Detailed information about Group C and LM race cars

G

German wunderkind

Messages
73
Messages
ThomasH1977
After the last Le Mans race I thought it would be good to find out which criteria might have been applied when deciding which of the historic race cars should be put in GT.
To my surprise not all the cars we thought to be LM veterans have ever seen the french track. Some cars never existed in the presented colour scheme in the game.
So here is the information:
Toyota Minolta 88C-V (’89)
• Number: 36
• Raced: ?
• Drivers: ?
• Ranked: ?

Was not able to find a Toyota 88C-V that took part in either a 1989 race or was coloured as in GT4 but raced 1988. Two Toyota 88C took part in the 1988 Le Mans race (#36 and 37, finished 12th and 24th). Race cars named similar ranged from 83C to 94C-V.

Nissan R89C (’89)
• Number: 23
• Raced: Le Mans 1989
• Drivers: Masahiro Hasemi (J); Kazuyoshi Hoshino (J); Toshio Suzuki (J)
• Ranked: dnf (engine)

Nissan R92CP (’92)
• Number: 1
• Raced: Suzuka 500 km, 1000 km Fuji, 500 Miles Fuji, 500 km Sugo, 500 km Mine (Fuji Long Distance Series)
• Drivers: Toshio Suzuki (J); Kazuyoshi Hoshino (J); Takao Wada (J)
• Ranked: 9th (500 km Suzuka), 1st (1000 km Fuji), 1st (500 Miles Fuji), 1st (500 km Sugo), 2nd (1000 km Fuji), 2nd (500 km Mine)

Jaguar XJR-9 (’88)
• Number: 2
• Raced: Le Mans 1988
• Drivers: Jan Lammers (NL); Johnny Dumfries (GB); Andy Wallace (GB)
• Ranked: 1st

Toyota GT-One (’99)
• Number: 3
• Raced: Le Mans 1999
• Drivers: Ukyou Katayama (J); Keiichi Tsuchiya (J); Toshio Suzuki (J)
• Ranked: 2nd

Panoz GTR-1 (’98)
• Number: 4
• Raced: Sebring 12h 1998, Lime Rock IMSA 1998, USRRC Mid-Ohio 1998, Sebring 3h 1998, Laguna Seca IMSA 1998 (to name a few)
• Drivers: Andy Wallace (GB); David Brabham (AUS)
• Ranked: 2nd (Sebring), dnf (accident)(Lime Rock), 3rd Mid-Ohio, 1st (Sebring 3h), 2nd (Laguna)

Sauber-Mercedes C9 (’89)
• Number: 63
• Raced: Le Mans 1989
• Drivers: Jochen Mass (D); Manuel Reuter (D); Stanley Dickens (S)
• Ranked: 1st

Peugeot 905 (’92)
• Number: 1
• Raced: Le Mans 1992
• Drivers: Yannick Dalmas (F); Derek Warwick (GB); Mark Blundell (GB)
• Ranked: 1st

Mazda 787B (’91)
• Number: 55
• Raced: Le Mans 1991
• Drivers: Volker Weidler (D); Johnny Herbert (GB); Bertrand Gachot (B)
• Ranked: 1st

Nissan R390 GT1 (’98)
• Number: 32
• Raced: Le Mans 1998
• Drivers: Kazuyoshi Hoshino (J); Aguri Suzuki (J); Masahiko Kageyama (J)
• Ranked: 3rd

Bentley Speed 8 (’03)
• Number: 7
• Raced: Le Mans 2003, Sebring 12 h 2003
• Drivers: Rinaldo Capello (I); Tom Kristensen (DK); Guy Smith (GB)
• Ranked: 1st (Le Mans), 4th (Sebring)

Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR (’98)
• Number: 2
• Raced: the Le Mans version never had the blue stripes on the roof (it also had number 36), the FIA GT version carried the number 2 but also lacked the stripes and never had the Mercedes star on the side
• Drivers: ?
• Ranked: ?

Gillet Vertigo (’04)
• Number: 1
• Raced: no information found so far
• Drivers: ?
• Ranked: ?

Chevrolet Corvette C5R (’00)
• Number: 64
• Raced: Le Mans 2000
• Drivers: Andy Pilgrim (GB); Kelly Collins (USA); Franck Fréon (F)
• Ranked: 10th

Audi R8 (’01)
• Number: 1 (red) and 2 (yellow)
• Raced: Le Mans 2001
• Drivers: (#1) Frank Biela (D); Tom Kristensen (DK); Emanuele Pirro (I)
(#2) Laurent Aiello (F); Rinaldo Capello (I); Christian Pescatori (I)
• Ranked: (#1) 1st, (#2) 2nd

Pescarolo C60 Judd (’04)
• Number: 17 and 18
• Raced: Le Mans 2004, (#17 only) Monza 1000 km and Nurburgring 1000 km
• Drivers: (#17) Sébastien Bourdais (F); Emmanuel Collard (F); Nicolas Minassian (F)
(#18) Soheil Ayari (F); Erik Comas (F); Benoit Tréluyer (F)
• Ranked: (#17) dnf (engine), (#18) 4th
(#17) 4th (Monza) 5th (Nurb.)

Dodge Viper GTS-R (’00)
• Number: 51
• Raced: Le Mans 2000
• Drivers: Karl Wendlinger (A); Olivier Beretta (MC); Dominique Dupuy (F)
• Ranked: 10th

BMW V12 LMR (’99)
• Number: 15
• Raced: Le Mans 1999
• Drivers: Pierluigi Martini (I)¸Yannick Dalmas (F)¸Joachim Winkelhock (D)
• Ranked: 1st

Pescarolo Courage C60 (’03)
• Number: 17 and 18
• Raced: Le Mans 2003
• Drivers: (#17) Jean-Christophe Boullion (F); Stephane Sarrazin (F); Franck Lagorce (F)
(#18) Eric Hélary (F); Soheil Ayari (F); Nicolas Minassian (F)
• Ranked: (#17) 8th, (#18) 9th

Ford GT40 (’69)
• Number: 6
• Raced: Le Mans 1969
• Drivers: Jacky Ickx (B); Jackie Oliver (GB)
• Ranked:1st
 
German wunderkind
Chevrolet Corvette C5R (’00)
• Number: 64
• Raced: Le Mans 2000
• Drivers: Andy Pilgrim (GB); Kelly Collins (USA); Franck Fréon (F)
• Ranked: 10th

Dodge Viper GTS-R (’00)
• Number: 51
• Raced: Le Mans 2000
• Drivers: Karl Wendlinger (A); Olivier Beretta (MC); Dominique Dupuy (F)
• Ranked: 10th
Click to expand...

So closely matched that they tied...

Good info though. Nicely put together.
 
Just to add a few pointers here. The Viper finished 7th in 2000 (1st in class) and the Toyota Minolta 88C-V raced in 1988 as car #36 in the colours shown in GT4, finishing 12th.

Le_Mans-1988-06-12-036.jpg
 
I saw that pic too, and many more of the Toyota 88C. But it is not the same as in GT4. The GT4 version (88C-V) appears much flatter because the cockpit is framed by the front wheel cover, also the front is totally different.

http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Fuji-1988-10-09-photo.html (I think this is the same car as in GT4 but in a different colour scheme, the #36 car is not available as photo).

The Oreca Viper was 7th. Typo.
 
German wunderkind
I saw that pic too, and many more of the Toyota 88C. But it is not the same as in GT4. The GT4 version (88C-V) appears much flatter because the cockpit is framed by the front wheel cover, also the front is totally different.
Click to expand...

I think you're right - perhaps the "V" part of the name indicates some variant. It could be that this particular car only competed in Japanese endurance races (Fuji 1000km and suchlike).

The Gillet Vertigo in GT4 guise is pure fantasy. The version in GT3 did compete in the Belcar Belgian Touring Car Championships though.

Edit: Hang on a mo... I've just found this, courtesy of GT3Times...

Le_Mans-1989-06-11-036.jpg


That's the 1989 Le Mans, car #36...

Edit edit: Result: did not finish (Engine) - 45 laps
Grid: 24th(3:28.32) - 25th fastest qualifier
 
I want to include information about the two Chaparral race cars, too.

Chaparral 2D ('67)
Number: 7
Raced: 1000 km Nurburgring 1966
Drivers: Phil Hill (USA), Joakim Bonnier (S)
Ranked: 1st

I know, the production year does not match. I will look out for information. Maybe Polyphony got it wrong.
The same chassis raced in Daytona (#65, dnf) and Sebring 1966 (#12, dnf) and is believed to have started in Le Mans 1966 (#9, dnf), too.
In 1967 it raced again in Daytona (#14, dnf) and Sebring (#5, dnf).
In 1967 a sister car was re-built into the Chaparral 2F (high wing).

Chaparral 2J ('70)
Number: 66
Raced: Watkins Glen 1970, Road Atlanta 1970, Laguna Seca 1970, Riverside (CanAm)
Driver: Jackie Stewart (GB, Glen); Vic Elford (GB, Road Atl., Laguna Seca, Riverside);
Ranked: dnf (Glen)(brake failure), 6th (Road Atl.), dns (Laguna Seca), dnf (Riverside)(engine failure)
 
That too, is a different car. The side panels on the body have less vents, and the rear-end is of a different design (in the game it tapers up). The front wheels also seem to be of a different design, as does the spoiler. The car is also painted differently.
toyota-minolta-toyota-88c-v-race-car-89.jpg
 
So we're looking at some weird 88C variant with aspects of the 89C car I guess. Probably a development car between the '88 and '89 Le Mans for the Japanese endurance circuit.
 
German wunderkind
The same chassis raced in Daytona 1966 and is believed to have started in Le Mans 1966, too.
Click to expand...
If you mean the 2D, then yes. It raced under the prototype class alongside the Ford GT.
Famine
So we're looking at some weird 88C variant with aspects of the 89C car I guess. Probably a development car between the '88 and '89 Le Mans for the Japanese endurance circuit.
Click to expand...
A google image search brought up this:
24079.jpg

which seems to be the one in the game minus the headlights.
 
Tamiya made a 1/24 plastic kit of the GT4 car. I've got one up in my loft (without decals) so it probably was a real car somewhere.

EDIT: I see Toronado's image is the Tamiya model too.
 
Yeah, down at the local Toyworld there is a model of the 88C-V. EXACTLY like in the game, dark headlights and all. Pretty sure it's Tamiya too.
 
Your point? Henry Ford threw millions of 1960's dollars at it. Chaparall was a small mechanics firm in Texas. Besides, the 2D kicked Ford's ass at the 'Ring.
 

Latest Posts

Back