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Is Porsche thinking on getting back to prototype racing? At Le Mans?

According to Motorsport.com, that might be a possibility. If so, Porsche is considering the new LMDh class, that supposedly should start in 2021. Nobody knows much about this new class, but basically it will allow the same car to compete both in WEC and IMSA races. Everything is on hold right now because of the pandemic, but if Porsche is actually thinking about it, maybe there’s hope for the future of endurance racing.

T.50

So far no pics, only a rendering, and not much to see. But Gordon Murray (yes, that Gordon Murray) is working on a new supercar. Not much has been revealed, it’s called T.50 and will be powered by a ground-breaking V12 from Cosworth. According to their website it will be naturally aspirated and deliver 650 hp. It will also be the “highest-revving engine ever in a production car”. From their website you can see the engine actually being tested, so I think the T.50 will actually come to life. Très cool! 😎

Some of Le Mans’ greatest pilots

Some years ago Petrolicious published a story about five of the most fantastic pilots to race at La Sarthe. I read this story on their site when it came out, but Einstein here didn’t bookmark it. And of course, afterwards, for the life of me I couldn’t remember where I read it 😣. Last night, from nowhere, the story appeared again in my Facebook feed. But this time I’m sharing it.

Not a long article, but with some terrific photography of the era. So, if like me you’re into the stories that make Le Mans THE greatest race on Earth, click here.

Koenigsegg Gemera. And you thought things could not get more insane…

The Gemera, just presented today. It has 1700 hp, and can go from a standstill to 100 km/h in 1.9 seconds, with a top speed of at least 400 km/h. It also has all-wheel drive, all-wheel torque vectoring, all-wheel steering and also has independent rear-wheel steering. And if that’s not enough, it seats four adults (comfortably, according to Koenigsegg).

It also has 8 (eight) cup holders, four that chill your drink and four that heat your drink. I’m not sure about luggage space, or if it even has space for your wallet. But who needs to carry luggage if you’re going somewhere at warp speed with your family.

Insane 🤯.

Six (yes, just 6!) cars in LMP1 at La Sarthe this year

ACO released this afternoon (02/28) the entry list for the 24 Heures du Mans of 2020. We will only have six LMP1 cars – two Toyota, two Ginetta and two Rebellion. The grid will consist of 62 cars in total, and the other 56 are 24 LMP2, 11 GTE-Pro and 20 GTE-Am cars.

This year will be the last hurrah of the LMP1 class, and I’m sad to see only six cars. The class has been around since 1994 and I thought they deserved a grander going-away party 😥.

Motorsport.com has the full list here.

Hypercar class in jeopardy

Earlier this week we heard that Aston Martin is pulling out of the new Hypercar class, and therefore the Valkyrie project was put on hold (canceled?). So far only Toyota has what looks to be a “working project”, but nothing yet from McLaren, Peugeot or Glickenhause. Well, the later, on Tweeter, said they do have something in the oven. We’re almost in March now, and Le Mans is in June, so with all that (lack of) news I’m worried.

Jalopnik has a much better story on this. And unfortunately, it’s a troublesome read.

ACO and IMSA unify rules for 2021

According to Road & Track, this weekend both race bodies announced that from 2021 onward Le Mans and Daytona will be raced with the same rules. That is huge, since it means that the same car will now be able to compete at Daytona and La Sarthe, an immense incentive to race car manufacturers. Starting in 2021, Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) agreed on a new class, called Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh). There will also be LMP2 and Hypercars, and both classes will be legal in both series.

Everything is all official, so this means that starting next year things will be very interesting for Le Mans. And by that I mean more manufacturers, ergo, more variety and cool cars 🤞.

Who’s into slot cars?

I’m not. Not because I don’t think it’s ice cool, but because I don’t have the space for a nice track. I would absolutely love to see my beloved cars racing on a track in my living room. Or in my man cave, if I had one. But alas, it’s not for me.

However, if I had the space and US$ 300.000,00 to spare, I definitively would buy a track like this one featured at Petrolicious.