Prodrive ?

[HORNDAWG]

With the recent personnel exodus and other stability issues with Aston Martin Racing it gives me pause as to what is truly going on? Prodrive has spent about as much time with the AM project as they did with the 550 project. I am wondering if they are planning on moving on to another project. Since they make their living selling pieces of cars rather than the cars themselves, they have about exhausted the AM connection. Since they already have ties to the Fiat AG I was wondering if they may be in on( or want to be) either the Alpha Romeo 8c Competizione GT-2 (or maybe GT-1) or a Maserati Trofeo Gran Sport GT-1 to replace the MC-12?



L.P.

[Fogelhund]

Personally, I hope Prodrive is done with Sportscars. While they build a good car, their attitude and behaviour stains their accomplishments. Sportscars are better off without their presence.

Let them focus on F1.

[The359]

Was Prodrive done with Ferrari after only 2 and a half years, give or take? I thought that project lasted a little longer.

I also don't think Prodrive's feeling do anything to their achievements.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by The359

Was Prodrive done with Ferrari after only 2 and a half years, give or take? I thought that project lasted a little longer.

I also don't think Prodrive's feeling do anything to their achievements.

550 from 01 to 04

AM from late 04 to present 07

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/frame...hp&carnum=1236

L.P.

[cmk]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Personally, I hope Prodrive is done with Sportscars. While they build a good car, their attitude and behaviour stains their accomplishments. Sportscars are better off without their presence.

Let them focus on F1.

I think you're saying that Dave Richards and his minions should stay out of sportscars. I don't think this reflects on Prodrive's cars themselves, if run by people less whiny than him. I didn't feel that stigma pained the CARE Racing efforts of Mr. Dor, and I certainly think sportscars were not better off without that group's presence.

Consequently, I disagree with you. I hope Prodrive continues to work with GT1 cars. Only P&M, Oreca and Saleen have been as successful at producing top-performing GT1 cars as of late, and the former 2 of those were heavily factory-backed.

[Ranald]

I for one really hope that Prodrive continue in sportscars and with Aston Matin for a while yet. Remember P&M done their fair share of moaning last season too.
Regarding the potential Maserati link personally I doubt strongly that it would come to anything. Maserati recently built a state of the art purpose-built racing facility to house all of their racing projects. Given this I don't see why they would abandon this facility and pay Prodrive to build their racing cars.

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Personally, I hope Prodrive is done with Sportscars. While they build a good car, their attitude and behaviour stains their accomplishments. Sportscars are better off without their presence.

Let them focus on F1.

You may not like the way AMR conducted themselves last year (and nor do I), but is it really any different from the posturing of so many teams/manufacturers which has become part and parcel of top level motor racing?

The blame for what transpired in the ALMS does not lie solely with AMR. The root cause of this whole fiasco was the lack of opposition in GT1 for P&M. The organisers of the ALMS (and presumably P&M) wanted AMR there at all costs and AMR ungraciously obliged. Mistakes were made, not by Prodrive/AMR, but by those responsible for the Series, and it is they who showed weakness when a firm hand was needed, and it is they who should shoulder most of the blame. They played their (weak) hand very badly.




Just wanted to add that Prodrive's 'good' contributions to sportscar racing over the last few years vastly outweigh this blot on their copybook. I very much hope they continue their involvement in 2008 and beyond.

[AstonGeoff]

Well said Bently03!

AMR only entered the ALMS on a race by race basis in 2006, drumming up funds as they went along (hence the frequent change of sponsor logo's and positions!). It was never their original intention to do the full series. As far as I know AMR were only ever going to do LM and the odd race, but produce customer cars to be run by either AMR blessed teams (BMS & Larbre) or privateers. They couldn't do a deal with anyone to run them in the ALMS, possibly because the Corvettes were factory backed and way too strong after many years of development (the c6r is just an evolution of the c5r i'm sure). P&M really only run the two factory cars, releasing them to privateers once they have served there purpose, and building some fresh ones for themselves, whereas AMR/Prodrive are more about building cars for sale.

I know that IMSA kept fiddling with the rules which is a very bad thing, but at least it did produce some close'ish racing, without AMR it would have been a 1 horse race in GT1. It won't be much of a victory for the Corvettes this year if they don't have any proper competition!

[The Badger]

P & M is like what Joest means to LMP1 ..... mostly unbeatable !!!

Im sure the amount of engineering and financial support coming from GM frightens most potential GT1 entrants away , like Acemco for example !!!

I reckon Prodrive is brilliant and im quite happy to see them racing in Europe again (if they do) .

[AU N EGL]

ProDrive is a huge world wide specialty automotive engineering company. They have offices in several countries as well.

Did not ProDrive also get a 2009 or 2010 F1 entry?

[ss_collins]

yes they have a 2008 F1 entry

[HORNDAWG]

AstonGeoff;

They couldn't do a deal with anyone to run them in the ALMS, possibly because the Corvettes were factory backed and way too strong after many years of development (the c6r is just an evolution of the c5r i'm sure). P&M really only run the two factory cars, releasing them to privateers once they have served there purpose, and building some fresh ones for themselves, whereas AMR/Prodrive are more about building cars for sale.

Where is the proof of this assertion? Can you produce any evidence what so ever that a legitimate buyer was told they could not buy a new P& M built C5-R or C6.R? First off, a new C5-R was sold to SRT( # C5R-007) and two were to be sold to Atomic Kitten Racing (fell through) and Doug Fehan said they have two C6.R's they are trying to sell right now. Just because someone does not buy one does not mean they are not for sale!! Get the facts straight!

L.P.

[The359]

C5-R #007 was built a few years after the program started though, wasn't it?

[Adam43]

Before you tell someone to get their facts straight, perhaps try to understand their point or give the benefit of the doubt. I don't think AstonGeoff has said that P&M have refused sales of these cars. However what he says is how it has worked out. Prodrive, undoubtedly, wanted to make this more of a customer car; their primary focus was to make money out of that. Corvette primary purpose was not this. What is the problem, you are defending something that doesn't need defending; both can go racing how they want to. If Corvette aren't desperate to have customer cars, then great. However let us not forget that there is a difference between the teams - it is interesting!

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by The359

C5-R #007 was built a few years after the program started though, wasn't it?

Program started in 1999 with C5R-001 and C5R-002

C5R-007 was built as a customer car in 2003
http://palmeter.com/C5R-007.htm

"There was an agreement in mid-2001 for Atomic Kitten Racing (!!) to buy two C5-R race cars (most likely C5R-006 and C5R-007, although C5R-008 was also a possibility). The deal was later cancelled. (Atomic Kitten was an all-girl British rock group.)"

C5R and C6R history: http://www.palmeter.com/

[Adam43]

Frankly it is probably best for Corvette if a deal with Atomic Kitten hadn't worked out!

[TheNewBob]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

"There was an agreement in mid-2001 for Atomic Kitten Racing (!!) to buy two C5-R race cars (most likely C5R-006 and C5R-007, although C5R-008 was also a possibility). The deal was later cancelled. (Atomic Kitten was an all-girl British rock group.)"

I'd hardly call them a rock group!!

But the team did run a Corvette - a C5 in British GT in 2001, in the GTO class. Don't think they had much success though. I doubt Atomic Kitten themselves had much of an idea what was going on either, although I think they did turn up to a couple of races.

[Fosca]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

550 from 01 to 04

AM from late 04 to present 07

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/frame...hp&carnum=1236

L.P.

Nice site there:

http://www.endurance-info.com/article.php?sid=2896

[Flat12-Aircool]

I don't know about all the supposed "Bad attitude" of Pro Drive, but I do know that the C6R is illegal and shouldn't even qualify as a GT1 car.

[HORNDAWG]

L.P.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by Flat12-Aircool

I don't know about all the supposed "Bad attitude" of Pro Drive, but I do know that the C6R is illegal and shouldn't even qualify as a GT1 car.

Guess you have not read the ACO nor FIA GT1 rules.

and I wondering why you would say one the Corvette is illegal? Do you have some details or examples?

[Zurbert82]

Originally Posted by Flat12-Aircool

I don't know about all the supposed "Bad attitude" of Pro Drive, but I do know that the C6R is illegal and shouldn't even qualify as a GT1 car.

Is this a serious post or is my sarcasm meter not turned on today? If it is serious then you have a lot of research to do..

[Flat12-Aircool]

Well I stand to be corrected, but doesn't the original car have an alluminium chassis and yet the Race car has a steel chassis.

I thought the whole point of GT racing was to at least race the original chassis?

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/content/gt1.htm

Whereas Aston Martin wouldn't think of resorting to such underhanded tricks.

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by Flat12-Aircool

Well I stand to be corrected, but doesn't the original car have an alluminium chassis and yet the Race car has a steel chassis.

I thought the whole point of GT racing was to at least race the original chassis?

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/content/gt1.htm

Whereas Aston Martin wouldn't think of resorting to such underhanded tricks.

The Z06 uses an Aluminium frame rail. The C6 uses a steel frame rail.

http://www.corvetteracing.com/cars/c...is_specs.shtml

L.P.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Flat12-Aircool

Well I stand to be corrected, but doesn't the original car have an alluminium chassis and yet the Race car has a steel chassis.

I thought the whole point of GT racing was to at least race the original chassis?

The Z06 runs an aluminium frame but I believe the base Vette still uses stell chassis rails. And I think I had read somewhere that the aluminium was not allowed and was why they pull base stock Vette rails for the C6Rs. but I have been proven wrong before so who knows.