[FIA GT] Morgan Aero 8's for FIA GT3 in 2007

[Bentley03]

DSC have just broken the news that three Morgan Aero 8's will be campaigned in the 2007 FIA GT3 Championship by French team Mirabeau Competition, regulars in FFSA GT. Mirabeau Competition will prepare and enter the cars, this is not a factory programme.

Amazing news...............

[ChironWSC]

Have the cars been homologated by the FIA for GT3 yet? Also Have Morgan built 200 Aero 8's yet or will they become the same fate as Mosler?
The manufacturer I would think needs to be involved with the Homologation of the car, so Morgan will be fairly well involved initially.

[Bentley03]

According to the DSC article, the GT Commission have recently given the car the 'required approvals'.

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by ChironWSC

Also Have Morgan built 200 Aero 8's yet or will they become the same fate as Mosler?

They have built considerably more than 200

[SALEEN S7R]

Nice to have another manufacturer in the GT3 class, particularly a British one. The Morgan's have run fairly competitvely in various classes in recent years perhaps this can do also.

[Graham Goodwin]

If anything though the more interesting point of this story is the potential Le mans angle

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

If anything though the more interesting point of this story is the potential Le mans angle

Just to put some meat on Graham's bones (can I say that? ), the 2004 GT2 Le Mans car is actually in Mirabeau's workshop for evaluation. The article points out that FIA GT3's are based on road cars, so why would Mirabeau assess a purpose built GT2 racecar? Presumably a new GT2 programme is under consideration. The article goes on to point out that Morgan's 100th Anniversary is in 2009, and, "Could the ACO resist such a historically significant entry from a French team at Le Mans, in 2009?"

I suspect there would be considerable support for such a programme!

[SALEEN S7R]

Unfortunately my subscription to DSC ran out a couple of weeks ago, ill have to renew it in early January, no money at the moment. So, Morgan for GT2 at Le Mans again? Sounds good to me.

[Simon S]

Originally Posted by ChironWSC

Have the cars been homologated by the FIA for GT3 yet? Also Have Morgan built 200 Aero 8's yet or will they become the same fate as Mosler?
The manufacturer I would think needs to be involved with the Homologation of the car, so Morgan will be fairly well involved initially.

question:

Assuming Morgan have built 200+ Aero 8's (and I have no idea if they have or not)...

how can *anybody* other than the manufacture produce a GT3 car? I might be missing the point here, but as I understand it, only the manufacture can homologate the cars??

if this is not the case, what's to stop me (as a non-manufacturer) gaining an entry for just about *any* road based car? Perhaps I could ask to homologate a Honda-engined Exige for example (you can imaging how much lotus would like/support that idea)?

Having looked hard at GT3, I really am struggling to understand it, there does not seem to be anything in the way of proper reg's, and the acceptance seems more a case of politics than defined rules.

PS. this is not to say I would not like to see Morgans racing in GT

[Ranald]

As I understand any team wishing to entre a car into GT3 must have explicit permission to do so from the manufacturer.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Simon S

question:

Assuming Morgan have built 200+ Aero 8's (and I have no idea if they have or not)...

how can *anybody* other than the manufacture produce a GT3 car? I might be missing the point here, but as I understand it, only the manufacture can homologate the cars??

if this is not the case, what's to stop me (as a non-manufacturer) gaining an entry for just about *any* road based car? Perhaps I could ask to homologate a Honda-engined Exige for example (you can imaging how much lotus would like/support that idea)?

Probably Morgan has given Mirabeau the green light to develop a GT3.
For example the GT3 Corvette is developed by "non-manufacturer" Callaway and the Jaguar by Apex.

[Simon S]

Originally Posted by Ranald

As I understand any team wishing to entre a car into GT3 must have explicit permission to do so from the manufacturer.

Sure you are right, the point I was making is where is this stuff written down?

GT3 seems to be very much whatever you want at the moment....

[Dragaan]

Originally Posted by Simon S

GT3 seems to be very much whatever you want at the moment....

Unless you want a Mosler...



Sorry, couldn't resist the smilie

[Ranald]

I see what you mean Simon. I have read through both the sporting and technical regulations from this years championship and can find very little in the way of homologation information. Although the sporting regulations do mention a published list of cars valid for homoligation which I cannot find anywhere.
To be honest the regulations seem to be a bit thin.

[old man]

So how do we think it will do then? Ascari, Aston, Corvette, Viper, not to mention the Ferrari and Porsche. Sure it has done wonders often in the past but now? Somehow the laws of physics that pertain to chassis design and aerodynamics don't quite appear to give it much chance and the last thing Morgan needs is a complete whitewash.

Am I wrong? Who was that guy that raced them in the 70's, was it Lawrencetune or something like that, great giant killing at the time but now? How is the Aero 8 different, what engine does it use? Forgive some ignorance

[Dani Filth]

The Aero 8 uses a modern BMW V8

[gttouring]

good the morgans loook and sound so great- and front engined racers are coooler than rear and middies anyday

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by old man

So how do we think it will do then? Ascari, Aston, Corvette, Viper, not to mention the Ferrari and Porsche. Sure it has done wonders often in the past but now? Somehow the laws of physics that pertain to chassis design and aerodynamics don't quite appear to give it much chance and the last thing Morgan needs is a complete whitewash.

Am I wrong? Who was that guy that raced them in the 70's, was it Lawrencetune or something like that, great giant killing at the time but now? How is the Aero 8 different, what engine does it use? Forgive some ignorance

It uses a BMW V8 AFAIK.

E: Really badly beaten to it.

[Adam43]

The Morgan uses a BMW engine, I'd have though someone would have posted that by now

Anyway the point of the post; a link: http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/sales/aero8gtn.html

[old man]

According to that fount of knowledge on all things motor sport, and especially GT racing, I speak of the Autosport of course, Mr Laffite and Mr Jabouille are behind the Morgan entry. Why? I ask myself

[Graham Goodwin]

That's sort of correct - as I understand it it's actually the other way around - One of Lafitte's long time backers is major Morgan fan Eric Studza - The Barings boss who commissioned the original Morgan Aeromax

[old man]

Being old I am all for nostalgia but if I were our ex F1 heroes I would want serious wedge to put my name to that in modern racing, correct me if I am wrong but it will be nowhere surely?

[Truckosaurus]

Because of the GT3 equivalency process, I don't think the Morgan will "be nowhere", unless it is so off the pace that even at minimum weight and no restrictors it can't keep up...

[Graham Goodwin]

The Keith Ahlers car has been consistently compwetitive in GT Cup so there's no reason why it can't be there or thereabouts

[TheNewBob]

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

The Morgan uses a BMW engine, I'd have though someone would have posted that by now

Anyway the point of the post; a link: http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/sales/aero8gtn.html

Hmmm... off-topic but vaguely amusing for all of 5 minutes - following that link, wonder where that picture was taken? The livery is British GT from '02 (it has the GTO class badge), but that's a rather big-looking orange grandstand in the background...?