Bring Back The Japanese!!!!!!!!
Discussion
I love Le Mans, but does anyone thing that the racing was much more interesting in the 80's when there was some serious rivalry. The only recent battle was probably Audi - Bentley which was fantastic. Sadly I dont see that desperation to prove who's the best between car manufacters anymore. I say bring back the Japs, fire up the old east versus west showdown, Le Man just seems to have grown a little stale in recent years, dont get me wrong it's still bloody fantastic but that magic masculine rivalry has started to fade from the air. I say bring back Toyota, Mazda, Ford, Jaguar and Lotus.
I think Toyota are going to enter a hybrid next year
- confirmed**
Edited by markCSC on Tuesday 20th May 18:12
M3CHA-MONK3Y said:
The only recent battle was probably Audi - Bentley which was fantastic.
Audi and Bentley are/were the same people. The 'Bentley', frequently referred to as either Audley or Green Audi, was pretty much an Audi R8 Coupe - that was pretty much run by Audi personnel (lots of sausage-munching Joest guys in the Bentley pit...Peugeot v Audi is the big rivalry since last year – although I agree prior to that Audi pretty much had it their own way.
To be fair there’s although there were a lot more factory teams around towards the end of group C for the first few years it was Porsche v Lancia, then Porsche v Jaguar and later Jaguar v Mercedes. There’s rarely been more than two factory teams seriously in contention for the overall win.
To be fair there’s although there were a lot more factory teams around towards the end of group C for the first few years it was Porsche v Lancia, then Porsche v Jaguar and later Jaguar v Mercedes. There’s rarely been more than two factory teams seriously in contention for the overall win.
Matt Harper said:
M3CHA-MONK3Y said:
The only recent battle was probably Audi - Bentley which was fantastic.
Audi and Bentley are/were the same people. The 'Bentley', frequently referred to as either Audley or Green Audi, was pretty much an Audi R8 Coupe - that was pretty much run by Audi personnel (lots of sausage-munching Joest guys in the Bentley pit...(Yes, I know it won't be THAT simple but if the Speed 8 was based on the R8 chassis and you would assume the R10 was also based on the R8...).
millband said:
No rivalry? I bet Peugeot would disagree. They've spent plenty to take on Audi - hope it pays off!
Steve
I dont. It would be nice to have a Non-Audi winner, but the French winning Le Mans??? They will be insufferable... Better with somehting like a Creation, or Rollcentre racing to winSteve
(I know, I know....)
//j17 said:
Matt Harper said:
M3CHA-MONK3Y said:
The only recent battle was probably Audi - Bentley which was fantastic.
Audi and Bentley are/were the same people. The 'Bentley', frequently referred to as either Audley or Green Audi, was pretty much an Audi R8 Coupe - that was pretty much run by Audi personnel (lots of sausage-munching Joest guys in the Bentley pit...(Yes, I know it won't be THAT simple but if the Speed 8 was based on the R8 chassis and you would assume the R10 was also based on the R8...).
More info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_R8R
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_R8C
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_R8_%28race_car%2...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentley_Speed_8
Audi R8R: 1999 LMP spider built by Dallara
Audi R8C: 1999 LMGTP coupe built by Racing Technology Norfolk (RTN)
Audi R8: 2000 development of R8R built by Joest
Bentley Speed 8: 2001 development of the R8C built by Racing Technology Norfolk (RTN)
Edited by t1grm on Wednesday 21st May 10:04
The Leaper said:
Audi ran a coupe (two maybe) at Le Mans several years ago...5 or 6 years ago I think. It was not successful. I think the Bently was a reincarnation of the same car but substantially improved obviously. R.
Yup. That was the R8C. They ran 2 in 1999. Qualified 20th and 23rd and both cars DNF. It returned in 2001 as the Speed 8. lowdrag said:
here said:
Would like to see a Ferrari backed Lemans racing program personaly. Headed by Shumacher
Schumi has bought a chateau down the road from Le Mans not far from Chateau du Loir at Flées. Perhaps he intends to get involved in endurance racing? Who knows.I just wish other car manufacturers took the same stance as Audi, and use Le Man to prove who can create the most ingenius, reliable, fastest and prettiest cars. A sort of 'Look what we made, its the mutts nuts and we make road cars too!'. Its a real shame porsche aren't using their spider P2 car, that would real stir up some crap. Just don't understand why they don't. I heard rumours that ACO didn't want a P2 car winning Le Man's and that they'd rather have privateer cars in P2, if thats true then i'm really pissed off. Plus they originally said that they couldn't race unless they restricted their car more, which is bloody stupid because if porsche can make a car that is as fast as a P1 car using P2 restrictions FAIR BLOODY PLAY TO THEM!!!!! Might make everyone else sit up and take notice, endurance racing is supposed to be about pushing the boundaries, not conforming! (Hippie moment)
LMP1 has always been aimed at manufacturers and LMP2 at private teams, though it's being voiced more formally these days by the ACO.
Porsche won't officially race the RS Spyder at Le Mans for several reasons...
1) They built an LMP2 car and the ACO want manufacturers racing each other in LMP1 (not someone walking in to LMP2 with bottomless pockets and screwing the private teams).
2) They haven't bothered racing in the LMS, just the ALMS - given the money they have this isn't the quickest way to impress the ACO.
3) They are the current petulant child of endurance racing, threatening to throw their toys out of the param if anyone even suggests changing the rules to maintain a difference between the LMP1 and LMP2 classes - hence the divergance of the ACO rules, used by LM 24Hr and LMS and those used by the ALMS.
4) The RS Spyder is only faster than the LMP1s at the tight/twisty ALMS circuits, not the higher speed ones and La Sarthe.
Under normal conditions an LMP2 car should never be faster than an LMP1 and if they are the class regulations are clearly wrong. If all the cars have the same performance they should be in the same class!
Porsche won't officially race the RS Spyder at Le Mans for several reasons...
1) They built an LMP2 car and the ACO want manufacturers racing each other in LMP1 (not someone walking in to LMP2 with bottomless pockets and screwing the private teams).
2) They haven't bothered racing in the LMS, just the ALMS - given the money they have this isn't the quickest way to impress the ACO.
3) They are the current petulant child of endurance racing, threatening to throw their toys out of the param if anyone even suggests changing the rules to maintain a difference between the LMP1 and LMP2 classes - hence the divergance of the ACO rules, used by LM 24Hr and LMS and those used by the ALMS.
4) The RS Spyder is only faster than the LMP1s at the tight/twisty ALMS circuits, not the higher speed ones and La Sarthe.
Under normal conditions an LMP2 car should never be faster than an LMP1 and if they are the class regulations are clearly wrong. If all the cars have the same performance they should be in the same class!
M3CHA-MONK3Y said:
I just wish other car manufacturers took the same stance as Audi, and use Le Man to prove who can create the most ingenius, reliable, fastest and prettiest cars. A sort of 'Look what we made, its the mutts nuts and we make road cars too!'. Its a real shame porsche aren't using their spider P2 car, that would real stir up some crap. Just don't understand why they don't. I heard rumours that ACO didn't want a P2 car winning Le Man's and that they'd rather have privateer cars in P2, if thats true then i'm really pissed off. Plus they originally said that they couldn't race unless they restricted their car more, which is bloody stupid because if porsche can make a car that is as fast as a P1 car using P2 restrictions FAIR BLOODY PLAY TO THEM!!!!! Might make everyone else sit up and take notice, endurance racing is supposed to be about pushing the boundaries, not conforming! (Hippie moment)
Thought there were 2 private LMP2 spyders at this years race?Yep, #31 - Team Essex and #34 - Van Merksteijn Motorsport.
But they are provate teams, not officially backed Porsche teams - though I'd guess about as unofficially backed as the #3 -Audi Sport Team Joest and #9 Peugeot Sport Total (not to be confused with the Team Peugeot Total team).
But they are provate teams, not officially backed Porsche teams - though I'd guess about as unofficially backed as the #3 -Audi Sport Team Joest and #9 Peugeot Sport Total (not to be confused with the Team Peugeot Total team).
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