Corvettes to GT2

[MOTV8]

If you watched the Petit Le Mans ALMS round, you probably caught that Lou Gigliotti will be campaigning two Riley-prepped Corvettes in GT2 next year, eatin' Ferraris and shittin Porsches... Here's the lengthy write-up, 2 pages worth: Linkski

Finally gets around to the good part, the 'vettes, on page 2, each GT2-ready C6R costing $471K:

The GT2 class in the ALMS uses different rules than the SPEED World Challenge Series in terms of what are permissible modifications to the base production car. Gigliotti outlined the primary differences for us.

"Some of the biggest differences between the Corvette we will run in GT2 and the car we have been running in SPEED World Challenge are the pick up points on the suspension, and the number of body panels we can change on one car and not the other. On the GT2 car there are only certain panels you can change. If the panel is bolted onto the car, you can remove it and replace it with a carbon fiber panel. I believe the Ferrari and the Porsche are built so that all the panels are bolted on so you can replace them with lightweight carbon fiber panels. I am not 100% up on the rules just yet but Bill Riley is, so we are in good hands.

The key for us is to meet the minimum weight requirement because we plan to run bigger tires. Our GT2 car will be 200 pounds lighter than our World Challenge car, but the body won't be as aggressive in terms of aerodynamics. It will still be good and comparable to the Ferrari and the Porsche; at least we hope it will. That is Bob Riley's job as head of the design team, to come up with a car design that is aerodynamically efficient. The other major difference is the tires. The World Challenge cars used DOT legal shaved tires while the ALMS car will use a proper racing slick tire."

Go LOU!

Still don't know what the Pratt & Miller/Corvette Racing plan is....

[Desertdawg]

Good read Dean, thanks for the link...

I liked this part...

"People have been looking at us as if we are crazy because we bought a couple of new 2008 Corvettes from a dealer and took them to the shop and stripped them. Both of them had just 25 miles on them!"

Must be nice!!!

And here's a hint as to what LG's cars will be wearing!!!

"I can't say exactly what the final car will look like once we set the body style and paint it up. But I can tell you this much: the number 28 car will have flames on its nose! And I think the Porsches are flammable, aren't they?"

[Bigfoot]

"I can't say exactly what the final car will look like once we set the body style and paint it up. But I can tell you this much: the number 28 car will have flames on its nose! And I think the Porsches are flammable, aren't they?"

[MOTV8]

Oh SNAP! It's on moFo's! I got Lou kickin' the sheit outta some V8 Vantage-ass!

Aston Martin considering GT2 V8 Vantage:

Aston Martin's 2008 GT1-class racing plan still is not finalized, but it might battle Chevrolet in GT2. Prodrive, which runs Aston's racing programs, has a test car up and running.

Prodrive's test mule is based on the V8 Vantage. The car would race against the new GT2 Chevy Corvette built by Riley Technologies (Competition, Oct. 15). "This is more of a GT2 test hack than a car that conforms to any regulations," said George Howard-Chappell, who heads Aston Martin Racing at Prodrive. "We are evaluating the V8 platform, and this car will help us answer some key questions."

Aston regular Darren Turner tested the car at the MIRA proving ground in England in early November and drove it again recently at Goodwood. Prodrive was set to take the Vantage to Spain, where the DBR9 GT1 car also will run, the week of Nov. 12 for a Michelin tire test. Howard-Chappell said the Vantage project's future will be clearer after that.

"We could have cars ready for next year but not in very high numbers," he said. "It is important to stress that right now, we have not committed to building and selling GT2 cars."

As for Aston's GT1 plans, it almost certainly will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a pair of DBR9s to defend its 2007 win. A full season in the American Le Mans Series is unlikely unless the team finds enough sponsorship.