Audi R15 TDi

[philipbain]

Sorry But Closed Cockpit cars are ugly compared to open cockpits and really against everything sportscar racing stands for.

The driver should be visible and exposed to the elements.

I suppose its a matter of opinion, I prefer the closed cars, in my opinion the last open top Le Mans car that looked the business against it's contemporaries was probably the Jaguar D-Type!

I and i'm sure many others make the automatic association between closed cars and a time when Sportscar racing was considered a viable alternative to F1 racing, not somewhere to seek refuge when single seaters don't work out for a driver. I'm sure the ACO also recognised this, hence the move towards closed cars that sadly isnt set to be the complete overhaul it was supposed to be. Obviously this is just superficial and perhaps the ACO ought to concentrate less on pegging cars to a desired laptime and do more to encourage technical innovation and the sort of diversity that made Le Mans so fascinating in the past, such as the battle of large displacement atmo cars against smaller displacement turbo cars, or even when LMP675 cars could compete with LMP900 cars (at least until they broke!) which was a true case of David vs. Goliath, something which the deliberate handicapping of P2 cars has eliminated at Le Mans (though the ALMS have the right idea, with rules that close this gap and racing on circuits where the Audis can't stretch thier legs too much!).

[Bob Riebe]

So the GT40 and 917 were 'against everything sportscar racing stands for'?

Heck the vast majority of prototypes and gt cars from the sixties I guess are against what sportscar racing stands for.
Odd, when that is the decade that really put sportscar racing on the map.

[harvick#1]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73231

what a radical change audi has made for the R15

[wedge]

Looks like the Acuras at first

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/newsjan09.html

[rob01]

At first glance i didnt like it but its growing on me.
i like how they put the tail lights in the rear wing end plates.
for some reason it looks like its too short at the front though!

part of me hopes Audi will do aswell as they have done with the R8 and R10 but i also want the beautiful Peugeot 908 to beat them! we always see teams have periods of success(audi, oreca with the vipers, gm with there corvette) and the opposite... maybe Audi's time at the top is over?! maybe the privateer R10's will end up beating them...

[chuck34]

Rob, I would also love to see the privateer R10's beat the R15. That would be awesome! Just as long as the Peugeot doesn't win. That thing looks like some sort of messed up bird or something.


Not that looks should have anything to do with it, I just don't like Peugeot (don't really know why) so I have to find something to pick on them about

[Mark in Oshawa]

I am not a big fan of the proportions of the new R15 but like its precursers, it will likely run like jack the bear and beat all comers. Unlike you Chuck, tho I like that Pug. I will like it more if Jacques Villeneuve is driving and wins LeMans, giving him an WDC, an Indy 500 and a LeMans 24 hour.

[rob01]

it reminds me a little of that not so good R8C that audi built!

[chuck34]

Mark, I sort of like Villeneuve too. Just don't like Peugot, don't know why really. Maybe I just have to have SOMEBODY to root against.

[big_sw2000]

Sorry But Closed Cockpit cars are ugly compared to open cockpits and really against everything sportscar racing stands for.

The driver should be visible and exposed to the elements.

Really the Silk Cut Jaguars ugly. Idont think so
Any of the Suber Mercedes ugly. I dont think so
I could go on.