Nissan back to GT1 or GT2?

[broadrun96]

Biggest thing for bringing Jag back is making the average buyer of a Jag a sportscar fan. Tata will prob focus their efforts as others have in gourmet magazines and golf tournaments and publications as they will see it as a good return. The same may be true of Nissans efforts, better to build a tubeframe car that casual fans may recognize easier or drifting than a full-out GT effort that may Americans may know nothing about. Esp given the price difference between the G35/37 and the 350/370Z. The Infinti is like a bad rash here at Virginia Tech, see plenty more (2-1) than the Zs.

[Satorian]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Where did that Porsche "aura" come from though?

It came from racing. Porsche could have easily ended up as another bunch of guys throwing together kit cars in a barn. Same as Ferrari.

Actually, you are calling out what the current Porsche aura is built on: quality. Porsche pretty much epitomizes quality and road performance when it comes to cars. Precision engineering, mindful design, intelligent solutions, high-quality materials, work and finish in a sporty package. Also, then exclusivity, value and price (which to some is an attractor all of its own).

The average rich guy going into the dealership most probably does not care about the racing heritage. He cares about looking good and moving in the right circles, while being able to outrace other people at lights and on the autobahn. Next time you meet a Porsche driver at a traffic light, lower your window and ask him when Porsche last won Le Mans...

[Tim the Grey]

He just knows they have. Steve McQueen drove the car, didn't he?

Most folks buy Ferrari, or Porsche, because they are EXPENSIVE toys. Same with Bentleys and Rollers. Look at me. I can afford one of THESE...

Let's face it? 90% of said cars are never going anywhere near the limit.

[Aslak Vind]

The 997 will really be hurting, in terms of balance and tires if they add more weight to the minimum weight.

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

Nismo announced for Spa 24H, we all know that 2010 GT1s can compete next year as Matech will do, but these new cars can run in ACO races, Le Mans, ALMS and LMS ?

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

He just knows they have. Steve McQueen drove the car, didn't he?

Most folks buy Ferrari, or Porsche, because they are EXPENSIVE toys. Same with Bentleys and Rollers. Look at me. I can afford one of THESE...

Let's face it? 90% of said cars are never going anywhere near the limit.

They have to sell to a range of buyers, but Porsche, more than any large manufacturer, appeals to the enthusiast market.

BMW also has that appeal, Jaguar, unfortunately, no longer does, they're old mens cars, despite the new range looking pretty cool.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Subaru_WRX_STi

Nismo announced for Spa 24H, we all know that 2010 GT1s can compete next year as Matech will do, but these new cars can run in ACO races, Le Mans, ALMS and LMS ?

The current rules would say no.

[Purist]

Satorian, the regs for GT1 and GT2 have allowed for up to 4.0-litre turbos and up to 8.0-litre normally-aspirated engines since the 1999 season. And anyway, I thought it was supposed to be relative parity of the cars as a whole. A Panoz isn't going to handle like a 011, so it will need relatively more grunt by the numbers to be competitive. Or perhaps I've been watching that see-saw battle between the turbo Buick/March and the Group 44 Jag from Road Atlanta a bit too much.

[HORNDAWG]

Nissan GT-R SpecV. Here




L.P.

[WMUCarGuy]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

Nissan GT-R SpecV. Here




L.P.

Considering all the hype over this car, it's really a rather disappointing upgrade over the standard car.

[Satorian]

Originally Posted by Purist

Satorian, the regs for GT1 and GT2 have allowed for up to 4.0-litre turbos and up to 8.0-litre normally-aspirated engines since the 1999 season.

I stand corrected.

And anyway, I thought it was supposed to be relative parity of the cars as a whole. A Panoz isn't going to handle like a 011, so it will need relatively more grunt by the numbers to be competitive.

I'm not sure FIA/SRO want to actually balance whole cars to that extent or do it mainly through engine performance. Making sure that engines are equal would be a good baseline for further adjustments in my opinion.




As for the whole Nissan effort, according to an Autosport piece it looks like Nissan actually haven't decided on a class yet (or at least claim they didn't yet):

It is a test car. We are not claiming there is a specific category that we are looking at, although this car has not been developed for Super GT.

[AX lover]

Originally Posted by WMUCarGuy

Considering all the hype over this car, it's really a rather disappointing upgrade over the standard car.

How can you say that? The specs aren't released (yet)... (No I'm not a GT-R fanboy )

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by Satorian

As for the whole Nissan effort, according to an Autosport piece it looks like Nissan actually haven't decided on a class yet (or at least claim they didn't yet):

No that's true, but when you look at the ammount of areodynamics that is on the test car it clearly looks like a GT1 car. Only the GT1 class would allow the ammount of areodynamic modifications that car has.

Although I should add, that is of course remembering that this car is being built for the new regulations that come in for 2010 so it isnt perhaps as clear as I first thought. Based on the current areodynamic regulations though the car would fit into the current GT1 class, and it still will in 2010, assuming that the areodynamic regulations for each class dont change drastically of course.

[Satorian]

Originally Posted by SALEEN S7R

No that's true, but when you look at the ammount of areodynamics that is on the test car it clearly looks like a GT1 car. Only the GT1 class would allow the ammount of areodynamic modifications that car has.

Although I should add, that is of course remembering that this car is being built for the new regulations that come in for 2010 so it isnt perhaps as clear as I first thought. Based on the current areodynamic regulations though the car would fit into the current GT1 class, and it still will in 2010, assuming that the areodynamic regulations for each class dont change drastically of course.

And the car is a testing platform. Who knows what kind of aero kits, potentially GT2-compliant, they have in their garage or design phase. It'd be a real bummer if they didn't went the GT2 route.

[SALEEN S7R]

Why test in GT1 specifcation though if they are planning on entering GT2? As for it being a bummer entering GT1 as opposed to GT2, well that's down to personal preference. Personally I would be happier to see a new car built to the new GT1 regulations, theres lots of variety in GT2 allready.

[Dani Filth]

maybe they aren't planning .. but just testing ....

[Fogelhund]

You don't just build a car to a generic rules set that doesn't exist. They knew three years ago what their goal was, and they've stuck to it. As much as the PR fluff states what it does, they are testing a car to FIA GT1 future specs, with a V8 engine in it.

[JAG]

David Richards today indicated the FIA GT World Championship would use GT2 type cars, saying they are working on the GT2 regulations. He specifically mentions this car racing in Ratels proposed 2010 World Championship, which as we know, is GT1 only.

This tallies with GM's talk of GT2 + upgrade kit becoming GT1.

[Dani Filth]

i read it quite the opposite ..

"
DR: Yes, we will definitely be back at Le Mans. We are working on a whole range of programmes and anyone who has been on our stand knows we are working on the GT2 regulations where the future will likely as not be in the world championship"

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Dani Filth

i read it quite the opposite ..

"
DR: Yes, we will definitely be back at Le Mans. We are working on a whole range of programmes and anyone who has been on our stand knows we are working on the GT2 regulations where the future will likely as not be in the world championship"

Likely as not = Probably/Likely (dictionary definition)

[Bob Riebe]

Likely as not equals- 50-50.

[jaybond]

Will be very dissappointed if Nissan just lift the GT500 V8 NA engine straight from their SuperGT parts bin, should they entered the GT1/GT2 class. Where's the originality in that?

Hopefully they'll stick to develop the base V6 Turbo. Should make more variety / bring back turbocharged cars to the series.

[Japanese Samurai]

According to AUTOSPORT(Japanese edition), FIA-GT specification GT-R was tested at Sepang circuit from January 10th to 16th.
Test driver were Michael Krumm and Darren Turner.
The team staff who was participating in FIA-GT seems to have taken it to this test.
The manufacturer of the brake caliper had changed from AP-racing into Brembo compared with the last test.

[Japanese Samurai]

According to Sports-carracing.net, Nissan did the official recognition application of FIA-GT1 to JAF(Japan Automobile Federation).
However, the homologation model of FR seems not to be manufactured.
Nissan seems to want to receive special recognition as well as MC12 and to partcipate in a race by FR.

[GTfour]

Good friend of mine will have a visit from GT-R designer Katzutoshi Mizuno in his Nissan dealership(he allready sold 180 GT-R's !)and I've allready instructed him to get as much info out of Mizuno San as possible. After all,the man was the leading designer of near all Nissan's Le Mans racers,so it's a good bet he'll be heavilly involved in this project as well...