Petrol, RIP!!!!!!!!!!

[homer3uk]

With only 2 petrol engine cars in the top 7 at testing this weekend at Le Mans, are we likely to ever see a petrol engine winner at the worlds greatest car race again?

[Racefan_uk]

Yes, if Porsche have their way.

[Graham]

not unusual for the factory cars to lock out the top of the times, just happens that they are oil burners.... I think it'll even out at some point

G

[skinny]

are they not competitive mainly because of the regulations which are pretty leniant on diesels? the ACO will (hopefully) try to re-balance the scores soon

[freedman]

skinny said:

are they not competitive mainly because of the regulations which are pretty leniant on diesels? the ACO will (hopefully) try to re-balance the scores soon

If a French manufacturer was running apetrol rngined car and noita diesel the regs would favour petrol, as it is they are running diesels

[rustybin]

If Peugeot made a race car that ran on red wine and brie, all cars outside the new GT-vin class would be required to run a 1 litre fuel tank, tow a caravan and have a minimum weight equivalent to celebrity fit club in a Range Rover.

[Chassis 33]

rustybin said:

If Peugeot made a race car that ran on red wine and brie, all cars outside the new GT-vin class would be required to run a 1 litre fuel tank, tow a caravan and have a minimum weight equivalent to celebrity fit club in a Range Rover.

...what are you trying to say


Regards
Iain

[anonymous-user]

if some of the technology makes it into a road car is it such a bad thing?

[OSR]

What a waste of cheese!!! red wine seems perfectly fine as a fuel to me ( drinker) but Brie ?!? I'd never manage to refuel the car i'd just be eating it

[BalhamLotus]

Graham said:

not unusual for the factory cars to lock out the top of the times, just happens that they are oil burners.... I think it'll even out at some point

G

I think you've hit the nail on the head there. Wasn't there a Gordon Murray article last year saying how Audi had spent something like £55m to win Le Mans with a Diesel? Even though that probably included a huge amount in engine development, I would be suprised if Pescarolo's budget was a tenth of that.

Normal service will be resumed when Audi and Peugeot have made their point and cleared out.

[smhmotorsport]

freedman said:

skinny said:

are they not competitive mainly because of the regulations which are pretty leniant on diesels? the ACO will (hopefully) try to re-balance the scores soon

If a French manufacturer was running apetrol rngined car and noita diesel the regs would favour petrol, as it is they are running diesels

So does Henry not count as a French manufacturer?
Ok so it does have a british motor in it......

[Racefan_uk]

BalhamLotus said:

Wasn't there a Gordon Murray article last year saying how Audi had spent something like £55m to win Le Mans with a Diesel?

And yet Toyota spends probably four times that every year on its F1 budget to tug around the middle of the grid. AND Audi sells cars by actually using the marketing off the back of the Le Mans and ALMS titles.

If you ask me, Audi have saved themselves (and the rest of the VW groupp) a shed load of money by keeping clear of F1 and putting themselves into the public eye in a lot more sporting environment.

[smhmotorsport]

I seem to remember that in '99 it cost Mercedes around £60m when they pulled out.. Now that had to hurt!

[BalhamLotus]

Racefan_uk said:

BalhamLotus said:

Wasn't there a Gordon Murray article last year saying how Audi had spent something like £55m to win Le Mans with a Diesel?

And yet Toyota spends probably four times that every year on its F1 budget to tug around the middle of the grid. AND Audi sells cars by actually using the marketing off the back of the Le Mans and ALMS titles.

If you ask me, Audi have saved themselves (and the rest of the VW groupp) a shed load of money by keeping clear of F1 and putting themselves into the public eye in a lot more sporting environment.

Toyota mystifies me. It entered Le Mans / Sportcars, didn't win, and then went off to try something (arguably) harder.

Audi will make money from what they are doing at Le Mans, and especially the ALMS. Something like less than 1% of cars in the US are Diesel, they're changing the profile of that type of engine and then offering probably the best diesel range around to capitalise on the demand.

[freedman]

smhmotorsport said:

freedman said:

skinny said:

are they not competitive mainly because of the regulations which are pretty leniant on diesels? the ACO will (hopefully) try to re-balance the scores soon

If a French manufacturer was running apetrol rngined car and noita diesel the regs would favour petrol, as it is they are running diesels

So does Henry not count as a French manufacturer?
Ok so it does have a british motor in it......

Not now theres a French factory team, and he's running non French engines

[2priestsferrari]

Of course a petrol car could win, the biggest problem is that there isn't a factory effort running petrol not because petrol isn't competitive but because they want the spin off for their diesel road cars.

Look at Pescarolo sadly they only have one car full of pro drivers whilst every single other LMP team has its share of gentlemen drivers who simply can't do the same job.

[TheOriginalGT40]

homer3uk said:

With only 2 petrol engine cars in the top 7 at testing this weekend at Le Mans, are we likely to ever see a petrol engine winner at the worlds greatest car race again?

So what?

We don't go to LeMans to celebrate Petrol, well I have never done that!!

Is about the atmosphere, the beer, the camps and the cars, the locals (female variety that is!) more beer and the nightlife (those locals again!!) the thrill of watching cars drive at night, rain, sun, more beer mixed with the odd bit of food...

I could go on...

Even if they were all hybrid bio cars we'd all still go there and enjoy the weekend or week wouldn't we?

[spdpug98]

TheOriginalGT40 said:

homer3uk said:

With only 2 petrol engine cars in the top 7 at testing this weekend at Le Mans, are we likely to ever see a petrol engine winner at the worlds greatest car race again?

So what?

We don't go to LeMans to celebrate Petrol, well I have never done that!!

Is about the atmosphere, the beer, the camps and the cars, the locals (female variety that is!) more beer and the nightlife (those locals again!!) the thrill of watching cars drive at night, rain, sun, more beer mixed with the odd bit of food...

I could go on...

Even if they were all hybrid bio cars we'd all still go there and enjoy the weekend or week wouldn't we?

I don't think it would be the same if there where 55 cars that 'wooshed' by rather that the noises we hear now

[homer3uk]

spdpug98 said:

TheOriginalGT40 said:

homer3uk said:

With only 2 petrol engine cars in the top 7 at testing this weekend at Le Mans, are we likely to ever see a petrol engine winner at the worlds greatest car race again?

So what?

We don't go to LeMans to celebrate Petrol, well I have never done that!!

Is about the atmosphere, the beer, the camps and the cars, the locals (female variety that is!) more beer and the nightlife (those locals again!!) the thrill of watching cars drive at night, rain, sun, more beer mixed with the odd bit of food...

I could go on...

Even if they were all hybrid bio cars we'd all still go there and enjoy the weekend or week wouldn't we?

I don't think it would be the same if there where 55 cars that 'wooshed' by rather that the noises we hear now

Couldn't agree more, my first year at le mans i feel in love with the vette. purely on the noise that V8 makes. Dont talk to me about the athmosphere and what makes le mans great. This will be the first year in 5 i have missed and i am gutted. The drive down, the comeradery on the campsites, the cars, the beer, the mad dutch and danish suport, the friday morn meet at arnage and the friday night party with ramdom firework displays, the fooling about at houx roundabout, the sat morn race build up, finding a pitch trackside with a large cool box full of beer and of course, going to bed once the sun has risen.
all of these make it great but it just wouldnt be the same if you cant hear the race from back at the campsite or feel the thunder down the pit straight.
the question was merely there to point out that maybe we have seen the last of the great petrol winners, at least overal. not that anything is being taken away from motorsports greatest weekend. Anyway i'm sure GT1 and especialy GT2 wont disapoint this year.