The Le Mans General Discussion Thread

[dice1998]

Is this the beginning of when manufacturers base the top-tier cars on road cars again?

Probably not but i'm sure as hell excited to see this!

 

[Clark]

I doubt it, it'll have a few visual nods to the GT-R at most I think.

 

[dice1998]

One could hope for a renaissance, but I do know it's very very highly unlikely

 

[CodeRedR51]

I doubt it, it'll have a few visual nods to the GT-R at most I think.

Probably just the tail lights.

 

[Tired Tyres]

I expect Honda to enter now. They won't standby and let Toyota and Nissan get all the headlines.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

I expect Honda to enter now. They won't standby and let Toyota and Nissan get all the headlines.

Well I think they will as well and have been planning it already. There has been talk about it more since their comeback to F1 engine production. People have claimed there is supposedly more build up than just the engine facility and there has been alot of talk since 11-12 that they are wanting to join do to the rule shift.

So I expect them too, and to be honest I rather see them then Ferrari.

 

[Panoz]

It's been since the early 2000's since Le Mans had this many factory teams in the top LMP class.

Still wishing Peugeot to come back though but Le Mans is becoming epic.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

It's been since the early 2000's since Le Mans had this many factory team in the top LMP class.

Still wishing Peugeot to come back though but Le Mans is becoming epic.

First off beautiful avatar. Anyways what's been since the early 2000s?

Also Peugeot coming back would be great, but they seem to be on this binge of conquering things (just as expensive or slightly under Le Mans pricing) that have little to no manufacturing competition. Pikes Peak, now Dakar, who knows what's next. Maybe they'll go back to Rally racing or engine production for F1 but I highly doubt it. One can hope for a return to sports cars

 

[Tired Tyres]

It's been since 1999 since Le Mans had this many factory teams in the top LMP class.

Still wishing Peugeot to come back though but Le Mans is becoming epic.

Fixed for you. I'd rather have Renault than Peugeot but I suppose that's impossible now because of the Nissan/Renault partnership.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Good news for sure.

 

[daan]

Is this the beginning of when manufacturers base the top-tier cars on road cars again?

It'll be a GTR the same way this is a Corvette.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

It'll be a GTR the same way this is a Corvette.

I.E it will share the same badge.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

It'll be a GTR the same way this is a Corvette.

I agree with the notion that this isn't that time frame, and even that time frame wasn't really about the best road car a company had (that's always been GT). With that said though this Nismo will obviously have more in common with Nissan and the car car it represents then the non GM Corvette DP. Which as @Holdenhsvgtsr said is basically a badge, and the GM engine as well, but other than that...the chassis and the rest of it isn't GM related

 

[SagarisGTB]

Speculating about possible drivers:
Car #23 - JP Oliveira, Matsuda, Pla
Car #24 - Heidfeld, Mardenborough, Sasaki or Ordonez or young F1 refugee

I would expect 1 car with proven experienced drivers, but perhaps the second will pair the experienced Heidfeld with some young hot shots. It'll be interesting how Nissan does this, but I'd say they need to get Pla from Oak and they need put JP in one of the cars.

I expect Honda to enter now. They won't standby and let Toyota and Nissan get all the headlines.

Historically Honda have never truly cared about LM. When Toyota and Nissan were racing for LM honours in the 80s, Honda entered F1 as an engine supplier. When Toyota and Nissan were racing for LM honours in the late 90s, Honda entered F1 as an engine supplier. Now Nissan and Toyota will be racing together at LM again, and Honda will be entering F1 as an engine supplier. Honda are obsessed with F1 and have never attempted to win LM overall with a factory team, so it's not as simple as what you say.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Speculating about possible drivers:
Car #23 - JP Oliveira, Matsuda, Pla
Car #24 - Heidfeld, Mardenborough, Sasaki or Ordonez or young F1 refugee

I would expect 1 car with proven experienced drivers, but perhaps the second will pair the experienced Heidfeld with some young hot shots. It'll be interesting how Nissan does this, but I'd say they need to get Pla from Oak and they need put JP in one of the cars.
Historically Honda have never truly cared about LM. When Toyota and Nissan were racing for LM honours in the 80s, Honda entered F1 as an engine supplier. When Toyota and Nissan were racing for LM honours in the late 90s, Honda entered F1 as an engine supplier. Now Nissan and Toyota will be racing together at LM again, and Honda will be entering F1 as an engine supplier. Honda are obsessed with F1 and have never attempted to win LM overall with a factory team, so it's not as simple as what you say.

Please be right about this, I think car 24 should happen as specified especially with Heidfeld and Ordonez

As for Honda I would agree if it weren't for the speculation that has been given by insiders and the fact that LMP now actually has a lot more relevance to road going cars than it did in the 80s and 90s. Especially 90s when they had the stupid rule it had to be a production car of some limited numbers which prompted the crazy antics of Toyota and the GT-One.

 

[SagarisGTB]

Honda's expertise with hybrids might be tempting, but I'll believe it when I see it. We've all heard these rumours before (BMW, Hyundai, etc.).

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Honda's expertise with hybrids might be tempting, but I'll believe it when I see it. We've all heard these rumours before (BMW, Hyundai, etc.).

I don't recall the Hyundai ones, and BMW has been linked to everything from V8 supercars to F1 to this and they seem to be the biggest group of "nope" in this current era of all racing.

 

[MHPALA]

Why call it a GT-R if it looks nothing like it? I don't get it? The "GT-R" is a single car. They might as well start making GT-R sentras while their at it. Just sayin'.

Miyatani is on my hate list.

 

[Clark]

'The Nissan LMP1 will carry the name of the marque's road-going GT-R musclecar because it "symbolises the ultimate in Nissan's performance", according to Miyatani.'

From Autosport

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Why call it a GT-R if it looks nothing like it? I don't get it? The "GT-R" is a single car. They might as well start making GT-R sentras while their at it. Just sayin'.

Miyatani is on my hate list.

As a man that owns a Nissan family sedan, I like the way you think and believe nissan should do what you say!

But seriously, it's to obviously have some lineage connection to what is the pinnacle of their road division as @Clark said but all because it's easy to market such a car and then have it connect back. "Look not only does our GTR do wonderful in Road form, but look at it's racing evolution form. Also the technology in that crazy car is going back into the road car [Insert Potential Buyer Name Here]"

I mean really other than Porsche. What can people say is related between the R8 and the R18 or any other audi compared to the R18...LED lights, laser lights...wow

Or the Toyota as far as Toyota and Lexus go.

 

[Panoz]

It's not the first time Nissan has used a road car name for a prototype.

 

[MHPALA]

As a man that owns a Nissan family sedan, I like the way you think and believe nissan should do what you say!

But seriously, it's to obviously have some lineage connection to what is the pinnacle of their road division as @Clark said but all because it's easy to market such a car and then have it connect back. "Look not only does our GTR do wonderful in Road form, but look at it's racing evolution form. Also the technology in that crazy car is going back into the road car [Insert Potential Buyer Name Here]"

I mean really other than Porsche. What can people say is related between the R8 and the R18 or any other audi compared to the R18...LED lights, laser lights...wow

Or the Toyota as far as Toyota and Lexus go.

No one has to listen to me. I'm just expressing opinion (of course). I have read Skysports article. If it helps with marketability, then so be it.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

No one has to listen to me. I'm just expressing opinion (of course). I have read Skysports article. If it helps with marketability, then so be it.

I say they should cause it was a good idea. But anyways yeah I feel that's a big part of it even though in the video they try to make it out to not be such.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

Why call it a GT-R if it looks nothing like it? I don't get it? The "GT-R" is a single car. They might as well start making GT-R sentras while their at it. Just sayin'.

Miyatani is on my hate list.

GTR is a brand.

 

[Clark]

It's not the first time Nissan has used a road car name for a prototype.

That's a silhouette, not a prototype. Different thing.

Same way a current DTM car and GT500 cars are silhouettes.

 

[CAMikaze]

I only wish they were going to enter a GT-E spec GT-R as well...

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

I only wish they were going to enter a GT-E spec GT-R as well...

That would mean converting their GT3 cars over and I don't think they want to waste the money because GT3 is more competitive.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

I hope the GTR LM will have the GTR NISMO headlights or at least something similar to them.

 

[miasanmia33]

this cant be a lmp2 as thought before ??

looks like a gtr-ish nose

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

That would mean converting their GT3 cars over and I don't think they want to waste the money because GT3 is more competitive.

And for the amount of money a GT-R GT3 costs id rather go with a V12 Vantage GT3.