GT1 dream shattered

[Geva racing]

1997 was defenitly the best yar for the GT1's

Here's the pre-season entrylist:

GT1
7 McLaren BMW F1 GTR's
2 Mercedes-benz CLK-GTR's
6 Porsche 911 GT1's
4 Lotus Elise GT1's
3 Panoz GTR-1's
1 Lister Storm GTL

GT2
3 Chrysler Viper GTS-R's
5 Porsche 911 GT2's
2 Marcos LM600's
1 Callaway Corvette GT2 LM

What a year that was and future looked bright.

Mercedes, Porsche, Panoz, Mclaren and Lotus all said that they'd be around the next year with the possibility of Lister, Toyota and Nissan joining.

Then Tragedy struck only 10 cars made it into 1998.

Why,Why,Why?

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by Geva racing
1997 was defenitly the best yar (sic) for the GT1's

.................................................................................................... .....................

Then Tragedy struck only 10 cars made it into 1998.

Why,Why,Why?

Easy.

Cost and the FIA regulations. Only Merc and Porsche could spend those sums and even Porsche was struggling. Lister needed to make 25(?) cars which were never on. Merc were using the SLK as the basis for a car that really didn't exist as a production vehicle.

[marcus]

I think Peter has hit it right on the head there..its such a shame as GT1 cars are awesome

[BSchneiderFan]

Call me an archaeologist.

I don't entirely buy the cost angle. Are you telling me Mercedes-Benz and Porsche could afford the series but McLaren/BMW, Toyota or Nissan couldn't? Hmmm...

[JAG]

GT1 is still around, its called LMGTP. After the Toyota GT-ONE the ACO scrapped the need for road cars and made it a prototype class.

As FIA GTs is for, GTs, there are no LMGTPs racing.

In fact the GTS cars are exactlly the same as GT1s but with 200KG more weight and 25 rather than 1 road car needs to be built. The new Masarati MC will be more advanced than any GT1 car ever was.

The problem with GT1 was that they were supposed to be road cars, but from the 911 GT1 96 onwards, were actually prototypes with the road car built after the race car. This meant each year the manufactuers would only push the development envelope a little for fear of there car being banned for being too outrageous.

This in effect meant teams had to buy totally new cars each year to be competitive.

The timeline was as follows:- F1 GTR - 911 GT1 - R390 - CLK-GTR - GT-ONE.

The cars when from out and out production cars with the F1 GTR to out and out protype with the Toyota GT-ONE in a series of small steps over a 3 or 4 year period.

With LMP900/LMGTP theres no pretence to being a road car so manufactuers know they can be as outragous as they like from the start, and evolve the original design rather than producing totally new cars each year as Porsche did with the various 911 GT1s.

[Nick M]

Ahhh, 1997 - my first year at Le Mans !!

It was indeed an awesome spectacle and the evolution of the GT1s was really very interesting as each manufacturer chose to up the stakes. You could see it was ultimately doomed to self-destruct but it was great while it lasted !

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by JAG
GT1 is still around, its called LMGTP.

No it isn't. GT1 had mandatory road car production which made things even more expensive, and turned the whole homologation process into a bit of a farce; GTP is LMP with a roof on.

[JAG]

What I meant was LMGTP is the direct descendabt of GT1.

GT1 cars ran in LMGTP in 1999, i.e. the Toyota GT-One. This why the LMGTP cars have slightly different tyre/power regs to LMP900.

In 2004 LMGTP will be LMP900 with a roof as the rules will be the same as LMP900, but with roofs.

[Smokey 6 litre]

Originally posted by JAG
The new Masarati MC will be more advanced than any GT1 car ever was.

where can i see this car, i didn't know there was anything happening, i need more info please.

[Splatz the Cow]

JAG - what are you on?

A Maserati being more advanced then the McLaren F1?

You mean in the engine bay? Or the suspension? Please do inform us all of this Maserati revolution.

Further more, the GT1 class is even more expensive than the LMP or GTP class. But there was a limit on how much the cars could be worth, so Porsche had to sell them at that maximum price even thogh they cost a lot more to build. In contrast The cars like the Cadillac and Panoz LMP, and Bentley cost less.

[Dani Filth]

the Maserati will be based on the Enzo .. wich IS more advanced than the McLaren F1 ...

[Brant]

Hmm, what would you have to do to a Toyota GT one to make it an LMGTP. Could Toyota come back, relatively on the cheap!?How far away are the weights and engine restrictions? Is the GTone already a dinosaur?

[Aysedasi]

Don't even talk about it. The thought of seeing a Toyota GT One back at Le Mans gets me all in a lather.....

[JAG]

Originally posted by Splatz the Cow
JAG - what are you on?

A Maserati being more advanced then the McLaren F1?

You mean in the engine bay? Or the suspension? Please do inform us all of this Maserati revolution.

Further more, the GT1 class is even more expensive than the LMP or GTP class. But there was a limit on how much the cars could be worth, so Porsche had to sell them at that maximum price even thogh they cost a lot more to build. In contrast The cars like the Cadillac and Panoz LMP, and Bentley cost less.

The Masarati MC is a purpose built GTS car with a carbon chassis, mid engined with a N/A V10 or V12.

It will debut mid 2004 with a new works Masarati team. Its nothing to do with the Masarati one make car already seen.

Lolas new GTS will also be a similar spec to the Masarati MC.

[courage]

The Maserati won't debut in mid 2004... simply because they want to go to FIA GT (not to Le Mans)and that FIAGT doesn't want one factory team... it's forbiden!
If there were 3 or 4 factory teams it would be possible ...but it won't
Lola wonn't built a GTS but a road car (if they find the suport of a factory) and this car will be developped to a LM GTP

[JAG]

Originally posted by courage
The Maserati won't debut in mid 2004... simply because they want to go to FIA GT (not to Le Mans)and that FIAGT doesn't want one factory team... it's forbiden!
If there were 3 or 4 factory teams it would be possible ...but it won't
Lola wonn't built a GTS but a road car (if they find the suport of a factory) and this car will be developped to a LM GTP

Masarati have said they'll race werever theres good racing including the US/ALMS, although FIA GT competition was the initial reason the car was built. The 'works' team are sounding out drivers now so they must have plans for a works campaign somewhere.

I would bet they will race in the LMES/LM eventually. The works team will only race in FIA GT if there are 3 or 4 works teams, e.g. Lamboghini/Aston Martin, but customer cars would race when available in 2005, even if the works do not.

As for Lola I heard they were building a road car for a manufactuer, that would race in GTS. They would then build an LMGTP with styling cues from this road car design.

It would seem very strange to develop a road car, then turn it into an LMGTP.

But then again I've not heard much about this latlty.