[WEC] FIA World Endurance Championship

[JoestForEver]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Ye gods! €800,000 for a customer 991. But at least there could be a few more out there.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111700

It's just ridiculous! Even the most expensive 458 GT3 are no more than 350,000 euro I guess, and it is nearly as fast as a GT2. How can such a category survive if not factories burning money? This is as pricey as a LMP2!

[SALEEN S7R]

This is to be expected in my opinion, GT2 is just morphing into what the old GT1/GTS class used to be. Ok the cars arent quite as exotic as the MC12 or Saleen or Murciealgo, but looking back to say 1999/2000 when the best cars were Vipers, Corvettes and Porsche GT2's is the current crop of GT2 machinery so far away from that?

Car makers will always want to be more competitive than each other and will build better and faster cars in order to do that and push development. The teams will pick up the costs. There is 1 important differnce this time around however than back in 1999/2000, this time the class seems a lot stronger in terms of entry numbers and car eligabilty, I hope im right.

[Starfish Primer]

I also have the same feeling, GTE is becoming the new GT1. Just take a look at the USCC, the bomming is in the GTD/GT3 field.

[Salamus]

Every class has a life cycle. GTE has changed quite a lot since its inception in 1999 and now it's near its peak. There are 6 manufacturers involved (Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, Chevrolet, Aston Martin, Viper) which is typical when a class becomes popular. Its death is certainly not near but it will die eventually once manufacturers begin to pull out.

[Speed-King]

This is as pricey as a LMP2!

You can almost get two P2s for 800k Euros...

[JoestForEver]

Well, it's the truth that every regulation has it's life cycle. The only way to stop the escalation of cost once and for all can only be a spec series, but that's awful to watch, isn't it? I wander when GT3 ends it's cycle. After all, it's already 6 years since it's launch and controversial as it may be, the BoP system largely stops the rise of cost IMO

[Maelochs]

Likely GT and GT+ or whatever the new classes are called will do what GT2 did when GT1 was phased out: reset the bar of the top GT class to a slightly lower level of cost and performance, and then will push those bars for several years until they break and the cycle will repeat as JoestforLife, Salamus, and so many others have said.

[1969MGCGTdriver]

Originally Posted by TRspitfirefan

Agreed.

Wow...an MG guy and a Triumph guy agreeing on something, they said it was not possible...

[TF110]

Theyve slowed the cars so much its sad. Everything is slowed then theres confusion in the GT classes. If the AM drivers were faster theyd be passing the PRO guys at times. If you speed up GT any then lmp2 will have more trouble passing them than now. So you see a circle, slow everyone or leave them alone? Classes encroaching upon the next class because the gains in one class has to be responded to by speeding up the next up class or slowing the said cars. If they left them alone it would be as it was, but they would be 'too fast' for the FIA/ACO. Its all a stupid (imo) circle that will keep going round and round.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by JoestForEver

I wander when GT3 ends it's cycle. After all, it's already 6 years since it's launch and controversial as it may be, the BoP system largely stops the rise of cost IMO

Not for some time I think, new manufacturers are coming in for next year and probably won't be long before we see a proper Jaguar effort, the next generation Gallardo and maybe Maserati.

[TRspitfirefan]

Originally Posted by 1969MGCGTdriver

Wow...an MG guy and a Triumph guy agreeing on something, they said it was not possible...

[FstrthnU]

http://sportscar365.com/wec/fuji-dat...clash-avoided/
Fuji date now returns to Oct. 10-12

new Endurance Trophy for privateer LMP1 drivers (minumum of 3 cars)

2 BoP adjustments for LMP1 next year

[Maelochs]

Probably both stalled on the side of the road with electrical failures, got to talking ...

[bjohnsonsmith]

Ferrari possibly returning to LMP1 with next year's F1 turbo engine.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111742

[SpikerJack]

Not so sure that Fisico will remain.. At least after his tweet.. So i think the driver pairings will change for sure..

[TF110]

I hope Kobayashi finds his way to a Ferrari lmp1 if it comes to fruition. Maybe Toyota can pick him back up ifthey run a third car at LeMans. Giancarlo seems hes staying put.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Ferrari possibly returning to LMP1 with next year's F1 turbo engine.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111742

That's kind of left-field but accepted wholeheartedly, nonetheless!

--

Has there been an announcement regarding the time and date of the official full-season FIA WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans entry lists? It was February 1 in Paris last year, as I remember.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by Beetle

Has there been an announcement regarding the time and date of the official full-season FIA WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans entry lists? It was February 1 in Paris last year, as I remember.

It's been late January/early February for at least the last 5 years, maybe even more.

[FstrthnU]

http://sportscar365.com/wec/kcmg-set...nsion-in-2014/
KCMG entering the WEC with 1 Morgan-Nissan next year

[truebeliever]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Ferrari possibly returning to LMP1 with next year's F1 turbo engine.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111742

At a rumored 25 million Euros price tag on the Ferrari F1 engine supply to Marussia & Sauber each, I somehow doubt there will be any interest from anyone to use this as an LMP1 engine, simply would be way tooooooo expensive....

What is a good budget for a privateer team to do LMP1, maybe between 8 > 12 million Euros? Do the simple economical maths, ain't going to happen.

If as it says, they do their own car and team, that's an entirely different matter.

[Mr Pink]

Originally Posted by truebeliever

At a rumored 25 million Euros price tag on the Ferrari F1 engine supply to Marussia & Sauber each, I somehow doubt there will be any interest from anyone to use this as an LMP1 engine, simply would be way tooooooo expensive....

What is a good budget for a privateer team to do LMP1, maybe between 8 > 12 million Euros? Do the simple economical maths, ain't going to happen.

If as it says, they do their own car and team, that's an entirely different matter.

Well pretty much the only thing Coletta explicitly said is that if they come it will be a full factory effort..

[CTD]

Originally Posted by truebeliever

At a rumored 25 million Euros price tag on the Ferrari F1 engine supply to Marussia & Sauber each, I somehow doubt there will be any interest from anyone to use this as an LMP1 engine, simply would be way tooooooo expensive....

What is a good budget for a privateer team to do LMP1, maybe between 8 > 12 million Euros? Do the simple economical maths, ain't going to happen.

If as it says, they do their own car and team, that's an entirely different matter.

The price tag will not be the same as the F1 price tag.
However it won't low enough to entice Privateers.

[Fogelhund]

I highly doubt that Ferrari would lend their name out to pure privateers in this era anyway.

[JoestForEver]

The price is just ridiculously high. However, if they want to move it into the endurance racing, they don't need so many revs. Meanwhile, IMO what matters more in P1s is actually torque rather than pure power, so stroke-extended F1 powertrain is a good solution. Given the Dallara-Ferrari 333SP, a AF corse P1 seems to be plausible.

[Rennen]

Originally Posted by TF110

I hope Kobayashi finds his way to a Ferrari lmp1 if it comes to fruition. Maybe Toyota can pick him back up ifthey run a third car at LeMans. Giancarlo seems hes staying put.

Did you see the images of Alonso and his engineer viewing the Audi R18 exhibit at the FIA Awards at the wekend...They were interested in something they spotted in the wheelarch, and Alonso took a surreptitious close-up snap on his phone!