2016 Japanese Super GT

[Matt]

Originally Posted by rjoconnell

Over in North America, the same Porsche 911 GT3-R that can't buy a point in GT300 right now has been pretty good in IMSA. So much so that IMSA had to give it some BoP changes. Some teams aren't happy about these changes, and two have them have withdrawn from the next round. The most recent of which is Park Place Motorsports:

http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/13324...draws-from-vir

Jorg Bergmeister, who ran the first two rounds for Excellence Porsche Team KTR, has missed the entire Summer Series due to IMSA taking priority. Now he has next weekend cleared off his schedule. Is 1 week enough time to get him in the #33 Porsche with Yamano & Sakamoto for Suzuka?

The same Park Place team that finished second at the previous IMSA race, after these BOP changes, and set the fastest lap in class there.

[rjoconnell]

The very same. In the same Porsche that has done nothing so far in the hands of Excellence Team KTR (who I should remind everyone, used to be a perennial race-winner as the Hankook team) and Gulf Racing with Pacific (who just got taken over by a top-flight GT Asia team this off-season).

Add in the additional support from Porsche on each side...I can't figure out how Porsche have done so poorly this year in GT300. Are both teams just that deficient when it comes to personnel?

[MagVanisher]

Not just personnel, but I think the local drivers couldn't put the 911 GT3-R to its full potential.

[hvr777]

Originally Posted by MagVanisher

Not just personnel, but I think the local drivers couldn't put the 911 GT3-R to its full potential.

Yes. Drivers lineup for 911 GT3-R nowadays aren't as strong as in the past. Previously we have a competitive Taisan Porsche (the team was even had 2-3 cars at several seasons). Besides that, the team KTR drivers now are totally different than they used to when they were still with Hankook.

[banzailap]

Originally Posted by rjoconnell

The very same. In the same Porsche that has done nothing so far in the hands of Excellence Team KTR (who I should remind everyone, used to be a perennial race-winner as the Hankook team) and Gulf Racing with Pacific (who just got taken over by a top-flight GT Asia team this off-season).

Add in the additional support from Porsche on each side...I can't figure out how Porsche have done so poorly this year in GT300. Are both teams just that deficient when it comes to personnel?

I would think that for some reason the recent 911s do not like the Yokohamas much. Remember the local 911 GT3-R entry on Michelin taking pole and leading the race in Thailand 2014, while the KTR Porsche was anonymous at best.

[rjoconnell]

Speaking of BoP, and Porsche's new GT3 car is involved, the new list of BoP changes are out:

http://supergt.net/news/single/16392

From the last round (only GT3 cars affected)

Audi +10kg
BMW +5kg and -20 mBAR at 4750-5000 RPM
Ferrari +10kg and -20 mBAR at 6000 RPM
Lambo +5kg
Lexus no change
Merc-AMG +20kg
Merc SLS +5kg
Nissan +10-20 mBAR throughout powerband
Porsche +10kg

No air restrictor changes, no changes to the NSX, no changes to the JAF GT cars.

[MagVanisher]

Looks like the majority of the GT3 cars got nerfed, especially the Mercedes AMG GT. On the other hand, I think Lexus won't take advantage of the new BoP changes for the upcoming Suzuka 1000km race.

[rjoconnell]

It's really sad that a lineup consisting of a dual-class winner (Iida), a three-time GT300 winner (Yoshimoto), and a man who's won three out of seven career starts (Farnbacher) probably will be lucky just to even get a point out of this one.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by MagVanisher

Looks like the majority of the GT3 cars got nerfed, especially the Mercedes AMG GT. On the other hand, I think Lexus won't take advantage of the new BoP changes for the upcoming Suzuka 1000km race.

That's the VLN car's task (trying out new parts) which is this weekend btw.

[Japanese Samurai]

Engine room shot of apr Prius GT. (#30)
An engine air intake from the roof is banned from this year.
https://twitter.com/mietakemspo/stat...24588143497216

[TF110]

That's a big cooling pipe!

[MagVanisher]

So it seems that air intakes are relegated to the side part of a middle-engine car.

Come to think of it, the NSX GT500 doesn't have intakes at the roof.

[chernaudi]

Sounds like copying of an old IMSA GTP/pre 2006 rule for ACO cars (before closed cars became popular again) that said that the engine air intake couldn't be the highest point on the car.

[Japanese Samurai]

Dome official twitter says that mother chassis car will be increased.
https://twitter.com/DOME_RACING/stat...35424142057472

[J Jay]

Then the new MC cars going to need more engines from somewhere...

Any news on potential successors to the GTA (Nissan) V8?

[AkioAsakura95]

Originally Posted by Japanese Samurai

Dome official twitter says that mother chassis car will be increased.
https://twitter.com/DOME_RACING/stat...35424142057472

Its means that the participation of Mother Chassis for next season of SUPER GT is increased????

I think Mother chassis will increased at least one in next season

For my choice is (#22)R'Qs Team and (#50)Arnage Racing because they used older version of Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 for next season.

[rjoconnell]

It may be months before we know where this new chassis is headed, honestly, but it's good that the MC platform is taking off after making huge jumps from the start of 2015, to the end, and then more huge jumps this year.

[MagVanisher]

@rjoconnell
Agreed! Let's hope that the Mother Chassis sub-class will have unique cars like the Mooncraft Shiden Jr. or even a new version of Autobacs Garaiya!

[AkioAsakura95]

I think this machine is based on Mazda MX-5 Miata ND for this picture due to the engine position is front engine and Mother Chassis car is mostly in Japanese manufacturer.
(If this machine is the brand new machine not based on Toyota 86 MC)

[Japanese Samurai]

Mazda wouldn't give a MX-5 design license to GTA.
Actually, even Toyota does not give a GT86 design license to GTA.
Toyota just gives silent approval to MC-86.

[AkioAsakura95]

Originally Posted by Japanese Samurai

Mazda wouldn't give a MX-5 design license to GTA.
Actually, even Toyota does not give a GT86 design license to GTA.
Toyota just gives silent approval to MC-86.

Pssstttt.... I can't believe that Mother Chassis car is very hard to give the approval to GTA based on the car model design (e.g Mazda MX-5) .

@Japanese Samurai
Then that machine is the GT86 machine or the new machine????
How about Evora MC???? Does Lotus give a Evora design license to GTA?????

My expectation is FIAT 124 Spider Mother Chassis car, because Fiat does not have the real racing car.

[Japanese Samurai]

As for Evora,
Kazuho Takahashi (Team Cars Tokai) is a CEO of Japanese exclusive agency of Lotus cars (LCI Co., Ltd.).
http://www.lotus-cars.jp/company/index.html

[AkioAsakura95]

@Japanese Samurai

Then What is the difference between Mother Chassis car and the Racing prototypes in GT300 (example: Shiden and Garaiya) also known as JAF-300 (Category C)

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/SUPER_GT

[MagVanisher]

Akio, I think major manufacturers like Toyota and Nissan won't lend their car designs to be used for the Mother Chassis sub-class, although the GT86 was an exception even though Toyota briefly oppose it before giving its approval.

Also, GT300 has some unique cars like the Garaiya and the Vemac which were made by small manufacturers or tuners before. Personally, the Mother Chassis is meant for small local manufacturers to field a race car with their own design, not for major ones.

[Japanese Samurai]

Category A: FIA or JAF homologated car
Category B: FIA or JAF non homologated car, JAF registered car
Category C: Low production car (Vemac, Garaiya): abolished
Category D: Prototype (Shiden): abolished
Category E: FIA-GT1, GT2 car
Category F: FIA-GT3 car

As for JAF-GT300MC, check out the regulations.
http://www.jaf.or.jp/msports/rules/i...F-GT300_en.pdf