Diesel Schmeisal...

[BigH]

Well, if you ask me, these two pictured below have the right idea. As it came over the radio that one of the Peugeots had pitted with gearbox trouble they both punched the air in unison, - and they were French.
It'll be interesting to see where the ACO go with the rules in the next few years, without the noise and drama the tractor cars just aren't very entertaining to watch, it was like a video game with the sound turned down, and even the iconic race start lost some of it's spectacle as the first six cars just whistled past (I lost my spectacles as well, but that was down to alcohol rather than diesel, I believe).
Unfortunately, I reckon we're destined for more of this, at least until Peugeot win, or give up.
And as for the most boring man in the world, - the Shell guy in the Village giving a talk about diesel fuel took the biscuit for me, at first I couldn't believe it, then I had to go and get another drink to steady my ribs. It was a masterclass in tedium.
H

[clkgtrlm1]

BigH,

They say we should embrace change, but if this is change it is no good - can you imagine what a non-event it would be if ALL the cars were oil burners!!

In my opinion, the FIA should rule that the F1 boys run diesels, this would close up the pack and perhaps the big boys, Ferrari, Honda etc. would come back to REAL racing.

Dean

[mgmark]

I heard that the ACO will be pegging the diesel's performance back a notch or two next year.  We shall see whether the petrol v diesel battle becomes a proper race

MG Mark

[Robbo SPS]

simple.

you want to run another fuel source.

same size engines. no turbo's.

diesels are for us to run cheaper mileage or tow 40 tonnes of goods, not go racing....

tractor racing is good though...

Audi diesel i am hoping is now done.

[Christopher]

They may have been peaceful......but the Pugs were impressively fast through the esses prior to the run to Tetre Rouge.

[Nordic]

They may have been peaceful......but the Pugs were impressively fast through the esses prior to the run to Tetre Rouge.

The pugs were pretty darn quick everywhere.
http://www.racecar-engineering.com/allarticles/260468/le-mans-trap-speeds-corner-times.html

look at the speed thru the Prosche curves!

[Christopher]

Those timings make interesting reading.

Also thought the rumour article, from the same site, was interesting too.

New LMP's for Honda, Toyota, Audi, Aston Martin, Corvette, Peugeot, ORECA and Zytek
Thursday, 19 June 2008 Sam Collins

Sam delves into the rumours circulating in Le Mans, we think it was just an excuse to have a beer.


Le Mans, pit bitches are less prevalent but rumour mongers are everywhere, have you heard the one about the Audi R8 being based on the Porsche LMP2000? or the unraced Ford LMP2? when it comes to the latter niether have I, and the former is a great conspiracy thoery but not grounded in truth. At this years race just about all the rumours were about new LMP1's some true, some probable and others somewhere between vaguely possible and a steaming pile of male cattle droppings. What is delaying many of these projects (if they even exist) is the lack of regulation from 2009 onwards.

Rumour: Honda to run at Le Mans next year
Actually I think this one has legs, certainly there was a discreet honda prescence at Le Mans this year, the Terraos Courage was tended to by a number of mechanics in Honda branded overalls, Mugen is heavily involved in the project and the links between Mugen and Honda are well known (Sochiro Honda's son founded Mugen). The choice of a Courage LC70 is pretty interesting too, I suspect that this chassis is the one which had done time in the land of the rising sun in the JLMC, but bear in mind it uses the same tub and and various components as the Acura (Honda) ARX-01. (The LC70 and LC75 are identical tubs).

Could this be a toe in the water excercise by Honda R&D in Tochigi to gather data before entering a single works LMP1 next year? If they do its certain to be a hybrid, as diesels are not really used in the important Japanese domestic car market, but hybrids are commonplace.  That does not rule out the almost certain arrival of the Acura ARX-01b's in France next year but these will be the support act to something bigger. We have also heard comment that Wirth Research has a new design in CAD if not at the model stage yet. So it could be that we see 2 Wirth Research Acura/Honda's and 1 Tochigi/Mugen Honda next year.

Conclusion: If they don't turn up in LMP1 next year they will definatley be in P2.

 
Rumour: Dome S102 is a Toyota funded project
Dome is a strange company, where the money is actually made is customer projects (think Dallara but with more road cars) but they are passionate about racing at Le Mans. Whilst the S102 is super advanced don't think it needs manufacturer funding to be at the stage its at now. Remember 12 years ago Dome designed built and tested a Formula 1 car and never raced it.
But I was told by a always reliable source that "there will be two S102's here next year and they will almost certainly have a manufacturer engine". The Dome was super quick on the straights with its Judd GV5 customer engine - though tales of 358kph are not to be believed, so with a works engine and more budget it could indeed mix it with the diesels. Add into the mix that the driver line up was all Toyota GT500, and you can guess who that manufacturer may be.

Conclusion: Possible but more likely this is a project to advertise how strong Dome is to manufacturers not one funded by one.

Rumour: Toyota Hybrid
This rumour is straight from Japan, with only one source, but a good one. A report from the AFP newwire earlier this year reported "Officials want to boost the image of hybrid technology, especially in Europe where it’s still largely considered a gimmick for environmentalists, reports Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun.

“Audi proved the superiority of the next generation diesel engine at Le Mans. Toyota wants to do the same with the hybrid,” an unnamed Toyota official told the newspaper. The biggest problem facing Toyota’s engineers is reducing the weight of the drivetrain and increasing efficiency."

Conclusion: outside chance they may dip thier toes in the water with Dome next year, but a full hybrid won't appear until the F1 team gets its act together or gets out.


Rumour: Audi R15
Audi has seen that the R10 is not really a match for the Peugeot 908, the only reason Audi notched up yet another win at Le Mans is the failure of Peugeots racecraft. A mistake they are unlikely to repeat. In the Le Mans Series, the R10's have been soundly thrashed.

At the annual Audi Sport press conference at Le Mans a senior member of the team commented "the speculation is good, but it will have to continue for a little longer before we tell you" when asked about the R15. But as Audi has committed to sportscar racing for the forseeable future the arrival of a new car is certain. The question are - when, powered by and will it be open or closed?

Conclusion:  The most likely conclusion is that the car will be launched in November or December this year, will be open and will be a diesel electric hybrid.

Rumour: Aston Martin LMP1 & LMP2
This is a case of when not if, but there are some unknowns, at the Aston Marin victory party following this year the comment was "next year see you back here to celebrate an overall win".  New regulation may peg back the diesels a little bit but its hard to see a GT1 petrol engine beating the diesels or hybrids. So will Aston go the hybrid route too and how will that fit its brand image?

Another question surrounds the chassis, Prodrive does not have the skills in house to design an LMP1 from scratch, but you can be certain a full works Aston at Le Mans will not be a Lola (at least in name). The B08/60 showed very well indeed so possibly any new car will be based on that.  LMP2 makes sense too but Aston Martin Racing are already stretched with LMP1, GT1, GT2, GT3 and GT4.

Conclusion: LMP1 will happen - its just a matter of time. LMP2 is more of a question

Rumour: Corvette LMP1
With Aston focussed on LMP1 a works Corvette GT1 team is beginning to look a bit aimless. So even before Le Mans the talk was of a LMP. When the ACO announced the so called LMP 'evo' rules they used a Corvette to illustrate the point which caused some raised eyebrows.

Whispers from the USA also suggest that Corvette or Pratt & Miller have been testing something new in the wind tunnel and its not a GT1. The rumours hit fever pitch when the ACO announced that all GT1 engines would be permitted in LMP1 regardless of capacity, "which will make it a lot easier for one of our american manufacturers projects" the words of Daniel Poissenot.
But like the Aston will the big V8 this car will no doubt be fitted with be able to compete with the newer technology cars?

Conclusion:  A design study definatley has been carried out in the USA, whether its been signed off by Steve Wesoloski's bosses yet is another question

Rumour: Peugeot 909 Hybrid
Peugeot was expected to launch a diesel electric hybrid at Le Mans this year but it didn't happen, the suspicion is that the delay over the hybrid regulations prevented the new car appearing. So what form will the new car take. Peugeot will definatley do a hybrid racecar, that much has been confirmed but what form will it take.

Peugeot's lovely press officer Cecile told racecar at Sebring that "for sure this year we will unviel a hybrid sports racing car, but what type of car I'm not telling you, it might be a 908, or maybe a Spyder perhaps its even just the 909 LM - you will have to wait and see".

Conclusion: well something is coming - but who knows quite what.

Rumour: New ORECA LMP1
Not so much a rumour but a fact. David Floury, the technical director at ORECA told us "we had hoped that the new car would race next year but as we don't know the regulations yet it might not be until 2010".

Conclusion: Fact.

Rumour: Zytek Hybrid
As John Manchester revealed exclusivley to Racecar some time ago the new car should run this year

Conclusion: Fact.

[tommy84]

The problem is that Le Mans has always been the place of forward thinking engineering, shown with the FSI at last.

What disturbs me much more than 6 Diesel cars is the sound of the rest. Why are those cars so much restricted? The 997 and 430's sound is a joke, in 06 when you were lucky and a car came along alone you could still hear the downshifts for the first chicane sitting at Tertre Rouge - not to talk about the various sweet spots at Spa Francorchamps where the cars accelerate a metre away from you.

First task for the ACO is to give the other 49 cars the straight pipes back, then we can talk about braking the Diesel

just a little sidenote: My favourites at Le Mans this year were apart from the Murcielago the Autocon and Teramos P1's - guess why

[Rusty]

It's a shame they can't get them to sound a bit like these bastards. OK, there is a capacity difference of some 20litres, but boy do Seateks sound good !!

[Doris]

It's a shame they can't get them to sound a bit like these bastards. OK, there is a capacity difference of some 20litres, but boy do Seateks sound good !!

I totally agree Russ.  When I lived in the Middle East I used to watch speed boat racing on the harbour from the luxury of my apartment balcony.  The racing, and the noise that travelled up to greet me, was awesome! 

Dx