Can a car take one name and stick to it?

[H16]

Last year, an "Autoexe Mazda" was around at Sebring and Le Mans. This from a team that was running a WR car with a Mazda shoved in the back. It even said "WR" in big letters when the bodywork was taken off.

Now, the Reynard 02S 675 car that was called the 'IRM/YGK 02S/Zytec' for a short time apparently has another new name, the 'DBA4-03S/Zytek'.

I don't know, its sort of annoying, a car is what a car is. The "Chrysler LMP" magically became the "Dallara LMP" (its true name really) when D/C pulled out.

Does this bother anyone? I don't know about you, but I will most always refer to that car as a Reynard.

[Aysedasi]

Yds, it does get a bit confusing, doesn't it? I don't get too worried about it. Usually its a team trying to artifically breathe some new life into a stale project.......

[MulsanneMike]

Terada has some deal where every car he purchase he calls an Autoexe. Its the Mazda tuning company in Japan that he is associated.

The Reynard 02S, well that's confused because it was bought by IRM and frankly even I'm confused as to whos hands its in now. Obviously not IRM's because of the name change (again).

Chrysler simply stuck their name on the Dallara as it works better for PR.

Does this bother me? Well, it does make it difficult when categorizing the cars for the site. I mean the Reynard 02S has become the IRM (which is how I now have it listed). Will I change it to DBAblahblahblah? Not sure. Its alphabet soup! And it wasn't long after Chrysler left that I simply reverted all that analysis to Dallara LMP (hence if you look for Chrysler LMP you won't find it). I guess it depends on how closely I think the 'new' associateion is to the former. That is, the WR-Mazda (Autoexe on the entry list) is simply listed under the WR. The Autoexe nomiker has graced Kudzus and R&S MkIIIs and it means little to the technical make up of the car. So too Chrysler/Dallara. Dallara did all the work. Now if the DBA people start tweaking the 02S, maybe that's what I'll call it? Maybe...

[H16]

Yes, I rememeber the "Autoexe Ford" that ran in 1999 at Le Mans.

The Dallara was already on the drawing board when Chrysler, who had tried to hire designers from BMW and (I believe) Toyota, to really build their own car, picked it up and presto, its a Chrysler-Mopar. Too bad it was only a one hit wonder, fourth place at Le Mans in its first effort (the troubled Reynard 2KQ wasn't really an effort, more a foot in the water), for the car-engine combo was great. Too bad it didn't keep going.

[Lee Janotta]

Well it's nothing new. There have always been designs from March, Lola, Dallara, and other chassis builders without car lines who've let manufacturers claim a prototype is their own creation. And you've had cars built under license, like Fabcar's run of Porsche 962s.

It is rather frustrating when you've already seen the car run, and _then_ they slap another name on it, though.

[Chevyguy]

I find the Judd to MG change a little upheaving. While MG is sure to give the engine increased life, I miss thinking about it as sort of an underdog. The Judd to me was the one that wasn't big business. I'm not going to call it an MG. Same with Cosworth, Elan, and Katec.

[Smokey 6 litre]

perhaps they hope changing the name will make the car better, although i think changing the colour would be better, as in football ALL the most successful teams, especially in the UK, play in RED.

[BSchneiderFan]

Name changes can be confusing, but what's worse is rubbish naming - DBA4-03S/Zytek??? Catchy! Come on John!

And, can someone tell me, are ALL Judd sportscar engines now formally MGs?

[H16]

Cosworth is a property of the Ford Motor Company. That doesn't mean that anything Cosworth does gets the Ford badge, they do have the freedom to explore certain options (the spec turbo was going through in CART with or without Ford), and the current Reynard 2K Cosworth. I wouldnt' consider them an underdog.

I never called the Elan an Elan, to me it is and always will be a Ford based engine and therefore, should be a Panoz-Ford, not Panoz-Elan, or whatever.

[H16]

Of course, there is a problem with F1 right now because Minardi are using the middle of last season Arrows engine. Jordan are using the same engine, albeit developed and Suzuka spec. One is a Minardi Cosworth (though inthe PR a "thanks" was mentioned to Ford), the other a Jordan Ford.

Next year, Jordan and Jag will both have the 90 degree V10, from what I understand, and I am sure one will become a Ford, the other, a Cosworth.

[BSchneiderFan]

Yes, but Jordan are running "Ford" engines because of their sponsorship from Ford of Europe. The Jaguars are Jaguar-Cosworths, remember.

On the Elan point, I'm with H16. Elan tune Ford engines, just as Roush and Yates do. You wouldn't have a Riley and Scott-Yates, would you? Equally, Mader may tune BMW engines, but they're still BMWs. Cosworth is different; they build the blocks, not just tune them for someone else. So whether it's a Ford or a Cosworth depends on the circumstances.

[KA]

Originally posted by Smokey 6 litre
as in football ALL the most successful teams, especially in the UK, play in RED.

a small word of advice- never, ever suggest that theory if you're anywhere around Newcastle.....

[KA]

Originally posted by BSchneiderFan
Name changes can be confusing, but what's worse is rubbish naming - DBA4-03S/Zytek??? Catchy! Come on John!

That car's now had more names than it's run races- and I agree with you, using the sponsor's initials cuoldn't have taken much in the way of creative thinking.

And, can someone tell me, are ALL Judd sportscar engines now formally MGs?

I don't know whether anyone's worked that one out yet- even the teams using the engine can't seem to make up their minds whether to call it a Judd or an MG X-Power.....

Renaming Judd engines isn't anything new though- after all, Mazda's MXR1 in 1992 was basically a renamed Jaguar XJR14 with a Mazda-badged Judd v10 in the back

[Lee Janotta]

What's weird is that this family of Judd V-10s has already had Yamaha slapped on the valve covers, back in '97 when it debuted in Damon Hill's Arrows.

5 years of development certainly helped out reliability.

[pirenzo]

But it would be the Gearbox that gave up ...

[Chevyguy]

H16, haven't learned how to quote yet, but I just wanted to say the Judd was the engine I referred to as an underdog. Obviously, the V-10 has really shocked the world.