Rocketsports to launch Jaguar XKR GT2

[cmk]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

If Marshall Pruett's photos are taken into account... quite badly. There's a photo of the #33 car driving around the track without a bonnet/hood/whatever you want to call it.

You can find plenty of photos of Porsches and Ferraris running around with lost doors, hoods, etc. I guess they are all rubbish too? It is easy to poke a little at the Jag, but at least find something more relevant to poke at...

[Victor_RO]

I'm sorry, I didn't want it to come out like that. I'd really like them to prove me wrong, but it's probably a longshot. It just seemed weird to see a car run around without an engine cover.

[cmk]

The races up to Le Mans didn't really do them any favours so I get it! I don't really see the car lighting up the track too spectacularly, but if they can get one car to the end and get it classified I will be happy for them. Getting the ECU sorted should lead to the first and, maybe, to the second...in time.

[JAG]

A hint of what the (front) of the new XK will look like.



http://www.pistonheads.com/news/defa...?storyId=22547

[Jaguarman1]

Have to say I had fairly high hopes for the revised newer car this weekend. Unfortunately it looks like they're still quite a bit off the pace in qualifying.

[Japanese Samurai]

Does Yokohama tires transfer from the jaguar to Lamborghini?

[MJ_N_09]

Well, with the Panoz, Lamborghinis, and another Ford GT (ACS custom built) coming, RSR needs to step it up. How embarrassing would it be for a program that has been around for 1.5 years to get outrun by cars that have have just started racing (going by 2011)?

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by MJ_N_09

Well, with the Panoz, Lamborghinis, and another Ford GT (ACS custom built) coming, RSR needs to step it up. How embarrassing would it be for a program that has been around for 1.5 years to get outrun by cars that have have just started racing (going by 2011)?

The ford GTs have been around for years and never been competitive, the last lamborghini program was such a debacle that the factory forced them to shut it down, and the Panoz is going to be an embarassment, seeing as it's pretty much a rebodied 5+ year old car. They'll all be tooling around the back embarassing themselves.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Jaguarman1

Have to say I had fairly high hopes for the revised newer car this weekend. Unfortunately it looks like they're still quite a bit off the pace in qualifying.

What has to be maddening for the team is that the same pieces keep breaking and they have no solution

[JagtechOhio]

16 laps
82 laps

Joeb, you have a little background on this? I couldn't find anything. Thanks!

[Mike_Wooshy]

PG said something about the block casting.... I presume the blocks come from Jaguar, if so is this a problem with causing extra stress's on the 5.0 V8 ? or Does PG have the blocks cast himself or such ? either way this was laughable especially with the hype Jaguar have put behind this effort recently.

[JagtechOhio]

Skimming the PLM thread, it reads like the #33 was the new car, and lost its 3rd engine of the weekend early in the race.

Saw a note about the #75 car being involved in contact, but no other notations.

I don't know anything about the program, but it would be a surprise if RSR cast their own blocks, would it not? Is that even legal for their category?

[Mike_Wooshy]

When I said cast himself I did mean does a third party construct the engines ala Pipo Moteur for Msport & the Ford WRC program. Ie Jaguar engine but development outsourced to a 3rd party to RSR own specification ? sorry I should have explained myself much better. If Jag are supplying the engines then are the problems at Bridgend/Gaydon ? If they are from Jaguar is this why the LMP2 engine rumour has gone quiet as there are problems with reliability when the engine is stressed for more power ?

[JagtechOhio]

Hopefully we will be joined by someone who has some answers. I'd think the block would have to be factory by regulation...then you sleeve it, O-ring the bores, reinforce the bedplate (main saddle) and start building.

Darned if I can find any race reports about the Jags on the web, so we'll wait for more news. Thanks for chiming in though!

[pablocomics]

That engine isn´t a Ford desing? In that case they sould call to Elan asking for some help...

[knighty]

To my knowledge (I think) this Jag engine is the AJ V8 engine produced in the Ford bridgend plant, its an alloy engine which is pressure die-cast aluminium, with "cast-in-place" iron liners........ on a race motor these liners are prone to coming loose and causing all sorts of horrid engine faliures due to differential thermal expansion, whereby the ali block expands more than the steel liners.........hence when Aston Martin used the same base engine for the V8 vantage raod car they completley re-designed it, particularly with pressed-in steel liners (for bigger capacity), not to mention new heads, block, dry sump and crank!!!!!!......so whats that telling you about the AJV8 base engine????.......its a POS.......but saying that I'm sure paul drayson would hardly sing the praises of the Aston GT2 engine which he campaigned in 2009 ALMS, it was baiscally an IED in race trim.

more info here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_AJ-V8_engine

and here

http://www.jaguar-enthusiasts.org.uk/aj-v8-gen3.html

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

Hopefully we will be joined by someone who has some answers. I'd think the block would have to be factory by regulation...then you sleeve it, O-ring the bores, reinforce the bedplate (main saddle) and start building.

Darned if I can find any race reports about the Jags on the web, so we'll wait for more news. Thanks for chiming in though!

The #75 Jag had a water pump failure according to Radio Le Mans at the time.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by knighty

but saying that I'm sure paul drayson would hardly sing the praises of the Aston GT2 engine which he campaigned in 2009 ALMS, it was baiscally an IED in race trim.

I'm sure JMW Motorsport would be singing its praises after the last two-three races, it took a long time but somehow they have made the car work and work reliably. Drayson ran the car through its early development, so they took all the pain of niggly unreliability (just watched Licence to Le Mans, they were indeed swapping engines in '08 in the ALMS like there was no tomorrow), but now that car is working better and better with each race.

The Jag was close to a laughing stock for much of this season, but if they manage to follow the development curve of the Vantage... some time next year they should be getting the car properly sorted and running much closer to the pace.

[picchiofan]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

The Jag was close to a laughing stock for much of this season, but if they manage to follow the development curve of the Vantage... some time next year they should be getting the car properly sorted and running much closer to the pace.

The car was announced at the end of the '08 season, set to run in '09. It missed multiple races and deadlines, and finally came out for the final race and didn't do much. In '10 it was hilariously unreliable and slow. When it could run, it barely made the pace of the GTC cars.

At this point, they're two years in and have a GT program that can run for an hour and a half and nip at the heels of challenge class Porsches. It isn't going to get better.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by picchiofan

At this point, they're two years in and have a GT program that can run for an hour and a half and nip at the heels of challenge class Porsches. It isn't going to get better.

I did say "IF they could follow the same development curve". If they can't, it's probably time for someone to take this project out of RSR's hands.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

16 laps
82 laps

Joeb, you have a little background on this? I couldn't find anything. Thanks!

I heard multiple times on the track PA and on RLM that they have issues with a sprocket that runs the timing chain. Teeth keep breaking off of the sprocket and they don't know why some last 200 hours and some 2.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by joeb

I heard multiple times on the track PA and on RLM that they have issues with a sprocket that runs the timing chain. Teeth keep breaking off of the sprocket and they don't know why some last 200 hours and some 2.

Yep!




L.P.

[wheelz22]

Originally Posted by joeb

I heard multiple times on the track PA and on RLM that they have issues with a sprocket that runs the timing chain. Teeth keep breaking off of the sprocket and they don't know why some last 200 hours and some 2.

Not true, the teeth have never once broken off. The chains fail....typically at 6000 revs on a hard upshift. The lower sprocket, being small in diameter is not kind to the chains in a race engine (fine on a street engine though). There is only so much room down there....that puts a limit on sprocket size. That, however, will be resolved.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by wheelz22

Not true, the teeth have never once broken off. The chains fail....typically at 6000 revs on a hard upshift. The lower sprocket, being small in diameter is not kind to the chains in a race engine (fine on a street engine though). There is only so much room down there....that puts a limit on sprocket size. That, however, will be resolved.

So it is the pieces of the chain that break then?

[wheelz22]

Originally Posted by Simmi

The #75 Jag had a water pump failure according to Radio Le Mans at the time.

75.....water pump bearing explosion, resulting in wobbly shaft, resulting in oil pump belt going missing as well....you know the rest after that happens...first time for that one.

33.....fresh race engine that had prior dyno time and heat cycles...out of nowhere, spritzes of coolant being introduced into the combustion chamber from the cyl head (porous casting). Not something that the milder demands of a street driven 133 motor would ever induce though.