[WEC] Porsche GTP / Hypercar: factory and customer

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

It would be a grave mistake indeed for Porsche to underestimate the opposition. Be it Audi or Toyota. This is a mistake that I doubt Porsche will make.

Porsche always do it with a proper budget , once blessings have been passed down from up above .

Already stated is the Porsche want to win asap ...... hardly surprising . They will start the ball rolling with a top car . By the time that car hits Le Mans , it will have about 10 months or Porsche testing under its belt , and not some last minute half assed proto like we sometimes see .

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by avvelenamento

Audi and Porsche more or less secretly are already developing and testing their 2014 cars, maybe porsche is a bit little ahead because spent last 12 months focusing only on the 2014 car, while audi had to develope r18 for 2013 season. But is just a little advantage compared to 10 and more years of audi's know how. I fear that toyota is still behind with the development of the 2014 car and if TMG will keep on receiving a low-cost budget, will be hard for them to fight against no more one but two great competitors.

It is important to remember that besides the 2014 LMP1 car, Porsche were also building up a structure in order to run this program. Only recently have they somewhat completed their build-up (I'm not sure their wind tunnel is up and running yet).

[Dario911]

Originally Posted by CTD

Where do you have those names from Badger?

It's an Endurance-info speculation.

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Porsche always do it with a proper budget , once blessings have been passed down from up above .

Already stated is the Porsche want to win asap ...... hardly surprising . They will start the ball rolling with a top car . By the time that car hits Le Mans , it will have about 10 months or Porsche testing under its belt , and not some last minute half assed proto like we sometimes see .

As always, Porsche will be competitive. If it will win first time out is another story.

[Eryk03]

As competitive as Toyota?

[Spyderman]

Hopefully more.

[Eryk03]

For sure will be more

[Dario911]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

As always, Porsche will be competitive. If it will win first time out is another story.

According to my friend (journalist at Autosprint), Porsche seems to be a real pretender for 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours and WEC. More than what we can expect. Structure is new, ok, but experience is second to none. When they debuted with RS Spyder, they were far from prototype since 1998. But results are arrived, and were results of first class!
Porsche has a winning philosophy at the base of its choices and its moves, and has proven this every time they've raced, in any class, any time.
I hope to see Toyota competitive and really hungry of wins!
They've all the numbers and resources to win in Le Mans, but they must be more... nasty!
They seem to be not very nasty as Audi... and this makes difference in motorsport!

[gaaaazFR]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Apart from Dumas-Bernhard-Jani ..... the following drivers being looked at for remaining seats are

Watts-Martin-Pla-Pilet-Makowiecki-Bourdais-Lieb-Vernay-Conway-Stanaway-Heidfeld .

They only need 1 more driver for WEC ..... but who for Le Mans ?

Wonder if Bourdais has a clash with Indycar for Le Mans , too early to tell .

I would like to se from the following : Lieb-Stanaway-Bourdais .

You forget the fourth guy already signed... named M. Webber ;-)
So there are 4 drivers in the line-up.

But in the same time you can expect Porsche to run 3 drivers line-up during all the WEC (like Toyota & Audi started to do last year) to give every line-up a maximum track time and some perfect routine in their work.

Plus a possible 3rd car for Le Mans. I remember someone of Porsche board saying that with 2 cars you cannot win Le Mans...

So that let us ... 5 seats to fill!

In the Endurance Info list some names have been linked very strongly with Porsche like Heidfeld, Pilet, Lieb (those two are under contract), Vernay (will they sign him if he keeps doing P16 or P20 in supercup??) ...

My point of view is that it's going to be closely linked to what Porsche is going to do with 991 (USCR? WEC? 1 or 2 cars?) ;-)

[deggis]

Originally Posted by GTfour

I do hope though, that the Porsches will be sounding like Jaguars CX-75: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7-TDu3i6oQ

Hmm... spec wise it is somewhat close (502 bhp, 1.6L, 4 cylinders), and also there sort of another connection too:

Developed by Cosworth initially as a Formula 1 engine (before the FIA changed its mind and ditched 4-cylinder units for V6 engines for the 2014 season), the powerplant then found its way on to the Jaguar C-X75 prototype.

Also: for comparison Renault and Mercedes have released these of their next year's F1 engines:

http://www.renaultsport.com/Come-on-...oise,2630.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebpkJXJ7CFo

Renault engine peaks at around 10500 rpm and changes gears at 12000 rpm (mentioned in another source).

[Spyderman]

Originally Posted by Dario911

According to my friend (journalist at Autosprint), Porsche seems to be a real pretender for 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours and WEC. More than what we can expect. Structure is new, ok, but experience is second to none. When they debuted with RS Spyder, they were far from prototype since 1998. But results are arrived, and were results of first class!
Porsche has a winning philosophy at the base of its choices and its moves, and has proven this every time they've raced, in any class, any time.
I hope to see Toyota competitive and really hungry of wins!
They've all the numbers and resources to win in Le Mans, but they must be more... nasty!
They seem to be not very nasty as Audi... and this makes difference in motorsport!

Whilst I no doubt agree with much of what you said, there are some substantial differences in the LMP1 program as compared to the RS Spyder program. New leadership, new management, new engineers, new technology. Many of the current staff were not at Porsche during those times. No in-house pit team, etc. Now we all know that the Porsche philosophy and work ethic remains similar (or the same), but we need to remember that the proof lies in the pudding. For my part , I remain cautiously optimistic.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by gaaaazFR

But in the same time you can expect Porsche to run 3 drivers line-up during all the WEC (like Toyota & Audi started to do last year) to give every line-up a maximum track time and some perfect routine in their work.

Plus a possible 3rd car for Le Mans. I remember someone of Porsche board saying that with 2 cars you cannot win Le Mans...

So that let us ... 5 seats to fill!

In the Endurance Info list some names have been linked very strongly with Porsche like Heidfeld, Pilet, Lieb (those two are under contract), Vernay (will they sign him if he keeps doing P16 or P20 in supercup??) ...

My point of view is that it's going to be closely linked to what Porsche is going to do with 991 (USCR? WEC? 1 or 2 cars?) ;-)

I hope you are right that Porsche will run six full-time drivers in the WEC.

The third car for LM is a dream for 2014 in my opinion. It might just be a year too early but I hope I'm wrong.

I still think we will see Heidfeld. But why no announcement? Vernay is an interesting one for me.

Peugeot reserve driver. It seemed like Porsche brought him into the family for 2013 to keep him busy and ready for the 2014 P1 project. Maybe he's tested. Who knows. But as you say gaaaazFR, apart from Le Mans, he has not really shown anything this year.

[Articus]

Mark Webber's message to the world...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be3-J9XtJCw

[Gingers4Justice]

Ah, mystery solved then. Canberra Milk will be Porsche's title sponsor.

[Dario911]

Originally Posted by Spyderman

Whilst I no doubt agree with much of what you said, there are some substantial differences in the LMP1 program as compared to the RS Spyder program. New leadership, new management, new engineers, new technology. Many of the current staff were not at Porsche during those times. No in-house pit team, etc. Now we all know that the Porsche philosophy and work ethic remains similar (or the same), but we need to remember that the proof lies in the pudding. For my part , I remain cautiously optimistic.

I was talking about Porsche attitude to face challenges. I know RS Spyder was different program, with different men and different technology. But I was talking about work attitude. In this field, Porsche is second to none.
I am also cautiously optimistic.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by CTD

Where do you have those names from Badger?

http://www.endurance-info.com/versio...nce-20243.html

[rwintle]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

Ah, mystery solved then. Canberra Milk will be Porsche's title sponsor.

A livery suggests itself - white with black spots (or vice versa). Add some butcher's cut lines and it harks back to the classic Pink Pig. :P

[Articus]

What was Webber thinking!! That singing is just god awful. I dont think he tried to sing. Sounds more like spirited talking.

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

Ah, mystery solved then. Canberra Milk will be Porsche's title sponsor.

Bahahaha nice one!!

[MyNameIsNigel]

A "true" (not PhotoShopped) picture of the back-end of the Porsche LMP1 at last (source: endurance-info.com):

[vincegail]

Looks like a single exhaust to me. And rather dirty bodywork too.

[MyNameIsNigel]

Further shots have been added to the endurance-info.com article:

[deggis]

edit: too late

[jsTrecu]

The more I see it, the more I love it...

[avvelenamento]

Front section seems a bit revised from the shot released on june, the more I see it, the more remembers me r18