Howcome no Spyder at Lemans?

[juicersr]

Flipped on the tube to watch the Lemans start and didn't see the Spyder... Audi is being challenged by Peugot diesel? Yawn. What gives with Porsche and the spyder?

[Zef]

Because Porsche AG is a gratte-la-cenne...

[juicersr]

Huh? Quest-que c'est?

[svandamme]

picking it's fights

[juicersr]

The guys on speed channel just answered an email question asking the same. I know why Penske isn't there, but why cant the FACTORY be there with all their cash. I can barely read that pompous, glitzy rag 'Christophorus' (gift suscription from the girlfriend) which is basically Porsche bragging about how great and rich they are with great photos of all their new factories (to build trucks and sedans), great restaurants in Berlin, etc, oh and some pix of Porsche cars in glam locations. Does anyone here feel that the Porsche company has been high-jacked by a bunch of latte-sipping marketing dweebs and that there the motorsports dept has been marginalized and allowed to exist only as long as it is profitable? Where is the company and people that made 917/934/935/936, and raced cars first and formost even when they were not guaranteed of a 'marketable' win? Sorry, I know this has been discussed before, but just really annoyed with the company that makes the only car i have ever really cared about.

[legion]

Don't the powers-that-be at Le Mans always change the rules to Porsche's disadvantage? Sometimes preemptively?

[scottmandue]

Next thing ya know they start selling sedans and SUVs... oh wait..

[svandamme]

why would the factory be there if nobody but the oldschool fanatics are watching?? everybody is looking at Audi and the Diesels

frankly , the races where the Spyder did run, i haven't seen em on tv here or i must have fallen a sleep on that one, really can't say i've seen any of it...

Ferrari's Motto was build road cars to race
Porsche's motto was , race to improve the breed

now, what has this Spyder done so far for the breed?
what kind of innovation is there to be found in a racing class where all cars look the same, and are limited by regulations?
a 4-500 hp V-8 ? nothing new there
the body work?? the Chassis? the Brakes? Tranny?

i fail to understand why they even bothered in the first place...

[juicersr]

Well said Stijn. At least there is the GT class where at least you can tell the difference in the cars other than by their colors. Kinda like the Spyker u guys are making. Heard one at Lemans last year. Sounded great.

[svandamme]

i'm not Dutch, just live here,
the Spyker, imho is one hideous car and expensive too for what it's worth in street version, i'de buy 2-3 Porsches for that money

[juicersr]

Was referring to the racer, not street ride which was made for rappers and oil sheiks based on it's pimp look and price

[Quicksilver]

Originally posted by svandamme
why would the factory be there if nobody but the oldschool fanatics are watching?? everybody is looking at Audi and the Diesels

frankly , the races where the Spyder did run, i haven't seen em on tv here or i must have fallen a sleep on that one, really can't say i've seen any of it...

Ferrari's Motto was build road cars to race
Porsche's motto was , race to improve the breed

now, what has this Spyder done so far for the breed?
what kind of innovation is there to be found in a racing class where all cars look the same, and are limited by regulations?
a 4-500 hp V-8 ? nothing new there
the body work?? the Chassis? the Brakes? Tranny?

i fail to understand why they even bothered in the first place...

Don't forget the little bit about how the Audi is running in LMP1 and Porsche is running a little LMP2 car that appears to be capable of kicking Audi's butt with a little development work...

That might be a little innovative don't cha think?

[svandamme]

like i said, i'm not actively watching, but i was under the impression that the Audi Diesels were like winning things left and right?

[trekkor]

Originally posted by juicersr
At least there is the GT class ...

Yes, but will they cover it?

So far it's been all P1.

I hope the next broadcast in an hour or so is more varied in it's coverage of the other classes.



KT

[johndglynn]

Originally posted by Quicksilver
Don't forget the little bit about how the Audi is running in LMP1 and Porsche is running a little LMP2 car that appears to be capable of kicking Audi's butt with a little development work...

This is it. Apparently they are not running this year because there is no infrastructure in place to support the customer teams, but it is being worked on. Someone commentating on the race today claimed that ACO have already said they will go all-out not to allow Porsche's expected entry for LMP2 next year, as they would wipe out the Audis.

If anyone thinks this happens only at Le Mans think again, I know guys racing historics with 100% legal cars that the FIA will not give papers to as they would be killing the Masers and Ferraris by three or four seconds a lap. The double standards in historic racing are ridiculous.

[barney911rs]

I heard in an interview with some team members over there from the US based Acura teams they are gathering information to run next year. I sure hope Porsche will put up a fight against them.

[Wil Ferch]

This talk brings up a generic question on the whole point of racing in today's regulated climate.

Meaning? ....

"In the day"....rules were set up and left that way, unaltered. The manufacturer that had a superior design ruled. Period. In the 30's it was the 750 kg formula and the Auto Union and Mercedes Benz entries were clearly superior. Even in the heyday of the classic Ferrari 512 vs Porsche 917 era....the rules were set down and the best car won.

What's it like today?

Lessee....brand "X" builds a car and blows the competition away. What then happens? Either a weight penalty ( added ballast) for the winning brand and/or additional air-restrictors to "even things out". Gotta make a better "show" for the fans..those who like all the brands that are racing. Can't alienate them, ya know !!

Why bother? A factory can't show their engineering superiority if it exists. I'm beginning to more "understand" Porsche's reluctance to take high-level racing seriously..although it pains me when compared to the past.

- Wil

[Noah930]

Originally posted by Quicksilver
Don't forget the little bit about how the Audi is running in LMP1 and Porsche is running a little LMP2 car that appears to be capable of kicking Audi's butt with a little development work...

That might be a little innovative don't cha think?

Hey, Porsche should concentrate on not getting its butt kicked by newbie Acura, let alone concern themselves with the David-vs-Goliath task of beating Audi.

[livi]

At the end of the day it is all about money. PAG of today has a broader agenda with car models appealing to several kinds of people, most of which have not the faintest interest in racing - historically or current.

If Porsche is not competing in LM it is because, in the end, it is currently not good for business. To the dismay of all us (relatively few) piston-heads.

Or that is at least how I understand it..