Unrestricted sport car prototypes are returning in 2020 (look out F1!)

[UCFBS]

So, nearly all Le Mans Prototypes Class 1 (LMP1) manufacturers have pulled out over the last few years, because of the ACO and FIA non-sense. It's why Toyota went unchallenged at the 86th running (since '23, it's 96th year -- 10 years lost '40-49 because of the war) -- of the 24 hours of Le Mans.

There's not only more than just F1 and NASCAR, but sports car is where most 'innovations' have come from that go into your daily driver, let alone super and hypercars, not F1. It was also first with hybrid cars, not F1. Endurance races where man and machine has to last 6, 12, 24 ... even 48 hours, not just a couple. It's why companies like Brembo have to make their brakes completely different for LMP (and GT) than F1. That's why I get tired of people who don't know anything about sports car racing.

So the ACO and FIA 'got smart' and are pulling out the old '82 playbook, and bringing back the era of Group C, when LMP races had as many spectators as F1. No more 'restrictors' and most other 'rules' ... just X amount of gas, with Y laps required.

And to give everyone 'taste' of this, the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo -- unrestricted LMP -- has been hitting the tracks. Understand the 919 LMP has a top speed of only about 367kph (228mph) too --a much lower top speed than the late '80s Group C cars (that were >400kph/>250mph).

Porsche's Unrestricted Le Mans Prototype Is Faster Than An F1 Car

• https://jalopnik.com/watch-porsches-unrestricted-le-mans-prototype-that-ran-1825109119

Porsche's Unrestricted Le Mans Car Beat A 35-Year-Old Nürburgring Lap Record By Nearly A Minute

• https://jalopnik.com/porsche-beat-a-35-year-old-nurburgring-lap-record-with-1827226899

 

[ucfMike]

Here's what the Porsche 919 just did at Nurburgring. Holy $hit!

 

[UCFBS]

Here's what the Porsche 919 just did at Nurburgring. Holy $hit!

Yep. Unrestricted LMP1 rules!

It's amazing how a 'slower' LMP1 30 years later can totally roast the Group C 962C that was 30mph faster. It's amazing how quick the LMP1's hit their top speed, and how little (if at all) they have to break on corners. Just look at the end run there ... it's at 367kph (228mph) in a matter of a couple of seconds off the corner!

And then you start to look at how LMP cars can run 48 hours, versus F1 cars that aren't designed for too many, continuous hours, and it makes sense. It's why LMP brakes are designed for long-term usage, versus F1 brakes which can be great ... for only 90 minutes. That's why 'sports car' has always been the technology leader for production, even road supercar and hypercars, not F1.

THE DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES IN BRAKES ON AN LMP1 CAR AND A FORMULA 1 CAR. BREMBO COMPARES THE BRAKING SYSTEMS SUPPLIED TO THE TEAMS OF THE TWO COMPETITIONS.

• http://www.brembo.com/en/company/news/24-hours-le-mans-2016-and-f1-brembo-brakes

 

[UCFBS]

Even GT will get 'interesting' with the mid-engine, hybrid Corvette FIA GT class expected in a few years. The hybrid mid-engine will follow the standard mid-engine. Porsche already has theirs, and has run it in its own GT class. Ford GT is basically ready to flip-the-switch too. Ferrari is readying theirs for FIA GT.