LE MANS: New Rules Announced for 2009

[MPME]

LE MANS: New Rules Announced for 2009
New rules for Le Mans -- tire limits, engine power cuts, cost cuts, noise reductions, Hybrids from 2009.
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[faksta]

So..we will see vegetables instead of LMP1 cars soon? Well done, ACO..

[Zytek_Fan]

So..we will see vegetables instead of LMP1 cars soon? Well done, ACO..

I'm not exactly thrilled either...
It seems like the ACO is expecting the manufacturers to exploit as many rules as they can...

edit:

Make the GT2 and the LM P2 more accessible to private teams

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that bit seems to be pointed directly at Porsche over the RS Spyder, which as we all know, is horrendously expensive, but the only way to be competitive in LMP2.

[RacingManiac]

well having LMP2 engine in the 2011 LMP1s means that effectively Porsche could be in LMP1 in 2011....or they might just stick the RSR motor in RS Spyder....

[Zytek_Fan]

The engine minimum decibel regulation is brilliant.
People want to hear engine noise, besides watching the cars go about the track

[Kitdy]

The engine minimum decibel regulation is brilliant.
People want to hear engine noise, besides watching the cars go about the track

My friend actually wore ear plugs at Mosport.

Pussy.

[RacingManiac]

110 dB is plenty loud.....

[Zytek_Fan]

110 dB is plenty loud.....

Hearing damage doesn't happen until 130dB

[Chernaudi]

I think the rules are pretty weird, and the strangest thing about these rules-why would the ACO allow GT2 engines-which are often bigger than LMP2 engines in displacement, and thus have lots more torque even if they make the same power-be used in LMP2 cars if their intent is to distance LMP1 and LMP2, especially if LMP1 will use LMP2 engines without a weight reduction from 900kgs.

Maybe they think that KERS will make the difference, but I don't see how that would be, especially if KERS is also legal in LMP2.

[Wouter Melissen]

I think the rules are pretty weird, and the strangest thing about these rules-why would the ACO allow GT2 engines-which are often bigger than LMP2 engines in displacement, and thus have lots more torque even if they make the same power-be used in LMP2 cars if their intent is to distance LMP1 and LMP2, especially if LMP1 will use LMP2 engines without a weight reduction from 900kgs.

Having the GT2 engine as an LMP2 engine opens the prototype market for a large group of manufacturers. Getting manufacturers more involved is what the new rules are all about.

[Chernaudi]

But hasn't the ACO insisted that manufactures should stay out of LMP2? And with the GT2 engines, unless the ACO resticts them, the LMP2 cars may not make more power than an LMP1 car, but they'll have about the same power(again under the assumption that the ACO doesn't change air restictor specs), and more torque-in general, more displacement=more torque.

You can't tell me that a Porsche RS Spyder would stand a chance against a Lola or Courage with a Roush/Yates built and Panoz Elan tuned Ford 5.0 Cammer V8 from an Esperante, which is a GT2 spec engine. That's 5 liters vs 3.4 liters-about 400ft/lbs of torque vs 270 for the old RS Spyder V8, and 285 for the DFI/FSI engine. And both make 490-520hp.

There's no replacement for displacement or(talking turbo engines) forced induction(though with the diesels we're talking both).

Does the ACO have a plan for keeping the GT2 engined LMP2 cars in check from 2011 on?