Production Car Racing (GT4, CTSCC, PWC GTS/TC, MX-5 Cup, etc)Touring Cars 

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Pete05
# jealous

Best of luck to your Dad in the Q's. I got to do 5 laps around Calder Park on Grand Final Day 1990 & got taken for about 5-6 laps around the Thunderdome in the passenger seat. Leave pitlane put it in 3rd & keep it flat. Amazing what G forces they could get from a buffed set of Goodyear Ducaros.

What model Commodore is your friend driving?
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Yeah, a lot of people can't believe those HQ's are still going!
It's either a VY or VZ, that's going to be raced in saloon cars eventually. Not sure if it has to be set up differently for the 6 hour.
 
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Is anyone running the BMW M2? Seems like it'd be a good fit for ST class racing or indeed a GT4 platform. There isn't an "official" GT4 BMW car is there? I'd love to see Turner Motorsports or someone back in Continental running an M2-derived car.

PS: The rumoured Toyota/BMW LeMans GT effort --- is that a special race car or is supposed to be the basis for a production car?
 
TheElbows
Is anyone running the BMW M2? Seems like it'd be a good fit for ST class racing or indeed a GT4 platform. There isn't an "official" GT4 BMW car is there? I'd love to see Turner Motorsports or someone back in Continental running an M2-derived car.

PS: The rumoured Toyota/BMW LeMans GT effort --- is that a special race car or is supposed to be the basis for a production car?
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The M4 is BMW's official GT4 car and is starting competition this year.

As for the BMW/Toyota project, the Supra/Z5 is a joint venture between the two. Would be interesting to see if it were to become a GTE car. Most likely it would be the Z5 for BMW as Toyota have their LMP1 program and BMW are focusing on GT/TC racing so the marriage fits well (shame as a Toyota Supra GTE would be dope, but perhaps a Supra GT4?).
 
TheElbows
Is anyone running the BMW M2? Seems like it'd be a good fit for ST class racing or indeed a GT4 platform. There isn't an "official" GT4 BMW car is there? I'd love to see Turner Motorsports or someone back in Continental running an M2-derived car.

PS: The rumoured Toyota/BMW LeMans GT effort --- is that a special race car or is supposed to be the basis for a production car?
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R1600Turbo
The M4 pictured above is official. The M2 isn't in anything professionally I don't believe. Mostly 235i, etc.

Edit: Tree'd
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There is a factory official BMW M2 Clubsport, but it's built to TC regs, not GT4.

Here's two that competed in PWC TC in 2016


The #26 driven by Toby Grahovec was a race winner and in the championship hunt right down to the end of the season - off the top I forget who actually did win the title :lol:.


From what I remember, at one point the announcers mentioned that the M2 retailed for somewhere between $100-150k US....I want to say it was $120k. If that's actually right, that's not bad for a turnkey racecar.
 
R1600Turbo
Hmm, never saw any in CTSCC so that's probably why I didn't know. Need to start paying more attention to PWC.
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If you can find a way, or can just pay for the app (think there's a free trial), I recommend watching the GT4 and TC races from last year. The grids weren't massive, but they were quite diverse, and some of the battles were really intense.

In GT4, it was the Blackdog Camaros and Roush Mustangs, Maseratis and Aston Martins vs the lightweight KTMs, Sin R1s, G55s, and Evoras. The dynamic between the heavy and light cars - heating the tires, tire wear, performance at different parts of the lap - made for racelong battles that came right down to the wire.

The TC class was just as good. BMW M2, Honda Accord, MX5, 370Z, and a few others. Again, the fast, heavy cars like the M2 and Accord fending off the late charging, lightweight MX5s. A couple of the guys in the MX5s really drove the wheels off them at different points in the season, and Nick Wittmer in the Accord was really entertaining all season long too.


I think in GT4, grid size is expected to grow this year, which I'm really looking forward to (it actually grew significantly over the course of the season last year...compare COTA to Leguna Seca, it's night and day). Hopefully the TC class grows too.
 
twitcher
Re: GT86s in GT4 - perhaps it's a power issue? Not easy/cheap/reliable to get the kind of HP to be competative in the GT4 class? From what I gather, GT4 is supposed to be mostly stock right? A mostly stock GT86 would struggle with a mostly stock 911, V8 Vantage, Mustang, Camaro, Evora, etc. The underpowered lightweight cars you see in GT4 like the G55s, XBows, Sin R1, etc, are much lighter than even a stripped GT86, and are purpose built racecars with balance and handling at the core of the design.

I'd say it's the same reason you don't see any MX5 in GT4....they're just not Grand Touring cars.
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I looked up the GT86 GT4 specs. Some have it with 350hp, some with 400hp from the turbo. The cost to maintain appears to be cheaper or equal to an exotic GT4 car, as per Toyota GB.

It's also competitive


The 370Z and Cayman(it's a baby Porsche) aren't as exotic, even the Camaro & Mustang, as the AM, McLaren, dare I say M4, R8, etc. I think if Toyota and Mazda in Australia, USA & Japan got more involved, we'd see more of them. Toyota back the GT86 series in Australia. A GT4 program for the 86 and/or Supra, would suit.
 
05XR8
I looked up the GT86 GT4 specs. Some have it with 350hp, some with 400hp from the turbo. The cost to maintain appears to be cheaper or equal to an exotic GT4 car, as per Toyota GB.

It's also competitive


The 370Z and Cayman(it's a baby Porsche) aren't as exotic, even the Camaro & Mustang, as the AM, McLaren, dare I say M4, R8, etc. I think if Toyota and Mazda in Australia, USA & Japan got more involved, we'd see more of them. Toyota back the GT86 series in Australia. A GT4 program for the 86 and/or Supra, would suit.
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TOYOTA Japan & Australia could get behind the GT4 variant of the 86 by providing a season in the GT Championship as a prize for the winner of the one-make series.
 
Pete05
TOYOTA Japan & Australia could get behind the GT4 variant of the 86 by providing a season in the GT Championship as a prize for the winner of the one-make series.
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Shooooot. Perfect reason to join and promote both series.

Now i'll throw a monkey in the wrench. How about Gazoo racing? They make some mighty nice Lexus RC F production type race cars and the GT3 racer.
 
05XR8
Shooooot. Perfect reason to join and promote both series.

Now i'll throw a monkey in the wrench. How about Gazoo racing? They make some mighty nice Lexus RC F production type race cars and the GT3 racer.
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Now that you mention that, I saw video of what looked like a Lexus GT4 car. Testing at Sebring I believe.

Ya, here:


From the comments, no one seems to know what it is, but it defintely looks GT4ish.

From a Toyota perspective, I think it makes more sense to use a Lexus or a new Supra for GT3 and GT4 competition, save the GT86 for TC racing...and rallying :sly:
 
twitcher
Now that you mention that, I saw video of what looked like a Lexus GT4 car. Testing at Sebring I believe.

Ya, here:


From the comments, no one seems to know what it is, but it defintely looks GT4ish.

From a Toyota perspective, I think it makes more sense to use a Lexus or a new Supra for GT3 and GT4 competition, save the GT86 for TC racing...and rallying :sly:
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The Gazoo Racing website shows one as the RC 200T and the other as an RC(in the video) is for SP class in the Nurb 24.
 
Real shame about the Blackforest Challenger. I read the main issues were no factory funding and manufacturing defect in the block. However, Blackforest were able to make their own blocks from aluminum as a solution.

Production car racing or as close to production car racing, is making a comeback. If Chrysler kept a program at grassroots and GT4 level racing, I feel they could be successful.
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The Challenger is neat, the problem is it's just a HUGE friggin' car. Really tough to make it competitive (though it'd be fun to watch - assuming they'd give it big tires and lots of power to make up for the difference).
 
The new Hellcat version have the wider arches. That's what could be used. Hough, its only slightly longer than a Camaro. I'm not familiar with a team that has enough pull to get factory backing.
 
I just don't think Dodge/Chrysler/Mercedes/Renault/Insertcurrentownerhere has that much interest at all in running professional sports cars.
 
I know, I just gave up following because they're such a comically mediocre brand...changing hands faster than a British motor company (heyo!)
 
Pete05
Whoever managed to sell this idea to the ARDC, could sell ice to the Eskimos.
This is the last meeting of all of them on the calendar that should host this event.
I'm convinced the people that go to the Muscle Car Masters, aren't the slightest bit interested in watching Mitsubishi Evolutions & WRXs versus Elises & the like.
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Not making excuses, but it's also a way to get young people to these events. It's almost like a Father's Day weekend.

I missed last year's "Twin Threes". I suspect SMP need to sell more tickets through the year. GT4 need an invite to most of these events.
 

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