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Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
It's 24 hr Le Mans racing this weekend!
- Thread starter e46monk3y
- Start date
Divio said:
Vette's have the best sounding engine's imo...
I agree with the M8, It is too big, There's a reason why Porsche dominates this class, because their cars are small, nimble and light.
The M6 GTE wasn't successful when they raced that due to the nature of some of the tracks, tight, windy technical etc...
Now the M8 (which is technically the new M6, I don't care what anyone says, is even bigger... wtf BMW!
Their qualifying positions of 12th and 13th isn't the best but it's a long race and strategy plays a huge role...
I miss the e92 M3 race, that was awesome, the Jeff Koons art car was epic!
kilotango said:agreed, but also the M8 is still brand spanking new... it might take a few seasons to iron out the problems and faults with the new car. but they might get there. the competition is pretty hectic though.
for me the E46 M3 GTR stands out, what a monster that car was:
ABSOLUTELY!! e46 M3 GTR
raise:The one BMW that made Porsche kak themselves then threaten to pull out of the series...
Dewald Basson
///Member
kilotango said:meh, ive been watching Le Mans for the last 10 years now... but without the bigger works names in LMP1... its feels lame this year.
that M8 looks wicked!
The GT pro class is so lame, yawn :tease:
I think Alonso can smell that triple crown by now
raise:e46monk3y said:kilotango said:agreed, but also the M8 is still brand spanking new... it might take a few seasons to iron out the problems and faults with the new car. but they might get there. the competition is pretty hectic though.
for me the E46 M3 GTR stands out, what a monster that car was:
ABSOLUTELY!! e46 M3 GTR
The one BMW that made Porsche kak themselves then threaten to pull out of the series...
E46 gtr changed the rulebook after it's success
Le Mans. Mixed emotions for BMW M Motorsport after its return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA). The pair of BMW M8 GTEs were able to match the pace of the GTE Pro front-runners over the course of the 86th edition of the endurance classic, with both running in the top-three for long stretches of the race. While car #82 – driven by Augusto Farfus (BRA), Alexander Sims (GBR) and António Félix da Costa (POR) – had to retire from ninth following an accident in the early hours on Sunday, the #81 BMW M8 GTE made it to the finish after 332 laps. Martin Tomczyk (GER), Nick Catsburg (NED) and Philipp Eng (AUT) finished 12th.
Following strong race starts, both driver-trios lost ground on the 13.626-kilometre track due to damper failures, which caused additional pit stops for repairs. The race was then ended for car #82 after an accident on Sunday at about 6:30 hrs. Shortly after that, the radiator of the sister car had to be changed after being hit by debris on the track. 12th place was the highest possible position after the extended stops. The #92 Porsche secured victory at the “Circuit de la Sarthe”.
The Le Mans 24 Hours was the second round of the 2018/2019 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The season will resume on 19th August with the 6 Hours of Silverstone (GBR).
Reactions to the 24 Hours of Le Mans:
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
“Our return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans turned out to be an emotional rollercoaster. First, it was great to see that were able to battle it out at the very front of the fiercely-fought GTE Pro class in terms of pace. Our drivers were involved in plenty of gripping duels with the competition and were even running in second place for some of the race. The BMW M8 GTE left a really strong impression. A podium seemed to be in reach but, unfortunately, technical issues and an accident cost us the chance to be rewarded for all the hard work in the build-up to this event. However, the positives outweigh the negatives: The fans were treated with action galore in the GTE Pro class. We were able to prove the full potential of our new car. In addition, we experienced the world premiere of the all-new BMW 8 Series Coupe on this unique stage. That’s another reason why this event will remain a good memory and give extra motivation to come back here even stronger for the Super Season finale in 2019. A big thank you and a lot of respect to everyone involved in this exciting BMW project with a lot of passion.”
Ernest Knoors (Team Principal, BMW Team MTEK):
“We are at the end of three weeks and 24 hours of highs and lows. The first few hours of the race were fantastic. Just to get through it and survive and then to be competitive was very good reward for our team and drivers for two years of hard work. But, then Le Mans happens and it’s tough. We can be very proud of what we achieved.”
Martin Tomczyk (#81 BMW M8 GTE):
“The BMW M8 GTE was very good here at Le Mans. We had the pace to fight for the top positions. The Porsches were really quick but we were able to match their pace for a long time. Unfortunately, we then had the damper problems on both cars that proved to be a decisive setback. It’s a big shame that we weren’t rewarded for the hard work over the past months.”
Nick Catsburg (#81 BMW M8 GTE):
“Positive was the great pace of the BMW M8 GTE. Also the team made some very good calls in terms of set-up. On the other-hand you have to drive the cars very hard here in Le Mans over a long period of time. Sometimes something breaks, and unfortunately that happened to both of our cars. That’s a shame but it’s also a part of racing. The whole week was a great experience for me.”
Philipp Eng (#81 BMW M8 GTE):
“This whole week in Le Mans was an amazing experience. In the garage I had goosebumps several times watching how close the team stood together and how much effort every single person put into this event. On track we were fighting for P2. Then being stopped by a damper is tough, of course. This experience will only make us stronger.”
Alexander Sims (#82 BMW M8 GTE):
“The spin was totally unexpected. I didn’t feel anything before I spun. I don’t know if there were fluids on the track, as other cars went off there as well. It is such a shame for everybody in the team who have worked so hard. The pace of the car was definitely good.”
António Félix da Costa (#82 BMW M8 GTE):
“We showed that our car has the pace to fight for podiums and wins. This was only the second 24-hour race for the BMW M8 GTE and the second WEC race for BMW Team MTEK – we are still learning with the new car. In this respect we made the most out of this race. For me as a driver it was also a big lesson. I was a bit nervous in my first stint, but the following double stint was just fun. We were fast, I overtook a lot of cars. Then we were unfortunately hit from the damper issues and the accident. We will come back stronger.”
Augusto Farfus (#82 BMW M8 GTE):
“It was great to be back in Le Mans – and I felt honoured to be part of this programme and to race here once again. As in 2011 I took the start, over the course of the race we showed a good pace. Despite our lack of experience here in Le Mans we were right in the mix. We lost ground due to the damper failure, then we had to retire after the accident. But still: We have shown that we are a true team. This gives us a big motivation boost, and we will come back next year to do better.”
PLV
Well-known member
I actually enjoyed watching... which the wife didn't appreciate too much... lol!
The M8 looked huge next to the others... but still looked flipping cool...
The Porsche was awesome, but that GT looked frikkin amazing! Especially at night (sorry, I hate to admit I liked the LED's...) and after a full day's racing they were still fighting it out... incredible to watch!
The speed differential of the LMP1's passing the GTE's is phenomenal...!
:thumbs:
The M8 looked huge next to the others... but still looked flipping cool...
The Porsche was awesome, but that GT looked frikkin amazing! Especially at night (sorry, I hate to admit I liked the LED's...) and after a full day's racing they were still fighting it out... incredible to watch!
The speed differential of the LMP1's passing the GTE's is phenomenal...!
:thumbs:
PLV said:
Its insane how fast they are... was great fun to watch...
Dewald Basson
///Member
Nick said:
I only slept for 4 hours in two separate sessions, I felt to wrecked Sunday afternoon :hammerhead:
