2017 General WEC/ELMS/AsLMS Discussion ThreadSports Cars

[IforceV8]

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/...arbre-corvette-kcmg-dallara-third-toyota.html

 

[trustjab]

http://toyotagazooracing.com/release/2017/other/0202-01.html YES! Toyota running three cars for Spa and Le Mans, finally! And Jose Maria Lopez takes Sarrazin's full-time seat while he moves to the third car.

2) FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP (WEC)

- The FIA World Endurance Championship has taken place every year since 2012.

- Highlights of the Championship include the third and seventh races of the series: the Le Mans 24-hour race (June 17–18), and the 6 Hours of Fuji race (October 15).

- TMG and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing have applied to enter two of the improved TS050 Hybrid vehicles into all nine races.

- Three units have been applied for the entry for the races at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans, while two units of the TS050 Hybrid vehicles have been for the other 7 races respectively.

- The THS-R powertrain, developed at Toyota's Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Japan, features not only the existing system capable of better powering all wheels, but also an engine, motors/generators, and batteries that have all been significantly enhanced. Toyota plans to utilize these advanced hybrid technologies in its mass-production hybrid vehicles.

- Sébastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson, Kazuki Nakajima, Mike Conway, and Kamui Kobayashi will be joined by newcomer José María López. Stéphane Sarrazin and two more drivers (TBD) are scheduled to participate in Rd.2 Spa-Francorchamps and Rd.3 Le Mans.

- All vehicles will be equipped with Michelin tires.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

http://toyotagazooracing.com/release/2017/other/0202-01.html YES! Toyota running three cars for Spa and Le Mans, finally! And Jose Maria Lopez takes Sarrazin's full-time seat while he moves to the third car.

It's about time, I find it strange they do it the moment that Audi is now gone, I mean one can only imagine what could have been if this was done a few years back and kept on from that point.

Find it interesting they didn't plug their more expensive and funded Gazoo Dakar car team that runs the Toyota Hilux...

Guess when it doesn't work out you don't get mentioned in the Toyota Motorsports page, even if you are an official Toyota team.

 

[trustjab]

I thought the Dakar team isn't run by an official Toyota outlet, but it has the blessing of Toyota. And as for the 3rd car finally making an appearance, my guess is the fact that there's only two bodykits this season helped keep costs down so the development budget had some give to run 3 cars. Then again, maybe the budget went up or it's all in conjunction?

 

[IforceV8]

May or may not be in English.



Jackie Chan DC racing and Jota combine 2 car WEC. http://www.dailysportscar.com/2017/02/02/jota-dc-racing-combine-for-two-car-wec-programme.html

 

[CodeRedR51]

It's about time, I find it strange they do it the moment that Audi is now gone

They probably figure with Audi gone, this is their best chance to get a victory and 3 cars will help with that.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

They probably figure with Audi gone, this is their best chance to get a victory and 3 cars will help with that.

That's my point, be even in years with Audi and how fast Toyota were, they may have won prior if they had just brought a third car. Hindsight and all though.

 

[IforceV8]

36 cars for ELMS http://europeanlemansseries.com/web/assets/PDF/2017/01-Entry-List/ELMS-entry-list-2017.pdf

 

[IforceV8]

No full season WEC Corvette.

 

[catamount39]

No full season WEC Corvette.

I'm guessing that means Labare's deal fell through then, and they in fact sold the car. The lack of GT cars in general between the ELMS and WEC is depressing. At least the ELMS has the LMP3's, wish they still had GT3's though.

 

[IforceV8]

I'm guessing that means Labare's deal fell through then, and they in fact sold the car.

No, they are entered in the 24 with Ricky Taylor as lead in Am.

Pipo in a Ford

 

[catamount39]

No, they are entered in the 24 with Ricky Taylor as lead in Am.

Pipo in a Ford

Didn't see that one coming. And I guess at least they'll be at Le Mans.

 

[IforceV8]

 

[trustjab]

Interested in seeing how fast Kubica will be. He was already faster than the regular Kolles drivers at the Bahrain test. Now they have the upgraded regs and a beast of an engine. Hopefully they can at least hang out with the factory lmp1's for a while.

 

[Rob_Willshire]

just abit concerned that the entire WEC P2 field is all Oreca 07 (yes the alpine is a rebadged Oreca 07)

 

[Scuderia Paul]

I am delighted to see Robert Kubica confirmed as a full season driver for byKolles. Pity they will have zero competition since Rebellion left LMP1.

Anybody know why Murphy Prototypes are nowhere to be seen in ELMS?

 

[catamount39]

just abit concerned that the entire WEC P2 field is all Oreca 07 (yes the alpine is a rebadged Oreca 07)

Much more parity in the ELMS and WSCC in regards to chassis'. It is a bit worrying that there are literally nothing but Oreca's in LMP2 in the WEC.

Oregon Team will be my favorite this season in ELMS alongside United Autosports, because Oregon is best state.

 

[RACECAR]

Damn. LMP2 in WEC might as well be the Oreca class.

On the other side of the spectrum, I'm genuinely surprised The Oreca is highly outnumbered by the ligiers and Dallaras in the ELMS considering its literally only a conversion away for any team using the 05.

 

[Nielsen]

With Audi gone and the impressive variety in IMSA, I think WEC is looking somewhat boring this year. Not that I cared much for Audi but variety is good. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing how Porsche and Toyota will fight each other now. Having the factory 911 RSR back in GTE is nice though.

 

[mwoodski]

Good to see LMPC live on in the WEC.

Spec Oreca should be great.

 

[trustjab]

With Audi gone and the impressive variety in IMSA, I think WEC is looking somewhat boring this year. Not that I cared much for Audi but variety is good. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing how Porsche and Toyota will fight each other now. Having the factory 911 RSR back in GTE is nice though.

The new dpi's are cool looking no doubt, but I would rather watch Toyota vs Porsche every time. The main reason is because the bop is not random and the cars not standardized. It's a set fuel flow and limit on electric energy deployment and the aero is not controlled by the governing body. The dpi's are only a couple steps better or more unique than regular lmp2 imo.

edit- Toyota's motorsport conference video with a sneak peek at the 2017 TS050. Pause at the 8:03 mark

 

[Nielsen]

The new dpi's are cool looking no doubt, but I would rather watch Toyota vs Porsche every time. The main reason is because the bop is not random and the cars not standardized. It's a set fuel flow and limit on electric energy deployment and the aero is not controlled by the governing body. The dpi's are only a couple steps better or more unique than regular lmp2 imo.

I'd also watch LMP1 over the current IMSA prototypes any day, but I wasn't specifically referring to the prototypes. Of course, having Cadillac, Mazda and Nissan in DPi adds to my point but I'm not completely sold on the idea of manufacturers partnering up with teams and chassis constructors. Yes, more interesting than regular LMP2. My real point is that while WEC has lost Audi, IMSA has obtained a great variety of manufacturers across the board. For example, IMSA's GTLM and GTD constellation is in my opinion proving more interesting than Pro and Am for LM GTE in WEC, especially this year.

 

[Scuderia Paul]

@trustjab Are you sure that is the 2017 TS050-HYBRID? Despite the blurring, I'm not convinced it is.

I cannot imagine they would have the livery done at this stage. Perhaps I am just accustomed to Toyota showing heavily blurred cryptic shots.

 

[trustjab]

@trustjab Are you sure that is the 2017 TS050-HYBRID? Despite the blurring, I'm not convinced it is.

I cannot imagine they would have the livery done at this stage. Perhaps I am just accustomed to Toyota showing heavily blurred cryptic shots.

I'm not convinced either. But I think the video is trying to label it that way or at least pretend to be the '17 car. Just goofy pr imo.

 

[Scuderia Paul]

@trustjab I am pretty certain I have seen the original photo from last year. On a side note I cannot think of that circuit. I know it but I've gone blank. Any idea?

 

[IforceV8]

@trustjab I am pretty certain I have seen the original photo from last year. On a side note I cannot think of that circuit. I know it but I've gone blank. Any idea?

Paul Ricard

 

[trustjab]

Paul Ricard

@Scuderia Paul Or Aragon, Spain.

 

[IforceV8]

@Scuderia Paul Or Aragon, Spain.

Look at @ 8:10

 

[trustjab]

I'm just saying Aragon because those are the two tracks Toyota test at. If it's not one it's the other. But yeah, you can clearly see the garage door says Paul Ricard. But is the video just footage from that track?

 

[IforceV8]

I'm just saying Aragon because those are the two tracks Toyota test at. If it's not one it's the other. But yeah, you can clearly see the garage door says Paul Ricard. But is the video just footage from that track?

I only watched the part you referenced before starting at 8:03 to 8:24 when the Nurb 24 car appears and that all looks like Ricard to me.