sweet, thanks. The pic gets better and better every day. I don't know about any of you but I'm excited to see a 3-rotor, mid-engine rx-7 come out.

 

Exactly, that mother f-er looks like the new Batmobile !

 

Just faster and more bad ***!

 

Well Porsche is legally acquiring VW & Audi so i'm sure it has to do with it and now that the Audi R10 has about 20 restrictions on it I doubt they will run next yr unless something gives. I'd like to know how much Mazda actually helps out the BK motor sports program vs other teams. You know in F1 they have everything calculated to the dollar and you can see who's rolling where...unless its Toyota which is the odd ball spending like mad and not finishing on podium.

An interesting thing is how close Penske team and porsche support is because Porsche claims its not a factory team but its operated like one. Now Dyson will run the Porsche's for some added competition. Can't wait for the 08 season to get aired

I'm sure the budget Penske has lets them spend extra on tips

 

It looks fantastic in that one picture there, but I fully expect it to look like hell from another angle. Mazda's new concept car designs have been absolutely appalling lately. I hope I am wrong...

 

The Audi still did well at LeMans I do believe, but it's a very different track than the ones run in the ALMS, which I gather tend to favor the LMP2 cars.

 

Heh. I was just looking at the teaser shot again (I have it as my wallpaper right now), and I just now noticed the little triangular mirrors. Interesting placement choice.

 

Penske has a long, long history of winning. They have always run like a factory team, whether they had factory backing or not. From 60s Trans Am to F1 to sports cars, they've alway espoused the "unfair advantage" - meticulous preparation and obsessive testing.

The Audis have been handicapped recently by rule changes (smaller fuel tanks, more air restriction) to give everyone else a chance.

 

IMO, that statement is flawed. The problem is that IMSA bases their car classes on the ACO. The ACO bases their car regularions on the performance observed on longer tracks like LeMans. On a track like that, Penske wouldn't have a shot for an overall win unless there were some serious technical issues in LMP1. However, ALMS has chosen much smaller circuits which give the advantage to the smaller and lighter cars like the LMP2's.

Also keep in mind that the classes were designed in such a way that the higher classes were for factory backed teams, and the lower classes were for privateers. Porshce and Acura are really bending the design of the classes by backing/competing in LMP2 as that class is suppose to be for privateers (i.e. lower costing cars). Just like GT1 for factory backed teams and GT2 for privateers.

The ACO has recognized this and is increasing the minimum weight of the LMP2's and decreasing the minimum weight of the LMP1's for next year. However, as usual, IMSA is not required to follow all the regulations of the ACO. There are already a few they don't use which is part of the reason the LMP2's have been able to compete and win overall in ALMS, but not in the LeMans series.

The ACO has worked hard to keep the times of the classes separate. If you look at their series, you'll see that the top GT2 cars are routinely 2-3 seconds behind the top GT1 cars (similarly the LMP1 and LMP2's). Its balanced like that for a reason. Audi will be running 2 cars in ALMS next year and 2 cars in the LeMans series. I would expect Audi to pull out of ALMS unless IMSA provides better balancing.

 

Already acknowledged that in fewer words.

 

I'm contemplating buying the tickets and going to Detroit.

 

Yes, but its more than just the track. There are most aspects of it (i.e. IMSA rules) which is what I was commenting on.

 

Yes, but the IMSA rules are very closely based on the ACO rules though, no? Do you know of any particular differences, because it really doesn't make sense to make them different, since a number of the cars will be competing at LeMans and in the ALMS, right?

I guess I was trying to imply with the comment about Audi winning LeMans that the rules were designed more around tracks like that.

 

IMSA doesn't really car about the LeMans race itself. If the cars need to make changes to compete for that race, it doesn't bother them. Heck, teams rebuild wrecked cars in 24-48 hours, so little changes for the LeMans race would be no big deal. IMSA bases their rules off what will make money. This is why they wanted to give LMP2's a chance to compete for the overall win. However, I believe Audi has threatened to pull out of ALMS which is why they are considering the rules changes by the ACO. The fact that they are choosing to enter their other team into LeMans and not ALMS clearly shows that. I'll bet that if next season ends up like this last one, it will be the last ALMS for Audi and they will just compete in the LeMans series abroad. I don't blame them if they do, I would as well if I were in their shoes.

I don't have the list myself, but it has been posted around the web of the changes by the ACO which the IMSA does not use. I know of the weight changes since they are recent and the IMSA has not announced yet (that I have seen) *if* they are going to implement it in ALMS.

 

what about the taiki? i think the taiki replaces the rx7, and should be more affordable. i wouldn't mind both as soon as the production models are out. They should shape out better. All concepts look weird until it makes it to production. But yea 450hp 3 rotor is competition. Hopefully the Taiki is around 400hp with the new 16x renesis and hopefully turbocharged too.

 

I really dig the little rotor shaped holes in those upper grills. The way they trail off is like they can't keep up with the speed of the car.

Even the side mirror and that top vent look to be rotor inspired!

Go Mazda!!!!!!!!

 

If they make an RX-7 with non-pop-up head lights, I'm converting it to popups. Sawzall style.

Okay.. but seriously, that sucks. wonder why they banned them...

 

safety for pedestrians I think.

 

i'm sure this is a stupid question, but does anyone know if the Furai will be shown at any of the other US shows? Philly, NYC, etc.?

 

^From what I'm hearing, Mazda will show this new car, a cutaway cross section of the new 16x and a new reworked version of the RX-8 at Detroit. I'm guessing that they'll also announce a future 16x engine option for the RX-8. Not sure about any other U.S. shows.

...we'll see!

 

that's all i've seen too... but i'm not sure i wanna make the trek up to detroit just to see something that may end up being a flop.

 

Keyword

 

that shot got me excited

 

Mid engine 3 rotor, Can they really bring this into production, and at what cost? Going to be interesting to see how this all plays out.

 

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Mazda Furai(Sound of Wind)