Originally Posted by JAG
Take it as a rumour for now, but apparently a manufactuer LMP program has been given the green light for next season, in addition Zytek will announce a manufactuer backed program soon. Toyota are working on an LMP in Cologne, and Wirth have a coupe ready to go, the future of which is more optimistic now HPD are selling the current P1.
Rumours about Audi have been ongoing since the R8 competed, if Audi go to F1 Porsche will be in P1, and vice versa. On Peugeot's side diesel and hybrid technolgy is their focus, F1 was a disaster, the WRC is the domain of Citroen.
I do favour protoypes but I'm not going to back something I think has no future, far from it I think the class has never been stronger.
In the mid '90's protoypes were sad cut and shut 962's and such, GT's the home of manufactuers with full factory teams, follow the development of these GT's, and you end with current P1's like the 908 and R18.
The current GT field is the domain of customers, with the exception of Corvette and soon to be departed BMW. Audi and Peugeot will field three cars apiece, with the best drivers, backed up by huge marketing. The latest Ferrari or Porsche GTE will only be on the grid if a customer purchases the car, at best they'll recieve a factory contracted driver.
I did hear Mclaren talk about not thinking LMP's were relevant, or appealing to the public, but you have to take this with a pinch of salt. The Mclaren organisation has been built upon F1 single seaters, using technology with little road relevance, against rivals like Red Bull and Virgin, oh, and Ferrari.
Le Mans and the ILMC is about attracting mainstream manufactuers to promote their brand and the event, not only sell customer cars. The likes of Porsche have two objectives, a customer program to sell 911's, a halo program to develop technology and promote the brand, i.e LMP or F1.
Much of the 918 technology is descended from the RS Spyder, Porsche are demonstrating what they learned in competition, it isn't a car designed to spearhead Porsches competition future.
The Group C World Championship ended in 1992, it's taken untill 2011 for the sport to have clear, stable regs, with clear distinctions between LMP and GT, factory and privateer, and a worldwide platform in the form of the ILMC, which crucially includes Le Mans, that means the ACO are serious.
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