Porsche_LMDh LEAD

The News for December 18th, 2020

Welcome to the Hooniverse News! As always, this is a weekly recap of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or bull. This week: Porsche is returning to prototype competition with a new LMDh program, Jaguar does the Vision Gran Turismo thing again with a crazy electric endurance racer, Peugeot details their powertrain for LMH project, Mazda Classic will start reproducing parts for the RX-7 in Japan, and your automotive news for the week.  

Porsche confirms LMDh program

porsche lmdh

In news that has set the motorsport community on fire this week, Porsche is coming back to prototypes. The executive board at Porsche AG has approved the development of a Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) prototype which is expected to hit the track in 2023. Porsche hasn’t raced in prototypes since 2017 with the mighty 919 Hybrid. The fallout from dieselgate contributed to the demise of that extremely successful program. Now, Porsche has just over two years to build a new one.

“The new LMDh category allows us to fight for overall victories with a hybrid system at the Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring classics – without breaking the bank. The project is extremely attractive for Porsche. Endurance racing is part of our brand’s DNA,” explains Oliver Blume, CEO at Porsche AG. The as of yet unnamed car will see competition in bot the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. As permitted by class rules, the car is expected to produce 680 horsepower with its hybrid powertrain and weigh around 2,200 pounds while wearing Porsche-designed bodywork.

porsche lmdh

LMDh is an attempt to replace the dead LMP1 category of prototypes as the new top level of prototype racing. As exciting as the cars of LMP1 were, it proved unsustainable with very high development and operating costs. LMDh aims to solve that problem by adopting and improving on IMSA’s current Daytona Prototype International formula. This means the chassis is built by one of four approved manufacturers while the OEM provides their own engine and most of the bodywork. A spec hybrid drive unit from a single manufacturer (I believe) is then equipped so that teams don’t have to develop one themselves. It’s an evolution of the DPI formula that’s worked rather well in IMSA for a few years already. LMDh takes that to the next level while retaining its cost-effectiveness, which is perhaps the single biggest problem that LMDh fixes over LMP1.

So far, it’s working. Acura and Audi have recently committed and it’s likely that one of the remaining DPI contenders, Cadillac, will commit soon as well. The other current DPI manufacturer, Mazda, is a toss up. But having two giants in endurance prototype racing, Audi and now Porsche, sign on to LMDh after closing their LMP1 programs is the huge boost that IMSA and WEC needed. It shows fans of endurance racing that the good times may soon return. And it shows IMSA that they had the right idea all along. According to Sportscar365, fifteen manufacturers have been involved in LMDh discussions and several more commitments are expected. They were very right.

[Source: Porsche, Sportscar365]

Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo

jaguar gran turismo

It’s been a while since we’ve talked about a Vision Gran Turismo, but here we are. Starting with Gran Turismo 5 several years ago, the Vision Gran Turismo program was a way for manufacturers to create a virtual halo car of sorts. Free from any restrictions or real-life engineering obstacles, some ridiculous stuff has come out of the program over the years. Now that we’re approaching Gran Turismo 7 due out next year, Jaguar is helping to keep the VGT program going with their second car. Their project is called the Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo SV. It’s wild.

jaguar vision gran turismo

Fitting in with Jaguar’s rebranding efforts to go fully electric, the VGT SV is an all-electric endurance race car based on the Vision Gran Turismo Coupe they revealed last year. Four electric motors produce a casual 1,877 horsepower and allow for a 0-60 mph time of just 1.65 seconds and a top speed of 255 mph. Though it’s just a video game car, it’s “fully engineered” as if it were a real project. Though the powertrain is fully virtual, they approached it as if they were building a real battery pack and motor setup, taking battery’s impact on center of gravity and balance, thermal management, and longevity into account. None of that stuff will likely be simulated in Gran Turismo 7 but it’s nice to know it’s there. Virtually.

jaguar vision gran turismo

The other thing they spent real engineering hours working on is its aerodynamics which have been optimized, tested, and proven in state-of-the-art simulations. This is to say such a shape could theoretically work in the real world if it could be built. Two movable sections of the large integrated wing rise at speed for extra downforce but then tuck away when needed to minimize drag. This results in a drag coefficient of Cd 0.398 while also generating just over 1,000 pounds of downforce at 200 mph.

Players who have been given the privilege of being allowed to buy a Playstation 5 direct from a retailer and not a shitty scum of the earth scalper can get behind the wheel sometime in 2021 when GT7 releases. No specific date has been set in stone yet.

[Source: Jaguar, Gran Turismo]

Peugeot reveals LMH powertrain

peugeot lmh

While the smart manufacturers have been signing on to the LMDh program, some have decided that Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) is the one for them. So far Toyota and Peugeot are the only OEMs to commit to this platform. ByKolles and Glickenhaus are smaller teams joining in as well. But Peugeot’s entry is notable because it’ll be the first prototype from them since the mighty 908 ran its last race in 2011. It’s hard not to get excited about their LMH program even if LMDh makes more logical sense as the future of top level prototype racing.

This week, Peugeot has peeled back the bodywork to show us how this thing will move. And it helps paint the picture of why they chose LMH. It’ll be an all-wheel-drive hybrid setup with a gas engine powering the rear wheels and an electric motor powering the front wheels. A 2.6-liter twin-turbocharged V6 sits at the back and contributes 680 horsepower on its own. It’s attached to a seven-speed gearbox. Meanwhile, a 900-volt battery pack gets sandwiched in between the engine and the cockpit firewall. That battery was developed by Saft, a Total subsidiary, and powers a 268-horsepower electric motor on the front axle.

peugeot lmh

LMH rules allow for many different kinds of powertrains, hybrid or not. So in an attempt to balance them out, the gas engine provides power below 75 mph and the electric motor can only kick in at speeds beyond that or when charging is needed. The role of the gas engine will be scaled back when the electric motor is active so as to not exceed the maximum allowed total system power of 680 horsepower (roughly the same as LMDh).

This revelation ties into Peugeot’s intentions to produce a road going version of their LMH car. Now that we’ve been provided this context, Peugeot clearly thought LMH would be the best way to tie a street car and race car program together. Using the same or at least similar engines and electric drive components in both a halo car and a race car competing at Le Mans would be a great way to do it.

[Source: Peugeot via Jalopnik]

Mazda is reproducing parts for the RX-7

mazdareprintparts

Good news for FC and FD RX-7 owners! Mazda is going to start remanufacturing parts for the last two generations of RX-7. Bad news for FC and RX-7 owners outside of Japan! So far they’ve only confirmed availability for Japan beginning in February 2021.

The report comes to us from Japanese Nostalgic Car who noted that while Mazda expanding this program to the US is less certain, it would align with their brand image and the network to support it is already in place. The program will make a total of 91 “high-need” parts for both cars available again from the OEM with more to be added down the road. The catalog currently has 30 parts for the FC and 61 for the FD. So far it includes wear and tear items parts like hoses, sensors, bushings, and gaskets. Japanese Nostalgic Car notes that this first round of parts was chosen based on input Mazda received from shops that service RX-7s in Japan. If you or someone you know lives in Japan and is okay to overnight some parts to you and you can read Japanese, head on over to the Classic Mazda website and check out the catalog. It will expand as the program grows so check back often.

[Source: Japanese Nostalgic Car]

What’s your news for the week?

hooniverse

That’s all I’ve got for you this week, so now it’s your turn. If you saw anything, fixed something, broke everything, or otherwise did anything even remotely car related that you want to share with your fellow hoon, sound off in the comments.

Have a good weekend.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 64 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

27 responses to “The News for December 18th, 2020”

  1. GTXcellent Avatar
    GTXcellent

    We picked up the first new sled last night (the other won’t be built now until mid-January due to parts and labor shortages – thanks again for everything COVID)

    It’s an 850 VR1. Built on the totally new Matryx platform. I’ve only rode it up and down the driveway once (we need more snow, stat!) but it’s gonna be awesome. It’s really, really, f#@(ing quick. Can’t wait to get it out in the twistys and see how she goes.

  2. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    Small steps here. House renovations kept me busy after work this week, so I haven’t fixed the Leaf yet. But removing the coolant hoses from the used charger was a challenge; I hope it looks better under our car, where I can’t just clip the hoses off of rusty nozzles.

    Today, I had the little Hyundai at the shop for a second time, under used car warranty. A new caliper and new front springs, but the yellow TPMS warning keeps lighting up. They have had three chances to fix this minor fart of an issue. That’s the legal threshhold for returning the car at a full refund, and my wife is pushing a bit for that. It baffles me how these people fail to fix something supposedly simple like that.

    I spent the waiting time out at the sea again. On the way home, I hit some traffic jams. This hardly ever happens; 5 jams a year is almost a bit much for me. Got so tired by that, I decided to take a powernap, woke up 90 minutes later and had missed dinner with a friend at my house, who ate with my wife and kids instead. Oops.

    https://i.ibb.co/f2BJjLq/IMG-20201218-223410.jpg

    https://i.ibb.co/SvnWTwJ/IMG-20201218-223556.jpg

    Also, new tech coming to the city: Not speed bumps, but speed traps. They only lower when speed is above the limit, here tested by an ambulance. Waiting for maintenance issues and broken suspension parts here…

    https://streamable.com/kw59ds

    1. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      I like the idea of something that doesn’t scrape the underside of low slung cars if you keep to the limit, but I’d assume they’d need serious signposting to avoid litigation?

      The ambulance problem is a serious one, and not so much for suspension parts, but if you’ve got a patient in the back in critical condition, the last thing you need is for them to be jostled round. Some sort of transponder system, or image recognition system perhaps?

      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Emergency vehicles do have a transponder system; not sure why they used an ambulance to demonstrate the trap above. As I seem to have turned into an old school get-off-my-lawner, I just wonder how a mechanical trap will withstand frost, snow, salt and gravel, as well as 2000+ mm of precipitation every year.

  3. Smaglik Avatar
    Smaglik

    Returned home from the road trip. 5200 miles or so. Here’s a pic of Helga before the car wash. Nary an issue on the whole trip. I was surprised, tbh! Now it’s on to fixing a bunch of stuff on the x3…I’ll update, hopefully in a week, that the following is done.

    Front diff pinion seal
    Front diff fluid
    Transmission fluid
    Pads and rotors on all 4 corners
    Brake fluid flush…one of my bleeder screws is sheared off, and I’m going to dry and drill it out ($4 for a bleed screw vs. a lot more for a caliper)

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b8e6ecc46c348018abce0b1d59f15efff0a3586875f046d4baf82230291e7014.jpg

    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      Helga?

      1. Smaglik Avatar
        Smaglik

        Yeah. We had to give it a name. Calling it ‘the wagon’ no longer worked with the addition of a second wagon. Old, gray, German, and able to swallow a lot of stuff, Helga seemed fitting. Apologies to all the Helga Hotties out there.

        We named the red one Tobias.

  4. Tiller188 Avatar
    Tiller188

    As cool as the Vision Gran Turismo car looks, the side (well, wing endplate) of a Jaguar isn’t where I expect to see a big “SV” logo.

    https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/gallery/LAMBORGHINI-Diablo-SV-2805_12.jpg

    1. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      Ah the Lamborghini Supercalifrgilisticavelocepantsa

  5. salguod Avatar

    This arrived this week. A 2021 Accord EX-L Hybrid lease for my wife to replace her base 2015. Our first lease and only the second new vehicle. I think I’m more excited about it than she is. I’m particularly happy, with the 15″ height difference between us, to finally have memory seats. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/44395ea381bc63a79e6c5e7b7d453cae705eeecfd996aadf3629548e1192d8a6.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3cef06882cc58c7a7629b666c5c93a94d78e1fdc611e71b60a38c23acc4ba579.jpg

    1. Scoutdude Avatar
      Scoutdude

      Congrats, one in a color too!

    2. Smaglik Avatar
      Smaglik

      Those are good looking cars.

    3. 0A5599 Avatar
      0A5599

      Funny you should mention the height difference.

      Thursday, my son was driving my wife’s car. Friday morning, she left the house. She called from down the street and said it wouldn’t go more than 25 mph, and brought it back home for him to diagnose. He got behind the wheel and it worked fine.

      He had adjusted the pedals to fit him, and apparently they got stuck that way. The reason she could only go 25 is because that’s all the usable pedal travel she could reach-he could work the accelerator pedal through the full range and she couldn’t.

  6. I_Borgward Avatar
    I_Borgward

    My ’82 Volvo 240 Turbo gave me a scare last week when I’d spotted a sizeable oil puddle underneath it. Closer inspection showed the sheen of coolant on top, along with a little red from power steering fluid. I looked under the hood… eccch. It’s really quite amazing how much of a mess oil and coolant can make when you blow it around at 65+ MPH.

    Uh oh.

    I’ve had two years of service out of this ride since its big rehab, so it’s already earned its keep. But, I had that sinking feeling that my luck was running out and my 38-year-old ride was about to bite me. Catastrophizing began… head gasket? Freeze plug? Cracked block?

    To cut to the chase: Creep!

    The oil filter is wedged up -tight- next to the turbo and engine mount, next to zero clearance. I’d spent about half a day trying to loosen the filter the car came to me with, so I knew not to over-tighten the new one when replacing. After several subsequent oil changes, it seems I finally went too far in the other direction and the damn thing loosened up over 2,000 miles, likely from heat cycling. An oil change, a new filter tightened slightly over spec, one leak down!

    The lower radiator hose and the power steering return line I’d renewed? Hose creep. Some clamp tightening and the leaks from both were gone. Leak two and three, down!

    After some deep OCD-level cleaning and a test run, it came home dry as a bone underneath. Goooooood car (pats dashboard). I love stories that end like this.

    1. Batshitbox Avatar
      Batshitbox

      Sounds like the calibration on your bionic torqueometer has gone out of spec; you need to adjust that every couple decades. THere’s typically an increase (though sometimes a decrease) in the flabbyon material around the torquometer that disrupts the visual readout from the strain gauge, coupled with an increase in sensitivity to the biofeedback from the crankitude sensors, resulting in lower crank-down torque over time.

      https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/031c1d1463eb982b0e08fe150be311abe9c7e2ecd917d00992174d8f714524fc.jpg

  7. crank_case Avatar
    crank_case

    It really heartens me to see all these Japanese heritage programs of late (other ones include the Eunos Roadster (miata), Honda Beat, Skyline GT-R and Supra). No kidding, it’s easier to find parts for a 60s MGB than an 80s Toyota. I’m just hoping Suzuki catches on and does the same for the Cappuccino.

  8. Lokki Avatar
    Lokki

    I got a little reminder in the mail yesterday as to why I lease my BMWs and never, ever, buy them.

    “A BMW timing chain lawsuit settlement has been reached over vehicles equipped with N20 and N26 direct injection turbocharged engines that can fail. According to the timing chain class action lawsuit, the engines are prone to premature failures of the primary and secondary timing chain assemblies.” .

    In yesterday’s letter BMW was offering me up to $3,000 for reimbursement of expenses in rebuilding my engine, and $7500 if the engine had to be replaced. Note that this means a bunch of poor suckers BMW buyers had had to spend at least that much out of their pockets after BMW initially refused to pay: or there would have been no lawsuit. Of course, I don’t drive that far anymore and mine was long gone before there was any, uh, Germanic unpleasantness, but I wonder about the poor guy after me who bought it, loved it, and drove it till it blew up.

    Bejeezuz I love driving the things but I would rather take up disarming landmines for a hobby than own one with an expired warranty.

    https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2020/bmw-timing-chain-lawsuit-settlement-reached.shtml https://media1.giphy.com/media/TjvTq03yZMNleOm2Af/giphy.gif

    1. Smaglik Avatar
      Smaglik

      I have 4 without a warranty, but it comes down to the line the knight has at the end of the Indiana Jones Holy Grail movie : “Choose, but choose wisely.”

      That 4 cylinder turbo engine? I wouldn’t touch a vehicle with that. If you buy wisely, they don’t depreciate much, and I bet I spend much less in 2021 on maintenance and repairs on the 4 than a lease payment on one. Of course, that means fixing them yourself, and ignoring the cost of the lift. 😂

    2. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      It’s interesting that after (during?) this issue they said let’s move the timing chain to the back of the block!

  9. Fuhrman16 Avatar
    Fuhrman16

    So, I managed to test drive the one Kia Forte GT within 150 miles of me. My thoughts on the car go as follows:

    I totally misread the build configurator and all the things I thought were options, the Hardon Karmen stereo, power sunroof, performance summer tires, wireless phone charging station, lane keeping/blindspot monitoring stuff, are actually standard on the GT. Only the automatic and the powered adjusted seats are optional, neither if which I want. I found the safety qizmos rather annoying with their beeping and occasional trying to steer the car, but after the test drive I realized those are easily turned off with some buttons next to the traction control.
    I really like the interior, it’s nicely laid out, good amount of storage space, most of it was nice to the touch. The car fits me surprisingly well, the seats have just the right amount of bolstering and it was easy to find a comfortable position. The sunroof does eat a little headroom though, my hair just barely grazes the railing.
    Outward visibility isn’t quite as good as my Mazda, it seems the dash and door sills are a little bit higher. I was a little disappointed that it’s not a hatchback at first, but then I saw how deep the trunk is. Coupled with the fold down seat pass-through it gives up little in practicality to my 2. And the back seat’s actually useable.
    The clutch was really light, but the throttle response is good and there’s enough torque that I didn’t fear stalling it. The brakes are more responsive than I’m used to, but offer decent feel. The shifter was also quite light and short in the throws, but smooth and accurate. The reverse lockout trigger is located in a place were you often depress it when shift into the even numbered gears. And after years of four and five speeds, having a sixth gear feels…odd.
    The car has an excellent exhaust note, very snarly down low. Though it does start to drown itself out above 4500-5000rpm. The engine has good punch to it. I had forgotten what torque felt like,
    Overall, I really liked the car. So much so that I’ll be signing the paperwork on the only Deep Sea Blue GT in the five state radius next weekend.

    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      Congrats!
      I think 6 speeds would really throw me off, too. As a teen I was used to driving manuals with 3 or 4, and as an adult the most was 5.

    2. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      That sounds like a great first impression, and is in line with the reviews I have read and seen. Congrats on your order and good luck with your first Kia!

      Six gears are amazing. I have only had such cars as loaners and rentals, but during these short episodes, the sixth gear always felt like a bonus. I very easily trigger a feeling of luxury (an extra slice of cheese on my bread makes me feel like a king…thanks to an upbringing in the GDR). But the sixth gear is a welcome extra level, especially if you like to drive long stretches on fast highways with the cruise control on – and it just feels efficient, even if all the other manual gears basically just are a bit tighter together.

  10. Scoutdude Avatar
    Scoutdude

    UGG, So the truck is inconclusive. I pulled the fuse for the radio constant power and it did still have 12v and was able to start w/o issue after sitting for 5 days. So that is good, but only 12v is pretty low, though admittedly I checked that at the power outlet and not the battery.

    The bigger problem though is our Mountaineer. I had to take it for a long drive yesterday and was running Forscan. I noticed the charging voltage was a little low early on and when I looked on the way home it was a touch lower, at charge maintain levels. I did something totally stupid thinking hey the alternator I got for it ~2 years ago at the wrecking yard turned out pretty good.

    I got a mile from home, put on the brakes to turn and heard a warning beep. Looked down just in time to see the Check charging system notification flash on in the information center. Looked at ForScan and saw 11.5 v. Thankfully it did it that mile from home and not the 100 miles from home I had been.

    Not sure if I’m going used again $35 vs $300 is a significant difference.

    1. 0A5599 Avatar
      0A5599

      I had a car with a HVAC blower relay that was a bit out of tolerance. Engine running, the blower worked normally. Engine off, the blower would shut off. But if the battery voltage dropped to 11.9 volts, as it tended to do when the battery was a couple years old, the relay circuit would switch from open to closed, and the blower would come on with the key off. It would continue until the battery was dead. A new battery and new relay fixed the problem.

      1. Scoutdude Avatar
        Scoutdude

        Interesting, what kind of vehicle was it? While I was letting the truck go to sleep last week and working on the van near by I did hear a few clicks, after it had sat ~30 min or more, that did sound like a relay operating, I assumed it was turning off, but who knows.

        1. 0A5599 Avatar
          0A5599

          A Jeep Grand Cherokee. The relay was whatever the factory installed–probably Bosch. All the circuitry in that car was stock, without hacking for aftermarket accessories.

    2. Scoutdude Avatar
      Scoutdude

      So I did end up going with a rebuilt unit as I did find one for “only” $180 in stock, this time and the yard that had potential donors is 1hr away and of course neither of the vehicles was fresh to the yard. So I at least solved that issue. Got to love the 4.6 and its alternator set up. Right up top and with mounting slots so you only have to back out the bolts a few turns to slide it up and out. After of course the upper bracket is out of the way.