The hype over the new Ford GT40 is becoming overwhelming. Don

 

I think it's great that a teeny tiny family owned company could spur an automotive giant into investing a bunch of money into what is, after all, automotive research.

 

You are right on that point. Ford certainly suceeded in producing one of the world's most advanced racing systems for the time.

 

I guess I don't get your point here. Am I supposed to be less impressed because Ford spent "all the money?"

 

I know the people in NY know about buying wins, but maybe in Boston it doesn't usually translate to a win....... no matter how much is spent.

 

Sorry, but I'll just continue to be very impressed by the Ford effort, including the 1, 2, 3 parade lap finishes, showing that the rest of the world wasn't even in the same race. The fact that privateers took the cars after Ford stopped direct factory support and continued to win just shows how great the cars were.

Today Ferrari outspends all the competition in F1. I don't read many posts that suggest we should not be impressed with their achievements.

 

I saw a new GT40 today--awesome car. I also saw (and heard) the new Carrera GT about a month ago. We can thank the competitors of the past to see where we are now. We're living in Golden Days of the automobile.

 

I seem to remember Enzo Ferarri, whose cars had previously dominated, announcing that LeMans had lost its meaning now that the "American steamroller" was here.

It sounded like a case of sour grapes to me.

 

Yes.

Money is a factor in any competitive endeavor. And when you're new to it, you may have to spend more to catch up. LeMans, in particular, is primarily interesting as a showcase for what the automobile manufacturers can do ... unlike Formula 1, the cars are on center stage, not the drivers.

I don't personally remember the Ford wins, but there were similar sentiments flying around when Sauber Mercedes drove to their 1-2 win. For me, that's what LeMans was all about - a showcase for the fastest cars in the world.

 

A nice read, especially all the different viewpoints on the matter. It