GT Class

[AndyRAC]

So, then it looks like we will have a mid- and a rear engined car if Porsche will get homologation. Will anyone take the chance on a front engined car, maybe the Nissan 370, an Aston Martin, a Jaguar or a BMW ?

Then all bases on back wheel drive are covered, and I guess front wheel drive GT is out of the question !

Really looking forward to seeing this class taking its place in Rally !

No, No, and thrice No!! A FWD GT......Sacrilege!!

Real cars are RWD.....

[wildboar]

The video presentation of the Lotus Exige R-GT:
The all-new Exige R-GT Rally Car - YouTube

[wildboar]

Some new information on the Exige R-GT:
Rallying Call: Lotus Exige R-GT

Interesting points:

- The FIA’s, Jean Todt asked Lotus Director of Motorsport, Claudio Berro to work with his colleagues at Aston Martin and Porsche to devise a set of global rules that would attract the likes of Alfa Romeo with its 4C and Nissan (GT-R) and Renault with the rumored imminent return of Alpine to run in GT class on rounds of the World Rally Championship.

- Components are currently undergoing tests in a mule Evora before being transferred to the Exige R-GT displayed at Frankfurt, “We will test the car on tarmac with specialist French and Italian drivers and on gravel with British or Finnish drivers,” explained Berro. [gravel!?]

- Lotus, Berro said, had already received interest from an Italian outfit wanting to run a works team but “I would rather have teams from the UK, France, Spain, Italy, the U.S. all competing together."

- "I expect the car’s performance to be about 1.5 secs slower per kilometer than a Super2000 car but on some stages, like asphalt, we could, for sure, be quicker.”

[N.O.T]

The GT class in my opinion is a golden oportunity for the FIA to bring huge publicity in rallying....which means that they will not do anything about it, because the girls and ladyboys from F1 might lose their "dough".

[Dug83]

This could be very exciting class(at last) with a couple more manufactures.

I t would be interesting to see what drivers it would attract. The likes of Francois Delecour and Didier Auriol or some younger drivers or rich business men.

[Maui J.]

Some new information on the Exige R-GT:
Rallying Call: Lotus Exige R-GT

Interesting points:

- The FIA’s, Jean Todt asked Lotus Director of Motorsport, Claudio Berro to work with his colleagues at Aston Martin and Porsche to devise a set of global rules that would attract the likes of Alfa Romeo with its 4C and Nissan (GT-R) and Renault with the rumored imminent return of Alpine to run in GT class on rounds of the World Rally Championship.

- Components are currently undergoing tests in a mule Evora before being transferred to the Exige R-GT displayed at Frankfurt, “We will test the car on tarmac with specialist French and Italian drivers and on gravel with British or Finnish drivers,” explained Berro. [gravel!?]

- Lotus, Berro said, had already received interest from an Italian outfit wanting to run a works team but “I would rather have teams from the UK, France, Spain, Italy, the U.S. all competing together."

- "I expect the car’s performance to be about 1.5 secs slower per kilometer than a Super2000 car but on some stages, like asphalt, we could, for sure, be quicker.”

This is a great move.
It would have to be a tarmac only championship. It would be a bit embarrassing for a GT car to be seen getting it's bum kicked by the shopping carts on the gravel events. We would understand this but the casual sports fan on the street wouldn't. I can't see the GT manufacturers seeing that as a great marketing tool.

Whereas a tarmac championship would be fantastic. It could bring a lot of new names (or famous names of the past) to the podium.
It reminds me when the 2WD Xsara kit car of Bugaski won Catalunya and Corsica in 1999, beating the Impreza, Focus, Corolla etc 4WD WRC cars. Not saying that the Xsara was by anyway a GT car, but it made for a very interesting event.

Bring it on!

Question: The Nissan GT-R is a 4WD vehicle, would this be eligible?

[focus206]

The thing is very interesting, I really hope they lead it to something concrete, not just talking about his and that manufacturer

[Plan9]

This is exciting. I think the Exige is amazing. I can't wait to see what it will be like on gravel. I am a little disppointed Lotus didn't think to make choose a cheaper car for the rally project as I think the Tanaks and Paddons of this world would take their money elsewhere. I wonder why Lotus didn't just tune someone else's car as they did with Talbot.

[Sulland]

As said in the article in Road & Track: the car costs $156,000 plus local taxes. That means 156,000.00 USD = 115,379.79 EUR after todays currency converter.

Not a bad price if the car delivers what it looks like and tech data. Many Gentleman Drivers, and old top drivers could have a lot of fun in this car !

Has the testing started on the mule started yet, and have anyone filmed it ?

If this one is close to the truth, it would also be a perfect R-GT car: http://facecarsx.com/sport-cars/2012...-design-study/

[mousti]

Put Duez in the car ^^