Porsche Will Quit Le Mans, Go to Formula E

[URY914]

Say it ain't so......

Porsche to Quit Le Mans – Porsche Will Enter Formula E

My God. First a SUV. Then a 4-door. And now no LeMans.

[Mad Max]

What's next a caravan?

[quattrorunner]

Don't worry, soon as some other company get's near the record they'll be back.

[pwd72s]

Porsche lost it's soul decades ago.

[javadog]

Sad, but inevitable, in an era of bean counters. Why anybody would choose to race in Formula E is just beyond me. What a worthless endeavor.

JR

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Mad Max

What's next a caravan?

My money is on a Porsche pickup truck!

[RKDinOKC]

Let's all the talk lately about gasoline automobiles being no longer allowed and you are now surprised that Porsche is putting efforts into an Electric car racing class?

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by URY914

Say it ain't so......

Porsche to Quit Le Mans – Porsche Will Enter Formula E

My God. First a SUV. Then a 4-door. And now no LeMans.

Heavy investment in new electric powertrains will become the primary focus for Porsche...............

The future of the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) is written on the wall.

Porsche wants to be first in the new era ahead.

[javadog]

I would rather have a Porsche pick up truck than an electric Porsche. Hybrids make far more sense than total electric vehicles, but I don't see either of them in my future.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by kach22i

The future of the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) is written on the wall.

Porsche wants to be first in the new era ahead.

Who knows, Porsches might be interesting again.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

Originally Posted by javadog

Sad, but inevitable, in an era of bean counters. Why anybody would choose to race in Formula E is just beyond me. What a worthless endeavor.

JR

Formula E is a young championship which if nurtured well should become a very competitive championship with some big manufacturers battling it out for wins.

I was born and bred on fossil fuel based championships, like Indy, F1, Le Mans but like it or not Formula E is the future.

Season 3 finishes this weekend and I've been doing design work on a season 4 car since the middle of last year. I still miss F1 as for me nothing comes close to it. The technical challenges are not to be under estimated which is why the need for a car change halfway through the race.

For season 4 with a new battery this won't be the case which is why now manufacturers like Audi, Porsche and BMW (technically already in but don't shout about it very loudly) have started to join in.

As the championship becomes more established and stable the FIA will hopefully open the rules to allow teams to design more than their own gearbox, rear suspension, motor, invertor, control units. The FIA will have to be careful how they allow the championship to develop as it could easily turn into an expensive development manufacturers war.

[Won]

Originally Posted by URY914

Say it ain't so......

Porsche to Quit Le Mans – Porsche Will Enter Formula E

My God. First a SUV. Then a 4-door. And now no LeMans.

But weren't there a few years between the GT1 and the 9R9 that Porsche was absent in the top category at Le Mans? So it's hardly a new thing. By chance it looks like I saw the last of the 9R9s run around the Sarthe this year, so at least I can be happy about that.

They are still hiring motorsport engineers, and I'm quite sure there is something other than LMP or even F-E brewing in the background.

I was part of a team at the first private test day of Formula E before season 1 began. The cars were slow, batteries were not impressive, and generally no one really knew what they were doing. But those people believe in it, and just look where the championship has come and will be in the next few years (all of the German OEM's are committed, it's not a coincidence). To be frank, people who grew up through the oil crises are not really their target audience. Same way the majority of us here who cry "Porsche lost their soul" won't actually spend any money on a new Porsche (yes I know you CAN), which is really the only meaningful way for us to interact with Porsche the company. They don't have to design the new cars for people who remember the air cooled 911's or own them second hand. As long as they are making money and spending some of it on motorsport, be it 911, Cayman or whatever, I couldn't care less what they are making and selling. They could even make tractors!

Captain, don't forget Mercedes joining F-E and quitting DTM! Now THAT is a big deal!

[unclebilly]

Originally Posted by Won

To be frank, people who grew up through the oil crises are not really their target audience. Same way the majority of us here who cry "Porsche lost their soul" won't actually spend any money on a new Porsche (yes I know you CAN), which is really the only meaningful way for us to interact with Porsche the company.

I disagree. I spent 3 days at Porsche Parade and a good number of participants were in their 60's - 70's and were there with their first Porsche, typically a boxster or some cayman derivative. Lots of GT4s there that will never be used for their intended purposes by the current owners.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by Captain Ahab Jr

Formula E is a young championship which if nurtured well should become a very competitive championship with some big manufacturers battling it out for wins.

I was born and bred on fossil fuel based championships, like Indy, F1, Le Mans but like it or not Formula E is the future.

Season 3 finishes this weekend and I've been doing design work on a season 4 car since the middle of last year. I still miss F1 as for me nothing comes close to it. The technical challenges are not to be under estimated which is why the need for a car change halfway through the race.

For season 4 with a new battery this won't be the case which is why now manufacturers like Audi, Porsche and BMW (technically already in but don't shout about it very loudly) have started to join in.

As the championship becomes more established and stable the FIA will hopefully open the rules to allow teams to design more than their own gearbox, rear suspension, motor, invertor, control units. The FIA will have to be careful how they allow the championship to develop as it could easily turn into an expensive development manufacturers war.

I went to the Miami FE race their first season, the racing was good the spectacle was fun we had a fantastic time.

My big beef with FE is the car swap mid race. That is utter and complete lazy BS.

Develop and roll out a swappable battery that can be changed via a pit stop. Whatever means necessary. The battery does not have to arrive or leave the car in human hands it can a mechanical method.

By developing a battery that swaps fast, that will eventually end up in road cars. You could actually take a road trip, stop at a charging station for a fast battery swap and move along.

[javadog]

Watch this, then tell me you still give a crap about Formula E:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8h2LOzRrQ4M

[cbush]

I just got back from the Porsche Parade- 5000 miles round trip in a 2013 Boxster. I have three with "soul", but they got left at home because the Boxster is a such fabulous road car. Beautiful, fast, comfortable, and bulletproof. If the new Porsche sports cars don't have soul, then I don't know what the word means. I worked the grid at the Parade autocross, and watched about 150 cars run. Many GT4s, GT3s, GT3 RS's, etc were out there. I know many of those types cars are just trophies for folks, but there are more that buy them because they are excellent track cars, and drive them as such. Of note, the fastest time at Parade autocross this year was not a 914 or some mid engine car- but for the first time that I can remember, was actually a 911- GT3RS variant, but nevertheless, it shows Porsche is making some awesome and fast cars.
Sure the SUV's are pretty boring, but if you need an SUV, the ones offered by Porsche are REALLY nice.
So bummer about LeMans, but I am sure Porsche has something cool up their sleeve.

[kach22i]

How Do Electric Formula E Cars Work? - Season 2 Tech Explained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XMVJ3fjOGg


Formula E - 2016 Paris ePrix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3Li-IqFzjo

[rusnak]

It's like mama being slapped by the EU pimp hand, lol..


Sorry that was just wrong but it made me laugh.

[astrochex]

Ive cooled off a bit about FE this season. I was an avid follower the first two seasons, I flagged at the Long Beach races. Ive gotten over the lack of engine noise, but the slowness of the cars is still an issue. I know they upped the power, but the cars still do not appear fast. Im also not a fan of the restyle this year, the front wing looks far too ungainly for the rest of the chassis.

The series only has opportunity ahead of it. I hope the FIA does not screw up the series with stoopid rules. When fan boost goes away, it will be a good day. It will be significant when they dont have to change cars mid race.

[motion]

Formula E... blech. Until they're doing 180mph on the straights and get rid of those wheel coverings, I ain't watching!