Club Arnage

Is the diesel peugeot going to b a genuine contender this year???

Both out within 12 hours ;)

It sounds like the gearbox is going to be the Achilles heel.  I would like them to last the distance though, or at least give Audi something to worry about.

The Pescas may surprise us all though.

On reliability only then. They weren't impressing in the first two LMS rounds, while Martin Short & co went like a rocket in their '06 car.

Biggest problem for Peug might be, the gearbox isn't on "quickfix bolts" like the Audi's is. Would save them 30 mins every time the clutch plates go.

It would be great to see them run with the audis and pescarolo's for a while anyway.

How about a Zytek on the podium? And how long before a GT gets in the top 5

would pay money to see an aston up there  :) how about the aston/corvette battle this year???

ehem.. you forget M. de Chaunac.  The dark horse of the GT1 battle, surely.

That old bucket is quick but the ferocity of the Aston/vette battle will leave them behind. There is also the fact that Lady Luck always appears to desert the French teams. Just ask Henri. He it holds together maybe a bottom step on the podium. Its another  Corvette win again this year!

Hoping to see an exciting race in every class.
I'm not waiting for an Audi 1-2-3, Lola 1-2-3, Corvette 1-2-3 and a Porsche 1-2-3 :-\

Not so true for Oreca.  When they last ran a GT campaign with the Vipers, they won ALMS twice; the FIA GT championship 3 times, and were 7th overall at LM in 2000.  The difference for them is that they are Saleen backed too, which others who've run the car weren't.  With all due respect to Henri, I think the Oreca business is a different ball game - a much bigger financial base - it is probably the biggest motorsport supplier and engineer here in France, but I'm willing to be contradicted here if anybody knows any better.

However, you have to think that P&M are unbeatable in the pit lane, if not always on the track.

Things have moved along a little since the early 00s, mighty as ORECA are I think they will struggle against the bigger factory supported teams.
 My theory is Dave Richards and Aston will want to win this year as he is now head honcho at Aston and he will also want a good result to persuade McLaren to flog him cars for next years F1, the Corvette boys know this and would love to piss on his parade. Its going to be a big fight.
 ORECA also struggled to match the pace of the other Audis and the Pescas with the R8 a few years back. If they couln't get a result with that car they never will!

How about everyone predicting a top 2 in each class?

You could run a book in aid of the CA fund!! (No, I'm not serious.)  I'll stick my neck out : Audi,Audi (yawn); Saulnier, RML; Ollie 'vette, Ayari Saleen; Risi Competizione, Flying Lizards

The Audi factory ran in the opposite direction when faced with a French entered car.  Steve S is not so daft.  They've also been running the thing for a lot longer (and the budgets are smaller) having won the home championships very comfortably for the last two years, running 32 hours without stopping at Ricard, and picking up a couple of race wins in the FIA and LMS along the way.  Gregor Fisken spoke of them with great respect at Ricard, and I don't think it was hubris.