And all the talk about it just being a spec class is also funny to read. Are not most of the Sports Car field a spec field? The FIA/ACO have made the cars so close, that the Flat 6 of the Porsche is no quicker/slower or a better/worse option than the V8 of the F430. Or the V10 of the Viper. The P2 field, or the non-factory P1's are in a similar fashion as the DP class in that you have engine makers and chassis makers you buy from. Tires are no competition as everyone selects the Michelin in the WEC. And the same in ALMS, as the top teams are selecting the same tire maker. So what is wrong with Grand-Am and the spec Continental Tires.
The ACO GTE class is -unfortunately- about 85% performance balanced category now (this started to happen circa 2009-2010 after the arrival of BMW and likes, and during/after the collapse of GT1) so it's not really a good comparing point. Neither is the post-2010 cost capped LMP2 class. However, LMP1 vs DP is.
2012 LMP1Choose whatever tires you wish
Choose whatever engine you wish
Choose whatever chassis you wish
Diesel, petrol, isobutanol, hybrid
New technology methods praised
Development very much allowed
You may make some modifications and chassis experiments to the cars, within rules
No tweaking of any kind between factory cars (unless concerns diesel-petrol situation, see below)
Diesel-petrol balance of performance methods, issued rarely and relatively mild in nature - fuel flow restrictors, weight adjustments mainly
Privateer class balance of performance, issued rarely and very mild in nature - technically only tiny restrictor breaks are used maybe once a year (outside the ALMS that is)
2012 DPCut & paste external (restricted) bodywork + external chassis + engine combo fitted together from a very limited number of options
Limited number of makers and manufacturers, number controlled by Grand-Am/NASCAR
Tube frame cars
Only petrol, only Sunoco
Spec Continental tires
Underpowered, ancient, irrelevant technology
Artificial RPM limit, 500bhp
Development possible, but watched over and then restricted
You cannot really make modifications to the bodywork
Big power-weight balance of performance ratios in initial specs
Pre-season balance of performance tests - weight, restrictor etc
In-season balance of performance tweaks between regular intervals - weight, restrictor etc
Edited by SonnyViceR, 02 January 2013 - 21:41.