[FIA GT] GT1 World Championship 2011

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Purist

Frankly though, with cars at this level of performance, do the semantics of whether it's a GT, Supercar, or Force of Nature, actually make a damn bit of difference?

Frankly no-but its good to have a mix of supercars and grand tourers, I just like the thought of front engined vs mid engined cars.

[TF110]

In reality, the cars are race cars, no matter what they're based off of. They look like the road cars but they sure as hell dont perform like them. No Lamborghini Murcielago weighs in at 2700lbs. Same goes for the GTR. And both of them in road trim are AWD, as is the Audi R8.

So lets think about the cars for next year anyway, we might see an Alpina B6, might see an LFA, might see an R8GT1 spec, that's three new cars. Doesn't seem too bad to me.

[I Rosputnik]

Just found something interesting. Bas Leinders of Marc VDS was going to offer Mark Webber a drive for GT1 next year if he left F1 over his twitter.

It's not the fact he was going to sign Mark, that I find interesting, but the fact he was going to sign him for GT1.

Is Marc VDS staying, but changing car?

[rich07]

I cant see Webber driving in GT1 if he stepped down (thats not going to happen, he might change teams but he aint leaving F1, hes got unfinished business) but nice of Marc VDS to get their name in the headlines.......................

As for the car-Nissan GTR? Something completely new perhaps. Alpina?

[Speed-King]

The Alpina-thing is suppossedly off. Not enough examples of the Alpina for proper homologation, and for some reason they can't homologate it as a BMW.

[Yakuncha]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

The Alpina-thing is suppossedly off. Not enough examples of the Alpina for proper homologation, and for some reason they can't homologate it as a BMW.

If thats the case will there be any new cars for 2011?

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

The Alpina-thing is suppossedly off. Not enough examples of the Alpina for proper homologation, and for some reason they can't homologate it as a BMW.

Thats a shame. I liked the car in GT3 and I thought it would be a good fit for GT1. Well if this Lexus doesnt appear then will there be any new cars at all? Doesnt look good.

[cmk]

I'm going to guess the reason is that BMW won't let them homologate it as a BMW? I think I understand that; the B6S GT3 has been decent but ultimately the Z4 is a much stronger package. I'm sure that if BMW really wanted to be in GT1, they would do it themselves.

[WMUCarGuy]

Originally Posted by cmk

I'm going to guess the reason is that BMW won't let them homologate it as a BMW? I think I understand that; the B6S GT3 has been decent but ultimately the Z4 is a much stronger package. I'm sure that if BMW really wanted to be in GT1, they would do it themselves.

And I'm gonna guess if BMW's championship winning ALMS team isn't gonna be getting any funding, than a GT1 car is absolutely not happening.

[The359]

How can the Alpina meet the homologation requirements for GT3 but not GT1? What's the minimum numbers required for each?

[I Rosputnik]

I'm upset about this. I was really looking forward to this car. Lets hope there's a Lexus next year. I think the last thing the series wants in 2012 is to only have three kinds of car. (Ford, Lamborghini and Nissan)

If there isn't enough cars by 2013, maybe a switch to LMGT regs wouldn't kill them.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by cmk

I'm going to guess the reason is that BMW won't let them homologate it as a BMW? I think I understand that; the B6S GT3 has been decent but ultimately the Z4 is a much stronger package. I'm sure that if BMW really wanted to be in GT1, they would do it themselves.

Yes I suspect that's part of it, along with the DTM thing taking absolute priority from HQ's marketing point of view.

But then as GT1 isn't a works series why should they be that concerned what Alpina do?

[TF110]

So any news on the LFA or the R8GT1?

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by TF110

So any news on the LFA or the R8GT1?

No

[The359]

http://translate.google.com/translat...ance-5676.html

Sumo Power indicates they will return.

[Tim the Grey]

And so they should. I have to admit I wasn't expecting a lot from Sumo, but the Swiss Team Nissans have been comprehensively stuffed this year.

[JAG]

How many cars need to be found in 2012 when the grandfathered cars are retired?

[I Rosputnik]

Originally Posted by JAG

How many cars need to be found in 2012 when the grandfathered cars are retired?

3 cars. MC12, DBR9 and C6R.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

3 cars. MC12, DBR9 and C6R.

So it could be 12 cars. But from what Mr. Ratel has been saying lately he isn't going to require 4 cars from each brand in the future. So those 3 brands could be replaced by 6 if there was interest.

[Jameson]

If I got it right a while back, the target was always to start with 4 brands, 4 cars from each. Then, after two years (for 2012) there should be at least 3 new brands to replace the grandfathered ones, but maybe even 6 (2 cars each). The ultimate target then would be to have 12 brands, 2-car teams from each.

I admit it would be a very positive problem and not really realistic at the moment, but it would be interesting to see what would happen to the current Nissan, Ford and Lambo teams if they would take only one team per brand in the future. Effectively, one of the two teams of each make would need to either stop or change cars.

It would make sense to upgrade existing GT3 cars (R8, SLS, Z4 etc). It's pretty hard for any team or manufacturer to develop a car when there are potentially 2-4 cars to be sold, if they don't race themselves.

So, business-wise the GT1 platform is pretty crazy. Racing I do like, though.

[Tim the Grey]

I do wonder where GT1 is heading. It's slowed from where it was, It could almost be replaced by GT2 spec. But wouldit have the popularity? You don't have many 'supercars' in GT2...

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

I do wonder where GT1 is heading. It's slowed from where it was, It could almost be replaced by GT2 spec. But wouldit have the popularity? You don't have many 'supercars' in GT2...

Well, out of the 6 current GT1 cars, 4 of them have similar cars in GT2: Corvette, Ford, Aston, Lambo. Add the new 458 and possibly the Mclaren and Lotus to that and it doesn't look too bad in my opinion.

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by joeb

Well, out of the 6 current GT1 cars, 4 of them have similar cars in GT2: Corvette, Ford, Aston, Lambo. Add the new 458 and possibly the Mclaren and Lotus to that and it doesn't look too bad in my opinion.

You're right - it wouldn't look too bad - The only problem though is that none of the above have any intention of building GT1 cars!

[I Rosputnik]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

You're right - it wouldn't look too bad - The only problem though is that none of the above have any intention of building GT1 cars!

Exactly. A switch to GTE regs in the future would open the series up more brands. Plus it also means the GT1 can still attract independents without forcing them to build their own cars unless they wish to.

And an interview with Vitaphone.

I like their response to continuing with the MC12 in GT1 next year.

[Purist]

The GT2 Corvette doesn't have the aggression to stand next to the GT1 version. The Doran Ford GT2 looks like it was left in the press too long, and so has lost those wonderfully sculpted lines that Matech has recaptured in their GT1 variant. A V8 Vantage is no DBR9, and a Gallardo is no Murcielago. Also, I just have never thought the proportions on the Gallardo, either in road or racing trim, ever looked quite right.

The Ferrari 360/430 and 458 all just look too clinical to be fitting GT1s. I could say the same for the new McLaren, which is just too toned-down/refined compared to its F1 predecessor. The Lotus Evora just doesn't have the aggression in the road-going versions for me to be able to picture it as a real GT1. Maybe, the new Lotus Esprit would work, but then, it looks too close to the Gallardo, so I'd either want the Lotus or the Lambo in, but not both in that scenario.

The Mercedes SLS would definitely make a fitting GT1 in my book. As for the Audi R8, I've just never gotten really into the look of the road car, and the GT3 version just hasn't done it for me either. Anyway, if you're going to make a GT1 out of Audi bits, the most fitting machine to do it from I would have to say is a Gumpert Apollo. If you're going to make a new, Ferrari-based GT1, use the Enzo FXX or the P4/5 as the platform.