GT2 at Lemans 2009

[CMDR Perry]

Zero 911's finished in the top 5 in GT2 this year. Is it finally time to retire this layout and move on to the Cayman S platform? With the current debt load the factory must be thinking about scaling back racing expenses like GM is doing. With the Corvettes moving into GT2 it can only get more competitive. Is the 911 still the right marketing tool with the Cayenne and Panamera sedan now in the product line?

[Noah930]

Maybe Porsche should race the Panamera in NASCAR, as suggested in Excellence a couple years ago.

[Halm]

Similar thoughts here about the Cayman, but without one of the V8's I wonder if it would be competitive.

[JFG]

I think the numbers of entries for Porsche speaks volumes about their factory backing. As far as the 911 platform, they did not have a good 24 hours, that is for sure. However I don't understand the push to go to the cayman platform. They still are very competative with the 911. In ALMS, FIA Gt, it is not like they are losing most weekends. I think the problem is Porsche does not want to race right now. They want to make cars so their customers can race, big difference.

[TRE Cup]

Porsche cut loose a couple of their ace drivers to run for Audi this year. That tells you where the "love" was for the GT2 race program

When Porsche goes to race (as the factory), they go to win, not place. And they want to be well placed in the public eye when it happens. Winning in the lower classes is not enough for them

The 911 has been a sucessful program for making money, continuing prestige, and having a larger client base.

Perhaps after Qatar bails out the Porsche piggy bank, the race department will be cut loose to bring out a new overall race contender

[Maxhouse97]

Its weird because they are doing real well in ALMS... Maybe the new RSRs aren't good endurance machines. They didn't do well at Sebring, and tend to use rear tires too fast compared to the F430s. And this year at Le Mans they restricted the number of tire changers/guns which increased tire change time.

[84_Carrera]

Ferrari have been coming on strong over the past few years, and with the key privateers bailing on the 911 platform & going to Ferrari, I can understand what's happening to a degree. Risi in particular, very strong team right now. Seeing Krohn w/ Risi decals was also telling. Watching the Lizard #80 not doing well was a bit unnerving given the pole.

I have said it for awhile, not just today, that a Cayman-based platform with the RSR drivetrain would be a fantastic boost handling-wise, though I think it'd take a bit for the teams used to driving the 911 platform to settle in to the mid-engine handling.

As for PCNA in NASCAR, whatever. Makes sense to me to some degree, but I don't think Porsche are of the mind of going the long-road that Toyota did to victory in that league... Porsche would want to have victories right off the bat & I can't see that happening. I'd like to think Porsche would return to IndyCar etc before going NASCAR, just because of the types of cars they've traditionally built - sporting cars vs. 4-door sedans. Would they not have to make a purpose-built 5.7L V8 as well? Not up on the Panamera but I don't recall it being that sized engine.

[EarlySport]

I'm not clear on what occurred during the race that affected the reliability of the GT2 911's, but I don't think the result indicates Porsche should move to a cayman platform. The 911's were fast - top four positions in qualifying proved that.

[JohnJL]

The top 3 Porache teams all dropped out for reasons unrelated to an underlying "platform" decision. In fact, a new platform always brings MORE issues to iron out.

One dropped out with a dead fuel pump/system. Not sure how a Cayman would have done better.

One dropped out after a spin on an oily track. Not sure how a Cayman would have done better.

One dropped out with a dead transmission. Not sure how a Cayman would have done better.

Dont get me wrong, I'd love to see the factory put some support into Cayman racing but I dont think this year's result is correlated. I also think the Cayman with proper suspension/ancillaries with a GT3 or GT2 (!) motor would be the dog's balls.

The most telling point mentioned above was Porsche's lending of factory drivers to Audi LMP1 cars.

[Jagshund]

It was a poor showing . . . and the 911s even had the benefit of "loose" restrictors for a while. A long while. I think most of the issues were electrical, not handling related, and when they were running they were holding their own pretty well.

[stout]

Originally Posted by 84_Carrera

As for PCNA in NASCAR, whatever. Makes sense to me to some degree, but I don't think Porsche are of the mind of going the long-road that Toyota did to victory in that league... Porsche would want to have victories right off the bat & I can't see that happening. I'd like to think Porsche would return to IndyCar etc before going NASCAR, just because of the types of cars they've traditionally built - sporting cars vs. 4-door sedans. Would they not have to make a purpose-built 5.7L V8 as well? Not up on the Panamera but I don't recall it being that sized engine.

'twas a joke...

And, as to Le Mans: With the possible exception of one 911 team, a Ferrari winning was nearly inevitable. The factory's "driver loan" was indeed the ultimate tip-off.

A Cayman RSR would be great, but the 911 has, once again, shown itself plenty fast -- and the Cayman would need the 997 RSR's motor plus new rear suspension in place of its strut-based setup. Also, what then to do with the Cup program? Cayman Cups and RSRs in place of 997 GT3 Cups and RSRs, or two GT platforms at the risk of diluting both...

pete

[Jagshund]

Didn't Porsche already do the NASCAR thing?

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Editor@Excellence

'twas a joke...

pete

april fools

Didn't some numnuts get his panties in a wad over your How to Buy a Used 910 story, too?

[WILSPEED]

First of all, Porsche should keep the RSR as the platform in GT2 because despite the mechanical drawbacks, it's based on the car that made the marque, the 911.

I agree that Porsche is building cars for their customers to win in, not the factory. Only one car really had a chance, the #77 Felb-Proton car with an all factory driver line-up. The #80 Flying Lizards car was on the pole but had one driver who was way off pace. The #76 IMSA car had a decent line-up but was also off pace.

All I know is that I waited a whole year for Porsche to retake the GT2 class in Lemans and that didnt happen Once the #77 made that embarrassing mistake (fuel), Porsche chances of winning were pretty much gone. DIsgraceful performance this year

Porsche is stretching their resources thin with the RS SPyder program. Maybe they are gearing up for an LMP1 car for overall honors in 2011 when the new regulations are in effect?

[JohnJL]

Wanna talk about frustration? How about finding out the Foxtel, the premier and most expensive satellite TV in Australia, decided to cover Nascar, Fishing, hell even European Tour Poker instead of even 5 minutes of Le Mans.

I gotta get off this island.

[JohnJL]

Same for Spa.

[JohnJL]

Same for Hockenheim.

Sorry, off-topic rant done. I still like it here.

I changed my mind when I remembered that Channel 7 aired 1 hour of uninterrupted Targa Tasmania which of course featured much 911 action. Unfortunately missing this year was mine.

So in perspective now, Porsche is having an awesome Prototype year, 35 year-old 911s still dominate many road rallying series throughout the world, their top contender cars lost out either due to luck-of-the-draw or because Ferrari did a better job directly sponsoring their teams and where 911s they don't dominate its because we're put in our own class.

[uwanna]

Porsche and NASCAR? Can't imagine Porsche building a '50s era water cooled pushrod V8 with a 4 barrel carb, and then be limited to 16" steel wheels all round. Technology wise NASCAR's mindset is 50's and 60's muscle car, and the fan base is in large part made up of the folks who owned said cars!
Of course Toyota hasn't built a pushrod motor in 35yrs either, and they built one.

[juicersr]

Originally Posted by JohnJL

Wanna talk about frustration? How about finding out the Foxtel, the premier and most expensive satellite TV in Australia, decided to cover Nascar, Fishing, hell even European Tour Poker instead of even 5 minutes of Le Mans.

I gotta get off this island.

Same here on this pathetic 'island'

Fortunately, due to the fact that 'Speed Channel' shunts all of it's cool F1 and european racing coverage to the time when all the Bubba's and dumba-ass rednecks are sleeping (12mn to 6am), i was able to take in a full 8 hours of LeMans coverage Sat nite and sunday morning as i worked the nite shift in the Emergency room

[iamchappy]

Id like to see them still make and race the Carrera GT i think that has a very good platform to start with.