What is Aston Martin up to?

[Simmi]

Either way it seems like Aston still want some of his Lowes $$$$

David Richards didn't exactly rule out sending a new car to later-season ALMS rounds today to get some mileage in them. Looks like Adrian will be a busy man this season.

[Mike_Wooshy]

here is a bit of talk about the Aston Martin pretty much what's already been confirmed. But what is interesting that Henry (the interviewer) say its an open car, although David doesn't confirm or deny it, he does go into testing on the run upto Sebring, and forwards to Le mans 24 hour itself. But its pretty much what's all been confirmed. You have to skip forward to the 5 minute mark because before this he is talking about the WRC Mini project.

[Félix]

Any news on the LMP? A big factory project like that attracts attention and generates spy shots as soon as it's out of the workshop. They said they would be at Sebring but they won't, the race is in 4 months and they haven't begun testing it seriously. That's a brand new engine and chassis, racing against Audi and Peugeot - if they can still realistically claim they want to beat them.

So have they stretched themselves too thin with the new Mini WRC project at the same time (this one gets YouTube video updates twice a week by the way)? Shouldn't the ACO give them only 2 entries - or maybe even one - so they can concentrate on doing a little bit right and come back in 2012 with a more credible effort?

[Victor_RO]

DR said at the Autosport Show about 3 weeks ago that the engine was about one week away from its first dyno test... compare that to Peugeot, whose engine was first fired up around this time last year, and it's obvious how far behind the ball Aston really, sadly, are on this project.

To be honest, the best chance of the petrol cars at LM this year will be with Rebellion and the Toyota engine. I say this now, if there's any new Astons in the race, none of them will see the morning.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Félix

Shouldn't the ACO give them only 2 entries - or maybe even one - so they can concentrate on doing a little bit right and come back in 2012 with a more credible effort?

No evidence to say they will have three cars. I'd expect a two car entry at best.

I have to echo the sentiments in the thread. To say they campaigned so long and hard for the equivalency, to then be so far behind is very disappointing.

It will be very difficult to gauge how much of their lack of pace is down to the engine or lack of testing.

[SALEEN S7R]

Hold on everyone, we dont actually know if Aston will be behind at all or not yet! Sure they havent been out testing, and yes the engine is very new, but never under estimate Prodrive. Ok they might not be beating the Audi's and Peugeot's, especially not right away, but I seriously beleive they will still be the strongest petrol powered entry at Le Mans. Maybe I'll be eating my words come Le Mans, but somehow I doubt it.

[CTD]

I'm sorry to say, but the only way the new AMR/Prodrive car will last all 24hours is if they have done secret track testing without anyone noticing.
No manufacture can get the needed gremlins sorted, to complete a 24hours race, in such a short time as we are now down too.
The AMR1, was unveiled in the end of January, as i remember, but that was based on an proven GT1 engine, which already had run for 1 whole year in Lmp spec. And the chassis was a modified Lola, which probably is the chassis with most kilometers under it's belt. This is not the case with the AMR2, as it is brand new on all parts (as far as we been told by Prodrive)

[Simmi]

The only way the new car can be competitive IMO is if Aston decide to pick the name I suggested in their naming competition.

[Down F0rce]

OAK Racing have announced Gulf as their sponsor for the ILMC and LM 24... I assume this is at the expense of Aston Martin?

[old man]

Originally Posted by CTD

I'm sorry to say, but the only way the new AMR/Prodrive car will last all 24hours is if they have done secret track testing without anyone noticing.
No manufacture can get the needed gremlins sorted, to complete a 24hours race, in such a short time as we are now down too.
The AMR1, was unveiled in the end of January, as i remember, but that was based on an proven GT1 engine, which already had run for 1 whole year in Lmp spec. And the chassis was a modified Lola, which probably is the chassis with most kilometers under it's belt. This is not the case with the AMR2, as it is brand new on all parts (as far as we been told by Prodrive)

I doubt anyone here actually knows what Prodrive has done, if they do they are close to DR and won't say because of the repercussions. Prodrive have long been users of the MIRA facility or whatever it is now called and I doubt we would know anything about that. As someone said earlier, don't underestimate Prodrive.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by Down F0rce

I assume this is at the expense of Aston Martin?

OAK Racing will carry the orange and blue colours of its new partner, CAR OIL, the exclusive licensee and distributor of Gulf Lubricants in Belgium, France and Luxemburg .

Depends which arm of Gulf Oil sponsored AMR before , perhaps .

[Dead-Eye]

Originally Posted by The Badger

OAK Racing will carry the orange and blue colours of its new partner, CAR OIL, the exclusive licensee and distributor of Gulf Lubricants in Belgium, France and Luxemburg .

I wonder how that will go with pink

[The Badger]

yeah ..... possibily a pink roll hoop or mirrors ..... pink for id trim maybe , dunno .

Quote taken from their FB ..... After its strong results in 2010, OAK Racing has also received four LMP2 invitations for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Maybe they will be allowed to convert 2 of them to P1 ?

[lemansfan]

http://www.lemans.org/en/news/Oak-Ra...amme_2837.html

2 Entrys for LMP1 ,and 1 Entry for LMP2 .

[KA]

Originally Posted by The Badger

OAK Racing will carry the orange and blue colours of its new partner, CAR OIL, the exclusive licensee and distributor of Gulf Lubricants in Belgium, France and Luxemburg .

Depends which arm of Gulf Oil sponsored AMR before , perhaps .

True- if Oak's deal is with Gulf's French distributor, and Aston's was with the parent company, or the UK distributor, then maybe we could see both teams running in orange & blue...

[CTD]

Originally Posted by KA

True- if Oak's deal is with Gulf's French distributor, and Aston's was with the parent company, or the UK distributor, then maybe we could see both teams running in orange & blue...

Isn't AMR sponsored by the parent company?.

[Tim the Grey]

Dunno about sponsorship details, but Prodrive have their own test track outside Warwick... They have no need whatsoever for MIRA!

[TWK]

Gulf doesn't have any Oil (or petrol) (that it produces or refines). Nor, technically, is there a "parent/subsidiary" relationship between its various licensees.

Gulf, in its present incarnation, is a "New Economy" business. It employs very few people directly and its assets are mainly in the form of intellectual property: brands, product specifications and scientific expertise. The rights to the brand in the United States are owned by Gulf Oil Limited Partnership (GOLC), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cumberland Farms and operates (licenses) over 2,100 service stations and several petroleum terminals; it is headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts. The corporate vehicle at the center of the Gulf network outside the USA, Spain & Portugal is GOI, a company owned by the Hinduja Group. The company's focus is primarily in the provision of downstream products and services to a mass market through joint ventures, strategic alliances, licensing agreements, and distribution arrangements. Gulf Oil International has its head office in the City of Westminster, London.-Wiki-

[Tom908V12]

Tomorrow with entrylists of Le Mans, ILMC and Sebring we should know more about Aston program in LMP1

[acox93]

Cant use the warwick facility as local residence always complain about the noise, the rally team only just get away with being able to test there.

[pederb]

What's going on with their GT2 program? Teams like JMW, one season with AM then back to Ferrari. How many used Vantage GT2 are sitting in garages collecting dust? Are they really that bad of a race car and if so why don't AM do anything about it you wonder.

[acox93]

A new gt2 has recently been delivered to jota sport and another is in production, who that is for i dont know. As for why JMW have gone back to ferrari i dont know because the vantage is now a competitive and reliable car

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by pederb

What's going on with their GT2 program? Teams like JMW, one season with AM then back to Ferrari. How many used Vantage GT2 are sitting in garages collecting dust? Are they really that bad of a race car and if so why don't AM do anything about it you wonder.

It might not be that the Astons are bad, more just a case of the Ferraris and Porsches being exceptionally good.

AMR/Prodrive attention looks set to be heading more towards GT1/LMP racing anyway.

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by pederb

What's going on with their GT2 program? Teams like JMW, one season with AM then back to Ferrari. How many used Vantage GT2 are sitting in garages collecting dust? Are they really that bad of a race car and if so why don't AM do anything about it you wonder.

10 GT2s have been built thus far (inbcluding a pair of development cars) - 5 should race in 2011 - including one car yet to be announced (but presumed to be an ILMC entry)

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

10 GT2s have been built thus far (inbcluding a pair of development cars) - 5 should race in 2011 - including one car yet to be announced (but presumed to be an ILMC entry)

Where are those 5 cars though? One is with Jota, one with the TBA team, one with Villois in GT Open... what about the other two?