And the more cars with more manufacturers the better the fight on the race track when all eyes are watching. It is good for everyone. Plus the BOP won't get it right with every car right out of the box and the reason for changes in the season to attempt to get it closer to alignment. On the turbo cars this is more the case because changes in the barometric pressure change the performance on the car on any given weekend. I think at LeMans and the LeMans test we saw this with the Ford and the Ferrari. Both turbo cars in their first year of racing and both saw big jumps in qualifying and the race. It also gave a great battle that every fan of racing saw first hand with the internet ablaze with Tifosi and rednecks cheering on their favorite makes.

 

Confirmation this weekend (Le Mans Classic) from a friend of mine that has very strong connections with Porsche, twin turbo and central engine.

The big question is, how will they homologate it?

 

Variety of options:

Porsche builds a super-duper hot **** "911" - perhaps called the GT1 - for a select few 918 VIPs to purchase that features a mid-engine layout and twin turbo flat six (presumably a 4.0 liter version of the 991.2 Turbo S 3.8 liter engine). Very expensive and very unlikely.

Porsche builds a super-duper hot **** 911 - perhaps called the GT2 (RS) - for a select few 918 VIPs to purchase that features a rear-engine layout and twin turbo flat six (presumably a 4.0 liter version of the 991.2 Turbo S 3.8 liter engine). Expensive and somewhat likely based on spy shots and chatter. Porsche would presumably seek a waiver for the mid-engined placement.

 

They got a waiver on replacing their front strut suspension with a proper upper/lower A-arms.

 

Back from vacation. Just since my last post, it's been reported Porsche is still supposedly working on a NA motor. Now more insider info says turbo...who knows, who cares. Some of these GTE/LM cars are becoming so far removed from even the homologation cars, I honestly enjoy GT3/GTD racing more. I'm no less informed than you my friend. All you are espousing are your opinions, and you know what they are like....

At the time of my posting, Ford had only guaranteed only a 2 year program, I suspected they would be 2 and out. They extended the program, big whoop. They played the BOP game well, and were given waivers and perhaps some favorable BOP, probably to help them stay in the game, which is a win for everybody.

You can argue all you want, but if BOP is involved, you can make virtually any chassis configuration, and motor, NA or turbo, to be competitive.

You seem to be completely avoiding the very informed points I have made where GTD, PWC, and Blancpain all manage to successfully BOP the turbo and NA engines, with rear engine, front engine, and mid-engine layouts, and all have wins and are competitive.

You can deepthroat and choke on the turbo mid-engine platform all you want, I'm just saying it's not the only way to win races, and it doesn't cure cancer. Not as long as BOP is around. It's almost as if you don't want diversity in racing. I guess you want more NASCAR-ization of sports car racing in GTE/LM, where everything is just a turbo-mid engine. We already have that, it's called F1. Hooray for boring.

 

If you listen closely in the video it sounds like it has a turbo. Plus the rear window has been replaced with a solid rear deck with louvers to extract hot air. Both solid evidence of Turbo and Mid mounted engine.

 

Amen to that. Here's the car that won both PWC GT Class races against the best from Porsche, McLaren, MB, Audi, Bentley exotics at Road America two weeks back:
http://www.acura.com/Engine.aspx?mod...modelYear=2016

When BOP adjustments become completely disconnected from the underlying platforms then it's a fail all around in my book.

 

The problem is when BOP is political. If an impartial third party - like SRO does! - set BOP it would be less problematic.

Despite the latest from Dagys, I'm confident the next Porsche will be turbo.

Please keep your ear to the ground so you can give us more "guaranteed" misinformation

 

+1, totally agree about BOP. SRO/PWC does a fantastic job.

You may be right about the turbo, but I hope you aren't. It's certainly made for a lively discussion!

 

Bumping this thread to see what everyone's thoughts are on this topic now that the Weathertech cars have pulled out (and headed to PWC!) due to BOP concerns.

 

Time will tell. New prototype cars are much better looking than old DP cars and will be significantly faster. Core just announced a switch from PC to GTD and will be running a GT3R. Too early to say how it all shakes out.

Daytona will be interesting.

 

The activity in GTD:

Weathertech departure (presumably for future seasons as well)

Park Place skipping VIR (will they race in 2017)

Magnus penalty at VIR (driving Audi now, and threatening to go elsewhere too)

Core jumping from PC to GTD for next year

...has no effect on the BOP in GTLM; the 911s that race in GTLM and GTD are entirely different vehicles racing in different classes with different sets of BOP. The GTD class is Pro Am and the GT3R car was/is difficult for Amateur drivers to extract maximum performance from. The only thing to note is that Core - now driving Porsches again - are PMNA's partner for GTLM, much like Manthey is in Europe.

I will be in Porsche's VIP Hospitality/Paddock Club this weekend at COTA and also 2 weeks later at Road Atlanta. I expect to have a chance to ask Walliser, Enzinger, Walther, etc. a variety of questions about:

Future commitment to WEC LMP1 after 919 is retired

Upcoming RSR, GT3R, Cup, etc. powerplants and powertrain orientations (both for 2017 and the medium term timeline)

Possibility of hybrid tech being allowed (or mandated?) in GTE/GTLM

Effects of the above (turbos, mid-engine, hybrid GT race cars, etc.) on future road cars

Future road cars more generally (991.2 GT3/RS, 991.2 GT2/RS; 992, 960, etc.)

I'm much more interested in how the 992 will be conceived, positioned, etc. than the minutiae of the 991.2 GT cars, as the world has moved on so quickly in terms of competitor performance (on road and on track - 488, Ford GT, 675 LT, 570S, P14), emissions (turbo), dieselgate during the interim since 991.1 GT3 launch in March 2013 - I just don't view the 991.2 as remotely competitive or in line with the prevailing marketplace. I'll keep my 991.1 and skip 991.2

 

It would be fantastic if you could pass along what you learn. Would you mind inquiring whether, like with the 6 and 7 GT3s, the customer street cars will be getting a proven engine block and transmission or whether it will be like other programs that market one thing and sell another? Much appreciated. I'm quite jealous!

 

Subscribed for Guest89 updates!

 

Of course I'll pass along what I'm told, but I do believe that the factory is sometimes coy or willing to engage in misdirection.