Some Courage news for 2007

isynge · 27 Oct 2006, 13:07 (Ref:1751062)

There's a good piece on Courage's plans for 2007 on endurance-info. It's well worth a read but the edited highlights look like...

First, a third LC75 heading across the Atlantic for Acura, this seems to be a development car but it would be nice to see it race.

An LC70 for the ALMS is seen as a virtual certainty.

Two LC75s are likely to run in the LMS - no word on which teams but I would assume Belmondo have to be likely candidates.

The Mugen/Yokohama partnership is still a bit up in the air. It'll likely continue in Japan but nothing concrete about Europe. I'd see it as a shame if it ended, the cars' pace over one lap was very impressive, and I got the impression it just needed work to make it competitive over 1000km.

More aerodynamic work will be undertaken to make the LC70 work better with Judd powerplants - a good thing as the Swiss Spirit installation always struck me as being a bit clunky.

Finally, and possibly most controversially, Courage is perfectly happy with the ACO equivalence formula between petrol and diesel. Can I assume this is a banker to get his two entries in June?

gwyllion · 27 Oct 2006, 13:17 (Ref:1751067)

You miss a subtle hint.

Quote:

Restons aux Etats-Unis en confirmant que des LC70 rejoindront également bientôt le Nouveau Continent.

That is plural

So more than 1 LMP1 Courage going to ALMS.

Interesting detail is that the rear hood of the LC70 needs to be redesigned because the Judd GV5.5 S2 has higher trumpets.

Endurance-info also mentions there will be some reorganisation in the factory LMS/24LM effort.

gwyllion · 27 Oct 2006, 13:18 (Ref:1751069)

I have to agree that Courage is butt licking ACO when they say the rules are fine

isynge · 27 Oct 2006, 13:22 (Ref:1751079)

Apologies for the flaky translations - nice to have you keep me honest!

Tim Northcutt · 27 Oct 2006, 13:41 (Ref:1751088)

So...

Is it "Virtually Certain," or is it "Confirmed"....

I saw gwyllion's post in the ALMS Cars for 2007 thread, but I don't read French....

I'm assuming that the "Cares are confirmed," but the purchaser of those cars and the particulars were not divulged pending an "official announcement" by the parties involved...

Is that correct???

gwyllion · 27 Oct 2006, 13:45 (Ref:1751091)

Quote:

Restons aux Etats-Unis en confirmant que des LC70 rejoindront également bientôt le Nouveau Continent. Nous ne pouvons pas en dire plus pour l'instant mais l'info ne va plus tarder �* être officiellement confirmée et annoncée...

Loose translation:

Quote:

Let's stay in USA by confirming that some LC70s will soon also rejoin the new continent. We can not say more for the moment, but it will not take long before the information will be officially confirmed and announced...

Tim Northcutt · 27 Oct 2006, 13:46 (Ref:1751093)

Thanks!

Félix · 27 Oct 2006, 14:41 (Ref:1751161)

Does anybody know what happened to the Courage-Panoz relationship at the end of 2004? They were talking about fitting Elan V8s in a Courage, the next one at the time since it wouldn't fit in the C60. Courage also got an Esperante GT-LM and tested it on the Bugatti. They were originally supposed to be the European distributor, but it looks like LTN took that place... Are their relationships still good enough?

The other common theory is that these cars will be for Kevin Kalkhoven in one way or the other, with the Cosworth engines he owns in the back of them... And there are rumors of KK buying Elan, Cosworth has lots of qualified personnel not used for F1 anymore, plus both organizations are kinda working hand in hand to help each other... What will it be?

It looks to me like fitting an atmo engine would be a lot simpler than fitting a twin-turbo unit...

edit: it's not been talked about here, but the Endurance-info item also mentions that the 2 first LC75-Acuras have been tested last week, this week, and again in november...

Tim Northcutt · 27 Oct 2006, 15:05 (Ref:1751190)

On another website, Kalkhoven denied that he is interested in purchasing Elan Technologies, and praised Panoz for creating a great chassis for the CCWS that will be in action next year.

If I find the link, I'll post it here, but I thought that i had read that somewhere very recently....

On the Elan-Courage front, based on what we have seen transpire over the past year or so, it seems apparent that Courage chose to go to Mugen for their factory engines for the LC70s...

WouterM · 27 Oct 2006, 15:29 (Ref:1751212)

Quote:

Originally Posted by isynge

The Mugen/Yokohama partnership is still a bit up in the air. It'll likely continue in Japan but nothing concrete about Europe. I'd see it as a shame if it ended, the cars' pace over one lap was very impressive, and I got the impression it just needed work to make it competitive over 1000km.

The reliability was horrible and it did not seem to have gotten any better at the final race. It was heartwrenching to see Gounon pulling off in his first stint at Jarama. The other car finished, but had to be pushed in the garage for repairs from the lead.

gwyllion · 27 Oct 2006, 15:30 (Ref:1751213)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

On another website, Kalkhoven denied that he is interested in purchasing Elan Technologies, and praised Panoz for creating a great chassis for the CCWS that will be in action next year.

If I find the link, I'll post it here, but I thought that i had read that somewhere very recently....

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...OTORSPORTSNEWS

cmk · 28 Oct 2006, 03:23 (Ref:1751661)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Félix

edit: it's not been talked about here, but the Endurance-info item also mentions that the 2 first LC75-Acuras have been tested last week, this week, and again in november...

Duncan Dayton mentioned these (then upcoming) tests on the Radio Web at Laguna, but said "I can't tell you where!" so it's definitely believeable.

Hammerdown · 28 Oct 2006, 09:59 (Ref:1751814)

Quote:

Originally Posted by WouterM

The reliability was horrible and it did not seem to have gotten any better at the final race. It was heartwrenching to see Gounon pulling off in his first stint at Jarama. The other car finished, but had to be pushed in the garage for repairs from the lead.

Am I right in thinking it was nearly always transmission failure? I realise that can cover a multitude of sins, but what box do they use?

ger80 · 28 Oct 2006, 12:17 (Ref:1751894)

TLSE six-gear sequential gearbox designed by Courage
Semi-automatic paddle shift system

Source: http://www.haroldprimat.com/pages/co...lt.aspx?art=25

Hammerdown · 28 Oct 2006, 13:19 (Ref:1751931)

Thanks for that. Just found this

http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans...echnic_fr.html

says its a Hewland/Courage.

Whatever it is, it seems it needs some work!

Fieldgate · 30 Oct 2006, 13:38 (Ref:1753579)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hammerdown

says its a Hewland/Courage. Whatever it is, it seems it needs some work!

Indeed was a Hewland and does indeed.

I think Harald is/was trying to get an something else in (X-Trac ?) and Serge was pulling his hair out, so may be part of the aero re-design along with the trumpet clearance & airbox design).

It wouldn't surprise me if the Mug V8 shook everything to pieces too in those cars...

ger80 · 30 Oct 2006, 18:50 (Ref:1753778)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fieldgate

It wouldn't surprise me if the Mug V8 shook everything to pieces too in those cars...

You are thinking about the RfH engine change a short time before Le Mans?

Hammerdown · 30 Oct 2006, 19:15 (Ref:1753793)

Hope they get it fixed for next year. Would be good to get some more competition out there. The thought of Cosworth turbo powered LC70s (hopefully with an X-Trac or Ricardo box) is quite mouthwatering. Roll on next year!

GT-Eins · 31 Oct 2006, 00:51 (Ref:1753979)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fieldgate

..

It wouldn't surprise me if the Mug V8 shook everything to pieces too in those cars...

At least M-tec did now obviously manage that issue as the LC70 was victorious in Okayama this weekend.
Would be fine to see this squad & Car competing at La Sarthe, independently from Courage. Although I had the impression that half of the Courage-team at the LMS was M-Tec instead

gwyllion · 31 Oct 2006, 07:20 (Ref:1754110)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT-Eins

At least M-tec did now obviously manage that issue as the LC70 was victorious in Okayama this weekend.

It won against 1 old Zytek. Not a lot of competition.

isynge · 31 Oct 2006, 09:19 (Ref:1754206)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwyllion

It won against 1 old Zytek. Not a lot of competition.

Duck and cover - I suspect there's probably quite a few folk who'd disagree with you about the level of competition that "old Zytek" could offer

Much more significant to my eyes was reading the pleasingly extensive DSC coverage of the event (Wimpffen once again proving beyond doubt that he can write) the LC70-Mugen-Yokohama combination appeared to have no real issues at all across 1000km. Okay, it probably wasn't put under the sort of pressure it had during the LMS and at Le Mans, but hitherto it's shown a distinct lack of reliability to match its undoubted pace.

gwyllion · 31 Oct 2006, 18:36 (Ref:1754618)

Some more Courage news on http://www.endurance-info.com/article.php?sid=2807

canam · 2 Nov 2006, 09:16 (Ref:1756000)

I hear that there is an advertisement in Autosport by Saulnier Racing (former Swiss Spirit Team Principal) for a Courage LC70!!!!

I haven't had a chance to see the article yet but could it be that Swiss Spirit are selling their car? Is so, what will they replace it with?? Primat appeared to enjoy the Creation Hybrid. HMMMMMM.

The Badger · 2 Nov 2006, 09:36 (Ref:1756029)

That would be a shame if they arnt racing the LC70 next year .

I like the 2 new front holes on the nose ... brake cooling ? And the 2 scoops just in front of the rear wheel archs ..... again brake cooling ?

isynge · 2 Nov 2006, 10:39 (Ref:1756078)

Quote:

Originally Posted by canam

I hear that there is an advertisement in Autosport by Saulnier Racing (former Swiss Spirit Team Principal) for a Courage LC70!!!!

I haven't had a chance to see the article yet but could it be that Swiss Spirit are selling their car? Is so, what will they replace it with?? Primat appeared to enjoy the Creation Hybrid. HMMMMMM.

Intriguing. While I'd long thought that Saulnier's departure raised questions about Swiss Spirit's future most of the commentary around the web had seemed pretty bullish about Swiss Spirit's future, indeed talking about an expansion to a 2-car campaign for 2007.

So - is this the end of the road for Swiss Spirit (which would be a tremendous shame)? A sign they're moving to another chassis (and if so, which)? Are they moving to the ALMS with Creation? Are they sticking with an LC70 but are moving to a different/upgraded model and thus are selling the old one?

In short - lots more questions than answers...

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