Mitsubishi, is it on?

[Chucky]

If the quality of the kickback is why they have risked potentially skewing the marketing thrust, then it really is a sign of the boys with their noses in the trough.

[HRT #1]

Originally posted by RaceTime
China? No way mate - it's off...

RaceTime without been disrespectful to you but whilst everyone else including myself are still uncertain about the go ahead of the Shanghai race what makes you so sure of yourself by saying China is off.?

[RaceTime]

I won't reveal my sources (never have and never will) - however, suffice to say that there have been a numebr of posts in here recently detailing the problem with China and the reasons for it currently being squarely in the 'doubtful - unikely to proceed' tray.

For starters - as I and others understand it - there has, at this stage, been nothing signed to ensure the meeting will go ahead.

[F|sh]

tc has been reading the NASCAR book when you at the changes he has made. all nascars rtun a 358ci V8 all run the same suspension. same chassis,diff,gearbox and even the body panels are specified!!! yeah maybe its a bad thing and it makes the cars loossse there identity to our normal street cars but look our popular nascfar is? and yes they do have more idiots than us aswell. i would like to see toyota and misti in but as some said the cost is to great intially to start and then continuolly poor money in for 7 years before a kickback?not really worth it i'd like to see group A or group C back and then no fighting really....

[mountainstar]

Originally posted by F|sh
tc has been reading the NASCAR book when you at the changes he has made. all nascars rtun a 358ci V8 all run the same suspension. same chassis,diff,gearbox and even the body panels are specified!!! yeah maybe its a bad thing and it makes the cars loossse there identity to our normal street cars but look our popular nascfar is? and yes they do have more idiots than us aswell. i would like to see toyota and misti in but as some said the cost is to great intially to start and then continuolly poor money in for 7 years before a kickback?not really worth it i'd like to see group A or group C back and then no fighting really....

As one who lives in nascar country(the deep south USA) for a few months each year, I'm pretty intune with the goings on in NASCAR. I can advise TC not to follow the nascar book too closely. NASCAR I think has hit it's saturation point with the public. That's my feeling anyways.

Rednecks that breathe nascar are now starting to turn away from it because:

1. It's over commercialized. Did you know the Kelloggs Pop Tart is the official toaster pastry of NASCAR?
2. The technical formula is stale. Good ole boys want to see some differences in the cars.
3. Drivers are now boring, politically correct, corporate mouthpieces. There are few "personalities" left. One of the attractions of Nascar was that the drivers were down to earth and interesting. No more, they hide in their mobile home all day.

I will watch Toyota's future involvement in Nascar with interest.

V8 supercars is a great formula and definately a lot can be done to bring more fans to the sport. But I would not be quick to abandon it's roots in favor of a quick paycheck(China).

[F|sh]

mountianstar true its like the AFl that has abandon its roots by cutting its budget toi programs to get top footballers in to the game at the highest level. if AVESCo abandons the permanent tracks were does it leave the little bloke who loves to go fast and round corners? do they just build drag cars then which is even trying to cut out the little bloke remove super street from the competetion.

maybe we should not support the V8 catorgory when it comews to town leave the car in the shed and do something else for the day.


i was reading in AA someof the stuff you could get for a NASCAR supporter man who wants to be buried in a AVESCO coffin they would probaly charge you $20 000 for the privellige

[noodles]

Return to the original topic, my understanding is that Alan Heaphey is overseeing the preparation of a 4wd Magna to run in the Aussie Car class of the ARC, using the old Gibson Motorsport facilities. Apparently, Holden are also looking to run a V8 Ute (presumably VY)i this class as well with a V8 Supercar driver appearing behind the wheel on the odd occasion.

[GTRMagic]

Is there a manual AWD Magna on the drawing board? :confused:

I have a newshape Magna rental here in Qld at the moment. Its no better to drive than my just superseded version, but sure is uglier...

[GTRMagic]

Well there was a cartoon in AA a few weeks ago, where the PWR & TWR brandings were getting mixed up... seems the LWR branding will get stuck in there too somewhere....

... with Mr Heaphy building and running the factory Lancer program from 2005 and beyond....

... out of a business premises that might share a common wall or two with the new PWR Performance Products technical centre in Kitchen Rd Dandenong....

Interesting that its a small world that never seems to get any bigger...

[Just Do It!]

According to the press over here in NZ, Mitsi's Aussie days are numbered.

Sayonara Mitsi Aussie plants, sayonara pre-requisite for Supercars, sayonara Mitsi rumours. Its all pretty clear cut! Seems Mitsi will have to pay it due taxes if it depart Aussie before the required minimum term too!

[retro]

For the 2nd time in the past couple of months there was a story in the paper about the new Toyota Racing division manager - he is reviewing all Toyota motorsport involvement and is to report back to management. Given the USA model they would have to look at v8 supercars.

[Chucky]

Or put money into ridiculous, over-priced, regional junior formula like "Formula Toyota".

And don't forget who still owns Kitchen Road.

[Just Do It!]

Formula Toyota and Formula BMW will be interesting series' to watch unfold....or vice versa...!

[wixd]

For the good of the entertainment surely you'd want to see as many variables as possible mitsi's, toyota's, audi's (vw's), to see how the locals would do against them.

But, lets focus on the market group that the supercar class appeals to, and thats australians - to watch bathurst with your mates, a bbq and a beer is about as aussie as you can get.

An overseas manufacturer would be slow to receive support -and eventually dilute the series into what gtp's and nations cup are now.

The series is going as well as it can, but... is becoming a bit of a procession. The only way to beef up support is to make the cars closer. Remember when the british touring cars made a push over here on the grounds of the exteremely competitive "go-kart" racing we saw; the local two-litre category that then held its own bathurst on that support - it didnt become globally popular because of stewards, range of cars or sponsors, it became popular because the content was entertaining. The sponsors simply allowed the class to grow.

The group is moving in the right direction with making the cars closer.

The group is not moving in the right direction by stiffling the characters of the sport, on and off the track. Remember what made the category popular in the first place, the fanaticism of "the lads on the top of the hill" responding to the characters in the cars.

[Bigguy]

Can you please educate us on exactly how Mitsubishi and Nissan are more "overseas" manufacturers than Holden and Ford? As far as I am aware, all four are foreign-owned, but all four build cars here in Australia, using Aussie labour. Any "difference" is due entirely to perceptions, at least part of which are due to the existence of V8 racing. I think it is long overdue that we got the opportunity to see all four running against each other.

But I am not holding my breath...

[wixd]

Good point, Mitsi's and Nissans are certainly perceived as overseas manufacturers.

Perhaps this is a marketing issue, or maybe an issue on design and management location.

So should the other manufacturers be given access to the series? definately - but on the basis that is is a percieved Australian manufacturer - 25,000 "family sedan" cars that were manufactured in australia sounds like a reasonable ruling, this rule shouldn't be allowed to be over-ruled by jurisudctional enforcements by tega or other bodies.

Would it make for more entertaining racing? I doubt it, unless the cars were made closer.

Would it be better on the earnings of the sport? I doubt it, again unless the cars were made closer.

The current threads and discussions in formula one should be a fore-warning to avesco in that if a team and driver get their act together well enough to stand-out in such a manner as schumarri has then it leads to boring racing and a loss of potential earnings.

Bringing the cars/drivers closer does the opposite.

I dont see how more platforms to race with would achieve this.

If it can be done properly then great, it would bring more range of market and people to the sport, done badly it would potentially erode its base.

Decide on a platform that will lead to close racing, and then make the packages comply to that. If that list includes mitsi/nissan then thats all good.

On the original topic - unfortunately, I'd imagine Heathy was/did approach on the basis for the rally team. Mitsubishi are pushing their local marketing on the rally team as what seems a last ditch effort after they've seen such poor sales of the "bug eyed" magna...

[Morris 1100]

Originally posted by Bigguy
Can you please educate us on exactly how Mitsubishi and Nissan are more "overseas" manufacturers than Holden and Ford? As far as I am aware, all four are foreign-owned, but all four build cars here in Australia, using Aussie labour.

Ummm well, Nissan do not build cars in Aus anymore (about 6 years I think).

One of the rules for Bathurst in the 1960s was that the car had to be built in Australia, so when you see all those cars like the big Dodges, Studebakers, Mini Coopers, Ford Cortinas, etc they were all built in Aus.
Even this one...

[RENAULT RS24]

this may be of interest to some people, commodore road car ,v8 is canadian ,manual trans mexican, differetial chinese, new v6 NEXT YEAR ,fiat designed falcon 6 cyl &v8 engines made here ..how local are our cars ,not very local..

[Just Do It!]

Anyone remember the Fiat 125T and 126-what'sitsletters(??)...now they were classy for their day!

And before my time...!

[wixd]

RS24, Are the currrent road-going falcon motors designed by fiat?

[Morris 1100]

I think that Pierre left out a commer between "designed" and "falcon"
What he was trying to say is the new V6 that Holden are going to build are designed by Fiat (part owned by GM). (I am not sure if this is true) I know that Holden is going to export a lot of these engines to Europe to go into GM products like Alfa Romeo.

[Mattracer]

The US-derived Ford/Chev heritage from the Falcon/Monaro era in the late 60s/early 70s still has a large say in the ongoing popularity of V8 Supercar today.

[Techo]

Set the rules and let Aussie built cars RACE, 20,000 cars a year makes them aussie to me.

[GTRMagic]

That Ralliart facility in the mags this week looks a lot like the inside of the old 00 factory doesnt it

[bartman71]

Originally posted by GTRMagic
That Ralliart facility in the mags this week looks a lot like the inside of the old 00 factory doesnt it

don't know as usal i can't get them in tas till tomorrow