THE F70 (LaFerrari) Thread

News to us already there so source please - I doubt it would be a legal law (!) under EU law - are you sure you don't mean Zimbabwe which has apparently banned new LHD cars !

 

What do you expect the power output to be without the KERS-system?

 

But if there are not regulations then the one with the biggest engine wins. Where is the challenge in that?

Those enthusiasts all love the GT40, 917 and the 512. All great super cars designed to racing regulations and simply awesome. The GT40 IMO is still the best supercar of all.
Pete

 

impossible. Rich British people purchase LHD cars so they can enjoy European holidays ... Nick Mason bought a LHD F40 for this reason.
Pete

 

It does interest enthusiasts as measured by the number of people who go to tracks to watch endurance racing.

I agree it would be fine if they could race as they were but of the three I doubt the F70 as delivered would last 24 hours. The 918 probably would as modern Porsches still can run 24's as delivered and P1 might be able to but the days of driving to the track, taping headlights and racing as one did in the sixties are mostly over. Automobile had an interesting recent article about 918 development. They are building and endurance testing over 20 918's. It takes that level of testing to build a car that is fully street legal and can last 24 hours flat out. Fan distress with BOP is understandable but the only manufacture who has been able in recent times to make a car as delivered last 24 is Porsche.

 

This cuts both ways, what works on the track can sometimes not work on the road, take the Porsche GT3 for example, Chris Harris drove a virtually showroom example at the 24 hour race a year or two back. On anything but a smooth road the ride is hard, uncomfortable, the car tramlines all over the price.....I know I spent time in one on a bumpy road, the same type of road which didnt bother a 458 at all had the Porshc bouncing all over the place.

Me, I'd rather have a car that works fantastically on the road and well on the track that a car that works fantastically on the track but is too compromised for road use.

 

Add South Africa to that. Clearly as mentioned my sources are far from being correct on this!

Apologies for the confusion.

 

918 for me it's a new car 3 years old....
P1 faster than an f70? maybe yes, or not, Who know at the moment??
Racing cars are an other game, very different from what we can drive every day, very boring 3d about racing, categories, etc...

 

I drive several ex race cars on the road all the time including one's that have won major 24's and find it's very easy to set them up for the road. (Reducing tramlining is easy) I suspect the P GT3 you drove could have easily been set up to be better on the road. The Ring for example is very bumpy so much so you become airborne. The F70 with it's V12 wouldn't work in a 24 but as we've worked with the FIA to allow GT3 engines that's not an issue. One could easily take an F70 put it's road engine aside for later drop in a Ferrari GT3 engine, develop it's aero, develop it's KERS and race against P1 and The 918 at a major 24. I agree that it's very unlikely that the Factory will but surely there's a wealthy Tofosi who could as other's have done in the past with the 512BB for example. Once again should anyone want to take an F70 racing we'll be happy to walk them through it.

Hope U R Well.

 

Not all races last 24 hours though. There is endurance racing and then there is speed racing. I prefer the latter.

 

By "speed racing" do you mean Two Hour Sprints or one lap/0-60/VMAX magazine comparisons?

I understand what you're saying but the same is true of sprints in that VERY few Supercars could last more than a few laps as delivered for the road. The last Ferrari Supercar's suspention overheated after less than one lap of The Ring. Personally I think Porsche's are generally more track capable as delivered for the road.

 

RHD F40s? (Apart from the ocassional order from Brunei).

 

I was referring to 1-2 hour long races. Personally I like them even shorter, but let's stay within that window. With a few modifications most supercars would make it to the end I reckon.

 

RHD are IMO better suited to the track and mountian roads. If you drive the Targa Florio roads at speed it's a lot easier in a RHD car as you can see the edges of the mountian fall off easier. On the track there are more RH turnes so the same holds true of the apex's.

The P1 drivers seating position is very central and they went way out of their way to enable drivers to see the front corners of the car. I suspect the F70 will be similar and the need for RHD is lessened. This design often makes for a more generous driver's than passenger seat as drivers seats are pushed towards the car's centerline.

 

It would depend on the track but the Lambo's engineers told me that the Aventador's brakes were good for about one lap at the Ring.

I agree that a 1-2 hour race between any sports/super car as delivered road legal would be wonderful.

As an aside if there was enough interest from entrants I could likely get that race put on before the 24 as a teaser at the Ring but if held there 1 hour would be more realistic.

 

Yeah, yeah, we all know.

In Italy and Switzerland in the 60s still there were many RHD trucks because of the mountain roads. But, I bet than driving a LHD F40 in UK is an a$$.

 

I drive several RHD cars in the US and it takes a while to get used to it and passing is harder. Generally I find driving anything in the UK difficult. If you look at rental cars those driven by Americans all have RT side wheel curb damage. Should anyone want to convert an F40 to RHD the guys that work for us built the ones for the Sultan and could do it again today.

 

Sports racing cars that are not developed from road cars are almost always RHD and always have benn for a very simple reason. Race tracks - with very few exceptions - turn clockwise making a RHD car easier

 

While I am in no position to start to think about entering (as much fun as that would be) I would absolutely LOVE to see cars entered in an "as delivered" race. I bet that would be a LOT of fun. In some ways I could see it almost like the Trans-Am racing from the 1960s and early 70s - very much a grass roots effort. And it wouldn't have to be strictly Ferraris and Porsches - I could see even Mustangs and Camaros and Corvettes tearing it up out there - could be HUGE fun and relatively cheap to run as well.




PDG

 

I have tried and will continue to try to get an "As Delivered" race series going. In the mean time I have gotten the FIA to agree to a formula that would allow race versions of The F70, The 918 and P1 to race each other. I think it's very possible that a 918's will enter and I've met and discussed this with McLaren and while far from a done deal it's also possible. As it would also be possible to race an F70 I hope an F70 owner will step up.

 

I absolutely LOVE the idea and, for what its worth, I appreciate and applaud your efforts!!! Thank you!!

Beyond that, do you think other makes may be up for it - like Pagani (Zonda R or maybe Huayra racing versions) or perhaps Spyker?? The Spykers would need more power and probably a new model rather than the C8, but the Zonda R would seem to be a great fit against the ones you mentioned already.



PDG

 

My amateur started concept
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBqNw1BxCO4&feature=youtu.be

 

The factories won't fund an "As Delivered" series. The factories want to sell cars to customers. Ferrari is perhaps the last of the car makers with a huge customer demand base. Porsche hopes to sell 918, 918's; so far they've sold about 300. McLaren hopes to sell 500 P1's but that remains IMO a difficult goal. Ferrari will have no problem selling out their F70's. AFAIK Spyker is Bankrupt and while Zonda is doing well and makes a great car they don't have the money or need to go racing on their dime. Porsche have a lot of customers who want to take their cars racing and McLaren has sold a fair number of their GT3's but whether or not owners of "As Delivered" Ferrari's, Lambo's, Zonda's, McLaren's, Aston's, Corvettes, Vipers, etc., etc. really want to race their "As Delivered" cars remains to be seen. Getting back to the F70 as there is now a series with major 24 hour races that will accept them I hope that an F70 owner will show up in 2014. If they do we'll be there.

 

Bridgestone Supercar was pretty close to "as-delivered". Speed GT, as well, early on.

 

Its great to get your perspective on things as always - Thank you!! I definitely understand exactly what you are saying. It does require certain manufacturing goals to be set in order to make it viable. I didnt realize that Spyker was bankrupt though - so that was news to me. I had literally watched an episode of Top Gear last night where they had the Zonda R that was essentially a racecar with no race series so thats why I raised that question.

Makes me wonder if Mercedes might have something they could bring through AMG. I see the SLS as too much of a cruiser/GT car, but if there were a serious hardcore stripped out version ala 430 Scuderia or along that line it might have a bit more draw. Certainly MB has sold a fair share of those and even has some racing heritage to bring to the table.


In your vision would it be something that could be run along the lines of the one make series like Ferrari does with the Challenge series?? Just open to more makes?? and obviously in "as delivered" state.


Respectfully,


PDG