What's your favorite Gran Turismo (GT) Sports Car manufacturer?

[Member2019]

I know I'm not the only FIA, Le Mans, ALMS, etc... fan out there who follows sports cars as regulated by ACO, IMSA, SRO and others. There is almost a total unification of GT1 through GT3 these days across-the-world. I'm going to purposely ignore the Grand Am classification of GT (and GS for that matter), since it's more centric to North America-only, and would only expand an already constricted poll/focus.

So given such, what is your favorite Gran Turismo / Grand Touring (GT) -- not Prototype -- Sports Car manufacturer? What car do you like to see on the track and drive/own (or aspire to drive/own) on the road yourself?

I will list the following explicitly:
- Aston-Martin (DBR9 GT1 and others, not LMP)
- BMW (M-series GT2 and others, not LMP)
- Ferrari (430 GT2 and others)
- Corvette (C5.R/C6.R GT1, now GT2)
- Lamborgini (gone from ALMS, but still in FIA/LMS)
- Maserati (gone from ALMS, but still in FIA/LMS)
- Nissan (newcomer GT-R in FIA/LMS, ALMS in the future?)
- Porsche (from 911 GT2 to Porsche GT3 cup, many others)

I know some of the "Other" entries could include ... (please post if you select "Other"):
- Audi (R8 GT class, not LMP)
- Ford GT (an indie team in ALMS, FIA and LMS)
- Viper (sadly gone, with indie teams fewer and fewer)

With the new, unified GT2 in ALMS, it tends to be more completely production-focused. But there are still independent teams running many older, manufacturer products, as well as new, top-end tuned GT1 and GT2 in FIA and LMS.

P.S. Yes, I know "Corvette" and "Viper" are not manufacturers, but all of the series' own materials refer to them by the car model name -- not GM-Chevrolet or Dodge -- hence why I do so here as well.

 

[Embryoyo]

http://photos.webridestv.com/datast...8f02f8631f2fb27/BMW_M3_GTR__4861_20070708.jpg

Ohhh yeah :thumbsup: !!!

 

[Baba66]

Aston-Martin DBR9

 

[tartanterrier]

At the moment I'm using a BMW 1 series in GT.So BMW for me

 

[siffert]

Porsche 911 gt3 rsr (997). i leave for Le mans in 16 days and in recent years the tantrums in the Gt field, particularly between Porsche and Ferrari always keep me awake that extra hour. the GT2 class this year is massive,the same as P2 and Gt1 combined, and with the Corvette works team and the debut of the Jaguar and the M3 at Le mans it should be very interesting.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

Viper. Was the Oreca a prototype? Toyota Supra. Tom Castral, that's probably a prototype too. I watch but not religiously.

 

[siffert]

if i remember correctly the Team Oreca viper was in the old GTS class.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

if i remember correctly the Team Oreca viper was in the old GTS class.

So the car itself wasn't a prototype?

 

[siffert]

it was a racing variant of the production model, not a prototype in the truest sense as prototypes are not based on a model but built as pure bred racers.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

it was a racing variant of the production model, not a prototype in the truest sense as prototypes are not based on a model but built as pure bred racers.

Thanks for the knowledge bud. I'll throw ya some rep when I get to a CPU. (phone)

 

[cartman24]

I love the Porsche 911 GT1
http://autower.ru/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/1_full.jpg

 

[dOMESTOS]

Audi...

 

[saschaxx]

Porsches, tuned by this gentleman : Olaf Manthey .
His company : http://www.manthey-racing.de/

 

[saschaxx]

Traffic at the Nuerburgring : http://www.manthey-racing.de/nextshopcms/show.asp?lang=de&e1=195&ssid=1

Just click lil white arrow in the middle.

 

[Member2019]

Which Audis?

Audi...

Which Audis? I'm always looking for more Audi GT class racers out there, even in the lesser known, sanctioned events.

 

[Member2019]

Le Mans GTS and LMS/FIA GT1 ...

if i remember correctly the Team Oreca viper was in the old GTS class.

So the car itself wasn't a prototype?

it was a racing variant of the production model, not a prototype in the truest sense as prototypes are not based on a model but built as pure bred racers.

GTS, now GT1, are based on production, but there are some allowances. Telemetry and other things are one. Even GT2 allows weight and other reductions in the frame and paneling. One has to reach FIA GT3 to get more stock when it comes to even paneling and other things that consumers value. But the drivetrains, sans some of the clutch mechanisms (almost everyone uses the same UK manufacturer here), in GT1 and most definitely GT2, are built on production, sometimes straight-from-the-factory.

Corvette Racing's 2010 GT2 is a 5.5L pre-production, based on the 6.2L LS3 (base Corvette), to match future FIA requirements for a 5.5L maximum displacement, even for push rod (compared to OHC, which would have an advantage), and sub-500hp output (the pre-production 5.5L makes 485hp with current restrictors, and will likely have more restrictors as GM/Pratt-Miller tunes the new design). The prior Corvette GTS 7.0L LS7.R became the production LS7 in the Z06, and was the staple Corvette LS7.R through the C6.R in GT1 as well. All come from Detroit, with Pratt-Miller making some optimizations.

 

[Embryoyo]

BMW still destroys everything even if they don't win it all :thumbsup:

 

[Member2019]

BMW's performance in American Le Mans ...

BMW still destroys everything even if they don't win it all :thumbsup:

Actually BMW has been kicking some serious butt in American Le Mans GT2. They turned in some of the best qualifying times in the first few races this year. As a result, they got sacked with 30kg of "performance balancing" (ballast).

Between BWM and Corvette, it just goes to show that mid or rear mounted engines aren't always required. I love Ferrari, Porsche and others, but it's still nice to see the variety of options in the sports car world.

 

[titsrock]

If Porsche is in the poll...Porsche will win the poll. And the pole. And the race :thumbsup:

 

[Member2019]

Poll and pole, and race ...

If Porsche is in the poll...Porsche will win the poll. And the pole. And the race :thumbsup:

Poll, yes. Pole, not so fast. Race? For certain ... if Porsche is the only manufacturer in the race.

Don't get me wrong, Porsche makes a heck of a turbocharged flat-6. And Porsche has put out some great prototypes. But Porsche isn't the end-all, be-all.