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Probably:
#1: $$$$
#2: They don't want to directly compete with their cousins at Audi
BTW, did anyone catch "Truth in 24" on Speed Channel (great documentary on Audi's experience at LeMans in 2008)?
Yeah I noticed that Porsche had loaned Audi two factory drivers for the Audi car that bumped the wall at the 11 min mark.
I didn't realize they were that close.
I know Porsche is holding out on developing a P1 car so as not to step on Audi's shoes, but come on, it's about time they go for overall again. I have little interest in this "Battle of the Deisels". Porsche needs to start adding to their 16 outright wins before someone else starts getting close.
Lucas Luhr has admitted that he may have been to blame for the #2 Audi's dramatic exit from the Le Mans 24 Hours, even though television footage suggested a mechanical failure may have pitched the car off the road.
At 9-30pm, Luhr left the track entering the Porsche Curves and slammed heavily backwards into the tyre wall. The rear right-hand corner of the R15 was folder at 90-degrees to its original position, and the rear wing was removed completely following the impact, but the German still tried to bring the car back to the pits, before the stewards eventually persuaded him that such a move would be dangerous, both for him and rival competitors.
"I still can't exactly explain the reason for the accident," Luhr admitted, "I braked normally for the Porsche Curves when the rear suddenly stepped out of line. I tried to correct and collect the car, but the sector is simply too fast for this.
"The car spun around before slamming into the tyre barrier very hard [but], even though the Audi was still running, the corner workers didn't allow me to return to the track. We now have to analyse just exactly what happened there, but I'm bitterly sorry for everybody who has worked so hard for this race, and of course especially my team mates."
Audi's report on the incident included the claim that 'a technical defect can be excluded', suggesting that it may share Luhr's admission that he could have been to blame.
"Le Mans is the world's toughest race – as many people have unfortunately found out today," veteran Marco Werner commented, "Le Mans has given me a great deal, but sometimes it makes you pay a high price, just like today.
"The guys from Audi and the team have worked incredibly hard throughout the whole week, they never got to bed early once and have invested so much passion in this project. It hurts now to just see how many mechanics are standing here with tears in their eyes. For Lucas and I, Le Mans was the race of the year since we no longer race in the American Le Mans Series - we've had some fantastic years here and had as good as assumed that all the cars would reach the finish in one piece. Today showed us, painfully, that you just simply shouldn't think like this."
Third crew member Mike Rockenfeller had some sympathy for his colleague, recalling how it felt to remove an Audi from contention at Le Mans.
"First and foremost, it is important that Lucas is okay," the young German insisted, "I couldn't believe it at first when I saw the pictures of the accident on the screen. After losing a car myself in difficult conditions during my first Le Mans race for Audi, I had hoped that such a thing would never happen to us again. I was just getting ready for my next stint, and we are all extremely disappointed, since not reaching the finish at Le Mans is the worst possible scenario for a racing driver."
The #2's exit left just one Audi in position to challenge the Peugeots for victory, although the #1 was also struggling to close down the leading #9 908.
Makes you wonder why Porsche won't race the RS Spyder in ALMS. Still a great car.
However, the 911's aren't even breaking the top 10 in GT2 (the top 7 are Ferraris). Patrick Long says he has tranny problems (he's in 11th). Maybe time to unveil the Cayman RSR?
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"Truth in 24" on Speed Channel (great documentary on Audi's experience at LeMans in 2008)
TREMENDOUS documentary. I Tivo'd it the first time after reading about it in AutoWeek. Then noticed it re-airing this week. It's a good book-end to Steve McQueen and John Frankenheimer's movie, "Le Mans." Very different films, both amazing.
So...now that Peugeot has smoked Audi (Peugeot had a faster car and ran a better race as a team) my only question is.....why? It is quite clear Peugeot targeted Audi and spent scads of money to make it happen. As far as I know Peugeot does not make performance cars. I can not imagine the typical French econo box buyer will be very impressed very much by Peugeots victory at Le Mans. The "win on Sunday and sell on Monday" maxim might work for performance or perhaps even luxury brands, but Peugeot doesn't fit either of these molds AFAIK.
So...now that Peugeot has smoked Audi (Peugeot had a faster car and ran a better race as a team) my only question is.....why? It is quite clear Peugeot targeted Audi and spent scads of money to make it happen. As far as I know Peugeot does not make performance cars. I can not imagine the typical French econo box buyer will be very impressed very much by Peugeots victory at Le Mans. The "win on Sunday and sell on Monday" maxim might work for performance or perhaps even luxury brands, but Peugeot doesn't fit either of these molds AFAIK.
You might be surprised about the Peugeot models. Since they have not been in the US for some time, we have been out of touch. Here is the Peugeot lineup from the UK site.http://www.peugeot.co.uk/home/
So...now that Peugeot has smoked Audi (Peugeot had a faster car and ran a better race as a team) my only question is.....why
Well...how about national pride. It is a French race, after all. Or maybe the Peugeot family is into racing and wanted to win the most prestigious GT race in the World. Just because they may not sell high performance cars, does not mean they won't sell more cars as a result of winning.
You might be surprised about the Peugeot models. Since they have not been in the US for some time, we have been out of touch. Here is the Peugeot lineup from the UK site.Peugeot.co.uk | Homepage
For example the Peugeot 308 CC
OK, Ill admit to being a Porsche snob before we begin.....but let's consider the Peugeot 308 CC.
Its gross weight is approximately 1900kg or 4200 pounds. To propel this dynamic piece of automotive technology we are provided with a 1598 cc engine providing....120-150 hp.
Now....still considering I'm a Porsche snob, let's consider Audi's UK lineup.
We have the R series, the TT series, and the S-3,4,5,6, and 8 series. Let's take the A/S 3 series and compare it to the Peugeot 308 (they are approximately the same price in the UK). Audi offers 1.6 - 2.0 liter petrol and diesel engines providing between 100-200 hp. The weight of the A/S-3 ranges between 1300 and 1500 kg.
Ignoring styling differences and sticking to the numbers, I can get more hp at a lower weight at the same price with the Audi. That said, all automobile purchases are about emotion as much as price, and I like the Audi much better. I see Audi as providing a "performance" range for their entire line as well as pure sports cars in the lineup. I don't see the same 'commitment' with Peugeot.
I understand your point RobMason, but if I was considering these two cars (and car companies) today, Peugeot's victory at LeMans wouldn't change my mind.
Edit: Perhaps Peugeot is taking aim at Audi for future car sales in Europe with new models coming down the road. For today in my opinion, it's not close regardless of Peugeot's better car at LeMans.
Last edited by lspain; 06-14-2009 at 12:21 PM.
Reason: additional comment
Good news:
Porsche finished #1 in LMP-2 (RS Spyder) and 10th overall.
Bad news:
Porsche finished 12th in GT2 (997 GT3 RSR)
The others DNF (5th in LMP-2, 13th-16th in GT2).
Makes me wonder if I took my Cayman over there, stuffed in an extended range fuel tank (unless that's against the rules) and just drove at say 8/10ths for as long as I could so I didn't break anything but I wasn't the fastest I could be, where would I have ended up?
The fact that so many Porsches broke and that Ferraris didn't is either an abberation, or sign that Ferrari has gotten better and Porsche has some problems that haven't been widely disclosed. Could just be dumb luck too, of course hard to say....
Personally, I think Porsche should sue Peugeot. I believe the Peugeot 908 might cause people who don't know better to mistake it for a Porsche 908. I can imagine Peugeot introducing a rear-engine car called the 911.
Just for that, Porsche needs to reintroduce their next generation rear-engine car as the 901.
What a difference 45 years makes!
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