Club Arnage

For those who haven't seen it yet, here she is in her DHL colors.  Will be interesting to see how she goes on her debut at Laguna.
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http://speedtv.com/articles/auto/roadracing/20018/

Here's a link with a nice video of her.
http://www22.porsche.com/all/motorsport/rsspyder/pcna.asp
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The first times are out and as most people expected its quick, just how quick? so far its within a couple of seconds a lap of the Audis, Zytek and other P1's.

If its better on the tyres and uses less fuel,when it crosses the line, it could be on the podium.

Agreed, so far fast but a bit fragile, hence the reason they didn't think the Petit was a good idea.  I'm not expecting a great deal at Laguna but with a winter of R&D with Penske Racing (no doubt spending alot of afternoon's hammering around Sebring) it should fly next season.
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Is it just me or is this the most uninspiring and dull looking and sounding racing car we've seen from Porsche in the last fouty years? I am become somewhat bored of "generic" racing cars that all look like this. It could just as easily be a Lola, Pilbeam or whathaveyou.

I know the boys at Penske have to work within the regs, but really, where's the flare and panache of the Porsche marque gotten to?

And when I hear sponsors use this sort of crappy gobbledegook, I want to reach for the nearest vomit can:   

“We are excited to be associated with Porsche, as we are both known and share a passion for high-quality, reliability at any speed and solutions that fit our customers’ needs. Our goal is to use this platform to help build our customer relationships in a meaningful way,” said Joe Phelan, President and COO, DHL Smart & GlobalMail.  >:( :(

Hi Andy,
I agree there's nothing particularly revolutionary about it...BUT  It's primary role is going to be that of a customer, privateer car.  I think if Porsche had wanted to do something really flashy they would have built a LMP1 car.  I look at the Porsche RS Spyder in a different light, prototype grids have been a bit thin in recent years and with this car Porsche is giving smaller teams a opportunity to purchase something that will be competitive right out of the crate.  Much like the years of the 956/962's, we could see grids full of these in years to come.  They may not always be fighting for the top steps on the poduim but it will make for healthy grid counts.
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Sorry, this IS a Porsche, what did you expect.  As for 40 years, the 956 could have been a lot worse, so almost qualifies as interesting, but you may have to go back to the 917 for inspiration, but it was really a 906 on steroids, and the 906 was superb, following the great leap of the 904.  Perhaps only the F1 cars were really special, but what do you expect of someone thats been making 911s since the days of the Hillman Minx - hmmm thats about 40 years - could explain it all

but what do you expect of someone thats been making 911s since the days of the Hillman Minx - hmmm thats about 40 years - could explain it all

And rather good at it.

Surely the primary objective has to be to build a car that can win races.
There is only 1 shape wind tunnel, so I guess what you see on the outside, is never going to vary much these days.

Computer modelling and wind tunnel design tend to result in a degree of similarity in outcome.

Me thinks if I were thinking about doing some serious sportscar racing in the next few years I would be watching how this car does very carefully.  After years of customer cars built by Lola, Reynard, Pilbeam, etc. that were sold with little or no development done to them (and often turned out to be complete sh*t-boxes), in 2007 this car will be available to anyone wishing to purchase one...with a year of de-bugging and development done by Penske Racing.  It'll only be seen in the ALMS next year but after that I could see 10 or 12 of these lining up on the grid at the Sarthe.
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If its too quick the rules will be changed to rob it of power or add weight to slow it.

Both Audi & Peugeot P1's will soon be hitting the track and it won't do for a smaller class car to be too close to the top class. Hopefully Porsche will use this as a launch pad for a P1 car one the P2 is de bugged and selling.

Would be better to speed up the P1's but I doubt that will happen.

It does look a little on the big size compared to the Lola & Zytech, so I wonder if there is a P1 in there trying to escape.

I can't understand why the Audi R8 has been so quick when its so big - all that frontal area

[quote, I could see 10 or 12 of these lining up on the grid at the Sarthe.
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I really do hope not !!!

I think all of us who are sportscar racing fans tend to get misty-eyed about such wild and innovative cars as the Porsche 917, the Chaparrals, GT40's and even in later years the Pug 905 & Jag XJR-14 but the sad fact of life as a racing fan in the 21st century is, as in F1, the technical regulations are now so restrictive that its unlikey we'll ever see radical departures from established design theory.  If you really think about it, people get all weepy about the Group C days and the Porsche 956/962 series, but those cars were hardly quantum leaps in technology.  The Porsche was a simple folded, riveted and glued aluminum monocoque with a spare parts bin engine.
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Hurrah .

A top car firm have made a car for racing, purely for that. I love firms that will do this, and good luck. The LMP2 class is always a good bet for who'll blow up first, but on their day, they are very quick - MG LolaEXP257 in 2001/2 .


Who cares if 12 line up, as long as there arent another 12 GT2's behind it !!

ALthough which lasts better in a 24hour race will be interesting.

GT2 in Bam / Flying lizards hands or a Penske Porker LMP2 ?

If it gets some of those 911s off the grid it will be a good thing.  I hate the LM selection process where half a dozen 911s are allowed in, and faster cars rejected.

Seems to work, doesn't it

doesnt it just.....

Any clues as to whether it would be restricted if it continues to run like that, or whether it would be able to go for overall victory at Le-Mans if the LMP1's can't keep up?

I'm really hoping the ACO and IMSA stick to their rulebook and let it run as is.  As I said earlier, this is going to be one mighty tasty little customer car.  Looking forward to seeing them at Sebring enormously, just hope one of them is in Sunoco blue & gold.  I think most people could see this coming, Penske Racing doesn't do anything half-baked.  They show up to kick-ass and take names.  If they can get the car thoroughly sorted they may be talked into a LeMans outing next year, my advice is to start bombing Penske's email now.
I'm planning on being at the Sarthe next year and I'd love to see the Penske Panzers (feels really good to say that again after all these years) in attendance.
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Are the Penske Panzers goning to be built in Poole, Dorset?

Excellent News John!!!  :D

Especially as it's looking less likely that I'll be able to make Sebring, unless I can build it into a work trip!

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines Liver

Thanks Mark,
Looking forward to catching up you guys.  Haven't been to the Sarthe since 03 and have been itching to get back and destroy my liver & GI tract.
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Its a bit tricky to judge its outright pace against the P1 cars last weekend, all are running within rules desiged to slow them compared to there potential. Both the Zytec & Audi could run alot quicker 'as designed' whereas the Porsche is designed to the 'current rules'

Alot will hinge on how quick the new generation of P1's are. If the Porsche is still snapping at there heels I expect the powers that be to act.

I hate the concept of adding weight or capping power on cars designed to current rules just because which ever team has done the best job. Its up to the others to do better.

Hear Hear!!

I suspect this car will be allowed to race as is.  I think IMSA is very glad to have Porsche back in the protoype ranks, especially building customer cars. They're not going to do anything to piss-off the Stuttgart marque and Roger Penske's equipe carries a great deal of influence.
My gut feeling is the regs won't get tweaked.
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Has anyone seen or read anything about how many Porsche plan to build?

IMSA will do whatever it takes to keep Penske in the ALMS, its a major coup for them and the guy has qiute a bit of influance with other team owners. The hope has to be that others will join him.

There have been strong rumors for a couple of years now that both Michael Andretti Racing and Rahal Racing have been interested in getting into the ALMS ranks, Rahal was apparently very close to a deal to run a pair of Audi's but it fell through at the last minute.  I'm sure that one of Penske's stipulations before commiting to this project was a guarantee from IMSA and the ACO of rules stability.
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