got everyone talking about it. Free publicity for Porsche.

Free?! Well yes, apart from the cost of this building this car, transporting it and running it for this publicity campaign.

It’s obviously thought to be cost effective because they are doing it.

Meanwhile. I like the car, it is fun. What it isn’t is a car that will win Le Mans. What it isn’t also is an example of how LMP could be quicker than F1.

It’s just a bit of fun to get a bit of publicity.

[Aysedasi]

Well, it's got people talking here I guess, keeping alive a thread that should effectively be dead by now.....

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Don't think anyone knows, but I don't think the bean counters would have approved it if it was in any way close to a WEC season's budget, so I'm guessing it's probably an order of magnitude less. So if last season they spent 250 million Euros or something, I can't see the budget for this being more than 25-30 million.

Even that sounds way too much. Besides the initial design & engineering and building all they're now doing are basically private tests with a reduced team.

[chernaudi]

For Porsche it's free relative to running a full WEC schedule and LM and they're getting the returns they want on it on a dollar vs ROI scale. We do have to remember that a Porsche Motorsport official was quoted as saying that there was little ROI to running a full WEC season if you got didn't count Le Mans.

Also, if the WEC program cost 200 million USD including Le Mans, and they still wanted to do something to celebrate their 70th anniversary as a car maker, doing this plus running their GT factory teams probably costs tons less than the LMP1 budget alone from last season.

Of course, though this part of the note is kind of off topic, but I think that Porsche's comments struck the ACO and lead to the rule of having to do the full 2018/19 season to be automatically eligible for either LM this year or next year.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

I am not sure I understand why people can't accept what the car is. It is not a regulation LMP1 car, nor is it a bespoke design that has no roots in regulations. It's clearly a modern LMP1 car that has been modified beyond the regulations.

The car clearly is relatively similar to it's regulatory incarnation. I have no doubt that Porsche could have taken it even further than they did. The modifications are not THAT extreme. They clearly wanted to "evolve" the design. To show what could be done with the platform. At the same time it keeps it's roots.

Richard

It's a marketing gimmick by Porsche. This car won Le Mans and it is faster than an F1 car. Unless you follow motorsport, who is to know.

[joeb]

Regulations or not, it is about to go super fast around the Ring and I wish I was there to see it!

It would be cool if they do a track map of their attempted record lap with the fastest lap at the N24 this year by a Porsche overlain.

[Deleted]

Is it a coincidence that they are talking about this just around Le Mans... Cheaply steal some headlines from Toyota

[Aysedasi]

I believe there is no coincidence at all.....

[nobster]

What could it do for a laptime at Le Mans ?

[Truckosaurus]

Originally Posted by nobster

What could it do for a laptime at Le Mans ?

And/or is there room between chicanes these days to outdo the old WM 'highest speed on the Mulsanne' record?

[crooky]

Originally Posted by Truckosaurus

And/or is there room between chicanes these days to outdo the old WM 'highest speed on the Mulsanne' record?

Preparation - Full battery charge, super sticky tyres, fumes in the fuel tank. On the track - Flat through Tertre Rouge, whack on the electrical boost to the maximum plus open up the DRS and keep it pinned!

[GT6]

The ACO could spring a surprise with a couple of demo laps for the 919 evo to see what it could do, sure porsche would love to do it.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Is it a coincidence that they are talking about this just around Le Mans... Cheaply steal some headlines from Toyota

Maybe, maybe not. If they wanted to do as you say, then I would say the same weekend as LeMans or right after might do it. Was the Spa track record timed to overshadow the WEC Spa event?

Maybe Porsche is doing this on their own schedule? I mean it is the season to be on track right now. Anyhow... how could this car steal headlines from races? As everyone who is against this project says "Its not a race car".

Richard

[PascaLM]

Originally Posted by GT6

The ACO could spring a surprise with a couple of demo laps for the 919 evo to see what it could do, sure porsche would love to do it.

I'm not sure that ACO and the spectators would appreciate such a come back after Porsche have left the championship.