New A1 GP car for 2008!

[SALEEN S7R]

www.autosport.com today is reporting that there will indeed be new cars for the 2008 A1 GP season, the cars are expected to be bigger and more powerful producing around 750bhp, over 200bhp more than the current cars. The cars are expected to remain relativly gizmo free however which IMO can only be a good thing. A bit like Champcar then it would seem, although obviously with differnt areodynamics.

Will be interesting to see where the cars are in comparissan to the GP2 cars which I expect will also have been updated by this time.

[madmed]

The gp2 car has 580 Bhp. The IRL car has 650 Bhp. So the a1gp car will have more power than the gp2 and the IRL. But less power than Champ car(750 bhp to 800 bhp with the push to pass button).

[SALEEN S7R]

Yes but the GP2 car has been the same since 2005, every 2 or 3 years or so a new car is normally rolled out. You can be sure the GP2 series organisers will want to have a car that is as good if not better than the A1 GP machine, especially when you consider that the GP2 organisers are organising a GP2 winter series. The 2 championships will be in direct competition with one another. Also at the moment the GP2 cars have just over 600bhp, the GP2 site hasnt updated the car specifications but as part of the new package for this year the GP2 cars were given a extra 500rpm over 2005.

IRL has 600-650bhp yes but the manufacturers there will have pushed development on by the 2008 season, as for Champcar, they have a new car coming out for the 2007 season although im not sure if there are any modifcations planned for the engine.

[Kiwi3]

I have heard before that this was the plan and that the current cars would also be kept as a sort of A2GP. Not sure if they will have some sort of promotion/relegation system or what.

[Mystery]

It would make a lot of sense for A1 to have its own support series, so I think that sounds very very likely to me.

[Roninho]

Would be great, 750hp cars. But do you think all of current drivers are capable enough to race it from a safety standpoint? We already saw some heavy crashes this year, don't want to think what would have happened if th cars were going 20-30 mph faster.

[zac510]

Originally Posted by Mystery

It would make a lot of sense for A1 to have its own support series, so I think that sounds very very likely to me.

I don't agree. Local support acts with local drivers will attract local crowds. People only like going to see stuff they are familiar with and a local support series gives that compared to the A1 that people are only vaguely familiar with so far.

Plus you don't have to ship the cars as far!

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by Roninho

Would be great, 750hp cars. But do you think all of current drivers are capable enough to race it from a safety standpoint? We already saw some heavy crashes this year, don't want to think what would have happened if th cars were going 20-30 mph faster.

I agree with you.

The current power output must be mentained at how it is. Giving half the field the new A1GP car is the same as giving a baby a loaded gun.

I hope the current car is mentained, and only updated slightly. Then have the A2GP, but IMO that should use basically F3 cars.

[SALEEN S7R]

As the article on Autosport points out, the drivers that are currently inexperinced that are driving for nations such as Indonesia for example will be experinced in the current A1 GP cars by the time the new specifcation cars make their debut. The step from a current A1 car to a 750bhp A1 car wont be that big a step. The drivers have 2 more years to get used to the cars as they are, more than enough time. IMO.

Had the A1 organisers simply introduced 750bhp cars for the 2006/07 season I think we might then have a problem, as it is however the organisers are progressing slowly which is the right thing to do. IMO.

[Knowlesy]

The likes of Shimoda in a car with 200hp extra. I'm sorry, that's just horrifying.

If the standard in the field is upped, then this is a good thing though.

[SALEEN S7R]

Knowlesy we all know Shimoda made some big errors last year but he is more than capable of driving big powerful cars. He did after all drive a 650bhp Zytek last year in the LMS and ALMS which outperforms a current A1 GP car. If it wasnt Shimoda that made the mistake it would have been someone else. The driving standards of the drivers whose nations that are less experinced in motorsport will improve given time and that is why the changes arent being rushed. IMO.

[Net-Ranger]

Always a new car bring lot of expectation and this will not be the exception, i imagine that the new car will came from Lola shops like the actual car, so thinking on that i remember that Lola lost the race against Panoz for the contract for the new Champcar no so long ago...is just a guess, but probably the new car will be "The unwanted" Lola Champcar design or a derivate from that design...

This is the drawing of what Lola offer to Champcar



any thoughts???

Who knows, we just have to wait and see what happen

[SALEEN S7R]

I think the guess might be a little off the mark to be honest, whilst Champcar chasis these days are more similar to conventional single seaters than they were in the late 90s there are still some big differnces. To be honest I would think its much more likely that the car will be a evolution of the chassis that are currently running in Formula Nippon at the moment, they are after all more of a conventional single seater.

This is all assuming of course that the A1 GP organisers want to go down the conventional singer route, they may want another car like the current specifcation car with differnt areodynamics to conventional single seaters. Personally though im hoping that isnt the case.

[jondownunder]

The current cars provide fantastic racing, so I'd imagine that the Sheikh would want Lola to purpose build a replacement on the positives of that chassis. He had a big say in the vision for the original car after all.

[Knowlesy]

One of the main things with the design of the current A1 car is that it is visually very unique and distinctive. It portrays the liveries of each country very well with it's chunky look. And I rather like it, despite it's preposterous nosecone.

And they give good racing of course.

I would imagine we will have a similar kind of thing with the new car.

[Matski]

Safety my rear-end! has nobody ever noticed the 'motorsport is dangerous' signs up at race tracks?. if A1GP is to be the World Cup of Motorsport it needs some serious machinery, it'll attract better driver's who can do more with the machinery, which will lead to more interest and in a few years if they keep it up maybe winning the A1 Grand Prix of Nations will be a highly coveted thing... or maybe not. Either way this is a definate step in the right direction.

[woodbine]

I think this should be a good thing. Just as long as the racing isn't affected. I also like the idea of A2GP. It'll give the teams somewhere to train their up and coming drivers . Even though the standard of the current drivers will have risen by 2008, what about the new drivers that will come through in the future?

[chunterer]

Hmmm, forget the new car being the tendered Lola champcar, at the end of this year there'll be 20 plus existing champcar Lola chassis going spare which with suitable mods (assuming any would be needed) would fit the bill for a 700hp powered A1 car very nicely as it's already putting out that kind of power...

[dazbaz_99]

I hope they dont actually look like old Champcars though, I kinda like the A1 GP car shape.

[dazbaz_99]

Originally Posted by Net-Ranger

This is the drawing of what Lola offer to Champcar

any thoughts???

I dont mind them using the chassis if its going to keep costs at a minimum, but my initial thoughts to A1GP using that bodywork, wings set up would be no. I prefer them with a higher engine cover as they do now, it does help the cars stand out with their countrys liverys. The nose section is ok, probably a bit better than the current one, but the rear wing, no, keep the current design.

Maybe im just being picky!

Whats everyone elses idea on the ideal A1P car.

[madmed]

increasing the engine power will get a1gp closer to f1.
Check this: http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns17386.html

[Alwaysfirst]

I don't mind that Lola chassis as long as they have a proper engine cover on top rather than the simple champcar roll hoop. That said I'd be quite happy with the current design, just with a proper nose & front wing. I think this would make a really attractive car that would show off the conutries liveries well.

[Knowlesy]

The roll hoop is great. Nice and retro.

[dazbaz_99]

Anyone see the new France and S.Africa car liveries for this season? Even more striking than last years, another step in the right direction! I was hoping that team GB might make there car a little different from last year, doesnt seem like it though...

[Knowlesy]

I like the France one, much better than last season.

But South Africa is just plain wrong....the front is too red!