T
Main picture: Grand Am has opened its GT doors to allow in more European manufacturers, including the GT3-based Ferrari, which had Grand Am in mind from conception, while the Audi has been adapted to Grand Am specification
require more bars than the FIA requires. They built the ‘cages to our spec, which means they will work if the cars go back and race in Europe. ‘Next, aerodynamics… that
would be standardisation to our standard of aerodynamics, which is a Grand-Am spec wing, flat front splitter, plus certain vents and louvre exercises in the front end for adding downforce being closed off. A lot of what we called for was just adopting some of what we use already. ‘GT3 cars already come with
everything well defined so, for Grand-Am, it’s a case of, ‘call Max Crawford in North Carolina and order a wing. Modify your mounting struts so it fits the spread of the mounting points on the wing.’ Those types of requests. The aerodynamic was easy, bolt on, just the way we want it.’
we requested and I think they originally planned to build three a year, maybe four, which they’ve already sold. I think now there’s a fifth one in the works.’ In a class filled with a mix
of spaceframe and production-
based GT cars built to a bespoke Grand-Am specification, only Porsche’s venerable 911 GT3 Cup cars came into the series with a familiar international standard, prior to the adaptation of the F458 and R8 LMS.
“The primary differences
from GT3 has always been the rollcages”
Starting from an agreed
upon list of GT3-to-Grand- Am conversion items, both manufacturers went about their Rolex GT workload with the possibility of converting the F458 and R8 LMS back to Euro- spec GT3 if so desired. ‘The biggest changes are in
three areas,’ Raffauf continues. ‘The primary difference from GT3 has always been the rollcages. Our ‘cages use a similar diameter tube, but thicker walls, and
ENGINE COMPLIANCE With Audi and Ferrari incorporating Grand-Am’s unique rollcage requirements and dressing the cars with a blend of add-on components and dedicated aerodynamic parts, bringing the power produced by the R8’s 5.2-litre V10 and the F458’s 4.5-litre V8 into compliance with the Mazda RX-8s and Chevrolet Camaros that populate the class was a must. ‘We looked at where we
thought the GT3 power levels would be and made a theoretical power curve for our class. Sort of a model power [and] torque curve. Our aim is to keep GT
February 2012 •
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