[FIA GT] Koenigsegg unveiling new ACO/FIA GT1 car...

[dj choc ice]

its hard to decide which is the best looking, the maserati MC12 GT, or this koeniggsegg.

cant wait for this car to hit the track in anger and i hope it doesnt go the way of the pagani zonda, an embarassment and a car that barely races.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Do the Spykers have "major backing"? Or Pescarolo?

Pescarolo aren't exactly scratiching around under the sofer (these days at least) while Spyker are very well funded.

Most privateer LMP teams buy off the shelf chassis, yet still struggle against factories. Only recently has Pescarolo took much of the work in house.

Expecting Koinigsegg and Pagani to be on the pace of Chevrolet is like expecting Lister and Lavaggi to challenge Audi.

[pitviper]

and it comes down to the funding (and the team, but the best team is often put together with the best funding). The Koenigsegg and the Zonda both have the potential be every bit as competetive if not more than the Corvette, but the corvette has the development time and $$ behind it. I mean seriously... it's a corvette...

pit

[dj choc ice]

so does aston martin, and back a few years ago ferrari.

infact in 2005 the aston martin DBR9 of konvers cirtek was actually just pipped in terms of speed by the ferrari 550M GT of cirtek, goes to prove that even the old 550 GT1 is still a pretty competitive car in the right hands.

youre right though, if you have the money and development time and a half decent team and drivers, you are going to do well, zakspeed didnt have the most modern saleen S7R but look at them last year!!!!,
they had the legs on the maserati MC12's and the DBR9's for much of last year, the lambo's will be quicker this year but i must admit, last year in the FIA GT i was left somehow, unfulfilled by the DBR9's performance, especially in the hands of BMS scuderia italia, but no worries with larbre, modena and phoenix.

[AU N EGL]

There are a few teams out there or ppl who have or can find the funding for a team. Development is a whole other ball game.

Care racing builds, maintians and leases Ferrari 550s. ProDrive builds ( and leases ? ) DBR9s.

There are great GT1 cars out there.

Now the question remains about a new entry into GT1. Who would put their money or sponsors money into an UNKNOWN new car?

Sponsors want exposure, teams want to win. Lets see, lease a winning GT1 car or 'give a try' to a new GT1 car?? Where do I put my sponsors, and my money into to get the best chance of a poduim finish???

[dj choc ice]

you could always run the car on ethanol/biofuel from a green point of view that would attract more sponsors, especially with the situation of "global warming" and "OH NO A HEATWAVE!!!! THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!".

that might be a way to approach it, but its a new car surely a team will take a chance, it might be crap but it could be an awesome piece of kit and capable of running at the front of the GT1 grid.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

Yes the actuall Ford block is iron. The block the Saleen used is a Ford Design, but an alumium block.

You can buy alloy engine blocks from Ford, push-rod or OHC, but nowadays, the origin of parts, prod. or racing, is increasingly, from outside sources (although the Ford Essex plant in Canada is probably the most tech. advanced in the world, it uses tech. developed by Cosworth when Ford owned it).

Whether the block and, or heads, come from Brodix, Donovan, Keith Black, or ne casts one's own, etc., etc., if it is a Ford or Chevy design, it is still considered a Ford or Chevy.

Now this Car maker has taken the steps to not have to go to Ford for parts for their engine, smart considering the expense of the Mod. siamesed racing block, plus they can experiment with it as they choose, and not have to rework an already existing product.

Bob
PS--General Motors, in an asinine move in my opinion, is trying to bury the Chevy. makes, attributes and history, as sites that used to sell Chevy comp. parts on the web, have now often replaced the word Chevy with GM; although you can see that the edit was not by choice as if you read complete articles, often the word Chevy or Chevrolet is still in the article and only the headlines have product identity switched.
If you were born in the US at least forty years ago, Chevy , Pontiac, Buick etc. means something, calling any thing a GM, means nothing, but then their sales speak for themselves.

[ChironWSC]

One of the main problems with the Koenigsegg for GT racing will be the very sort overhangs on the car. They will really struggle to produce enough down force with such short front and rear overhangs. The Pagani Zonda has the same problem but I see they have just released photos of a car with a longer rear overhang which will be much better suited for GT1.

[dj choc ice]

on short overhangs have you looked at a DBR9 or a C6R recently?, they have very small rear overhangs imo but fairly normal size overhangs at the front end.

forgive me but what engine will the car be running btw?, naturally aspriated V8 inhouse by koenigsegg or something else?

[Bob Riebe]

Originally Posted by dj choc ice

on short overhangs have you looked at a DBR9 or a C6R recently?, they have very small rear overhangs imo but fairly normal size overhangs at the front end.

forgive me but what engine will the car be running btw?, naturally aspriated V8 inhouse by koenigsegg or something else?

Koenigsegg's own maunufactured version of the Ford mod. V-8.
That way they can mod. as they choose, from the get-go.

Bob