Isotta Fraschini Hypercar: Is it all over?

[Gerard C]

Well, here's a thread for all the news and notes about Isotta Fraschini new LMH, so put all the videos and stuff in here. I think you can talk about the Tipo 6 LMH Competitizione and the totally unrestricted version the Tipo LMH 6 LMH Pista as well. Okay, girls and guys?

[veeten]

Alright!

[Gerard C]

For those asking why it takes so long before hitting the track (yes, its a 4x4!):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAmoET-eYM0
Track day version said Pista at Paul Ricard:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r06dvGD3cTQ Competitzione at Monza (the single exhaust is typical):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-r93wwZ90M

I think they will surprise us.

[Mike E]

Videos on their own channel too, including the build process

https://youtube.com/@IsottaFraschiniAutomobili

[joeb]

Could they have two cars on the grid next year?

https://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/...2024/10517986/

[veeten]

I saw that, you beat me to it.
C'mon, FIA, give them the go-ahead. Two cars are better than one.

[Gerard C]

Not only the FIA…

[tomcug]

Two cars would be great, a proper factory program. Next year we almost certainly won't have Glickenhaus and maybe ByKolles won't be there too so two potential slots are there.

[veeten]

Two cars for Le Mans? Why not!

The major bit would be... who do they have in mind for the second driver crew.
Let the speculation begin...

[tomcug]

I think there are enough good GT/LMP2 drivers available

[PhilipR]

Originally Posted by veeten

Two cars for Le Mans? Why not!

The major bit would be... who do they have in mind for the second driver crew.
Let the speculation begin...

Well the Glickenhaus drivers if Glickenhaus does not return - and they already have experience of Hypercars so their feedback could be really good

A lot of LMP2 drivers with no Hypercar contract as of yet: Aldo Costa, Phil Hanson, etc

Or the IMSA GTP drivers that do not have a WEC drive: Alberquque, Deletraz etc. Plenty of drivers available

Not sure if going with their current test team is good either. Both Bonanomi and Vernay do not have a lot of Le Mans/ Prototype experience lately. They were on big teams 10 years ago but not much recently. Maybe better to have drivers more used to current WEC

[veeten]

Been testing at Aragon, in both damp and evening/night. Outside of electrical issues, its been pretty good.
Looks to me like they'll be ready for next season.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by joeb

Could they have two cars on the grid next year?

https://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/...2024/10517986/

DSC think unlikely for the full season - https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/...-together.html

As veeten says though, perhaps a second car for LM?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Simmi

DSC think unlikely for the full season - https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/...-together.html

As veeten says though, perhaps a second car for LM?

The surprise to me from this is that there are other teams looking to run the cars. That is great to have somebody interested in selling customer cars besides Porsche.

[Mike E]

Night running at Aragon

https://youtu.be/XZOZSPS9d6s?si=Z3ndxpD7ClIcouzI

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by joeb

That is great to have somebody interested in selling customer cars besides Porsche.

Originally Posted by joeb

That is great to have somebody interested in selling customer cars besides Porsche.

Sure. Different commercial approach for the car makers, Toyota and Peugeot want to promote road cars -Yaris, 208 for instance- when Isotta Fraschini, car maker too, will sell race customer cars as you say.

Porsche, imo, are making slightly different, they promote road cars and sell competition-client cars too. Like they always did.

[veeten]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Night running at Aragon

https://youtu.be/XZOZSPS9d6s?si=Z3ndxpD7ClIcouzI

Now, imagine that going down Mulsanne just as the sun sets...

Yesssssssssss!!!!!!!

[Matador]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Sure. Different commercial approach for the car makers, Toyota and Peugeot want to promote road cars -Yaris, 208 for instance- when Isotta Fraschini, car maker too, will sell race customer cars as you say.

Porsche, imo, are making slightly different, they promote road cars and sell competition-client cars too. Like they always did.

Toyota have and are further developing commercial sales for competition cars. Not hypercars of course, but yeah......

[FIRE]

The fourth new-for-2024 effort is Isotta Fraschini, which continues to traverse Europe with a single Tipo 6 LMH Competizione test car. The revived Italian brand’s experience with its new challenger has been mostly positive so far, with tests at Monza, Aragon and Vallelunga completed, though it did hit significant trouble during testing over the summer. An engine bay fire after a lubricant leak cut a test at Monza short by a day after completing 98 laps, serving as a reminder that there’s still work to be done.

Since then, the car has been out running again though and shown flashes of impressive outright pace, with a recent test at Aragon serving as the team’s first chance to run at night. Also of note, current WEC LMP2 team Vector Sport, which will run the effort next season, has become increasingly involved in the testing process. In addition, Gabriel Aubry, one of its drivers, recently got his first taste of the car at speed.

Former Audi LMP1 racer Marco Bonanomi, who has been involved in the development of the Tipo 6 from the outset, tells RACER it’s been a hugely encouraging year for the operation as it edges closer to its race debut in 2024.

“It’s a very nice atmosphere within the team,” he says. “The brand has a very big history, but its golden years were a few generations ago. The Michelotto guys are experts and doing a great job, helping improve the racing car and develop the road cars alongside the Hypercar, which is crucial to the financial aspects of the race program.

“We are improving the car every time we hit the track. The guys back in the factory are really good at reading data. It’s a long learning process because it’s a complex car. I am glad to have helped them a lot with my Audi experience, because the technology in the car is similar to an LMP1 Hybrid, just with different numbers due to the regulations. We are still in the development phase. There’s a lot to learn in terms of calibration of the car’s systems.”

What will the Isotta entry look like? RACER believes that both Duqueine and Emil Frey (the latter was one of the teams in the fray to run the factory program) have been enquiring about the possibility of entering a second car alongside Vector’s flagship machine.

However, it is highly unlikely that a second Isotta would be granted a place on the grid by the selection committee due to the limit on full-season entries and the will from the ACO and FIA to keep the number of Hypercar and LMGT3s on the grid as even as possible.

Meanwhile, the initial prospect for the car to test at the WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain has fallen victim to the decision by Michelotto to delay homologation until later in the year.

Source: https://racer.com/2023/10/05/how-the...ir-wec-debuts/

Tipo 6 LMH visits Multimatic
The Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 LMH Competizione’s testing and developmental phase continued this week with a visit to Multimatic’s centre in the UK to test its shock absorber settings.

According to Isotta, the next step for the car is a further shakedown before a forthcoming previously-planned test later this month.

Source: https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/...1-10-2023.html

[FIRE]

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/...ipo-6-lmh.html

Isotta road car version.

[Gerard C]

Great. Thanks. Just hope they can pay toll by wire…

[veeten]

Ooooohhhh... let's go for a ride.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Great. Thanks. Just hope they can pay toll by wire…

What you don't think those windows roll down?

[Gerard C]

Just imagine that the local Police want to check the papers… We could have a Lamborghini chasing an Isotta Fraschini on the narrow highway. This is panache! No place like Italy imo. Yeees!

[chernaudi]

Originally Posted by joeb

What you don't think those windows roll down?

Probably hard to reach with basically a central driving position (slightly offset from absolute center). Also the car is basically a single seater even in the road version. Only other road legal (at least in Europe) car I can think of that's a single seater is the BAC Mono series, which are absolute single seaters.