Does Caddy need to be in ALMS or F1?

If Caddy is going to compare their cars to the likes of German powerhouses, and possibly beyond, do they need to have a strong presence in one of those? I assume they pulled out of ALMS because of cost, but they finally got a podium and were headed in the right direction, it seemed like their investment was starting to pay off then they just threw in the towel.

Originally posted by Chuck!
If Caddy is going to compare their cars to the likes of German powerhouses, and possibly beyond, do they need to have a strong presence in one of those? I assume they pulled out of ALMS because of cost, but they finally got a podium and were headed in the right direction, it seemed like their investment was starting to pay off then they just threw in the towel.

Racing is not neccessary for luxury/performance credibility. To the average American, ALMS is completely invisible. They might as well make a Cadillac bicycle for the the Tour de France.

Depends on whether or not they want to sell Cadillacs outside the US.

Id imainge a lot of potential XLR buyers would know what F1 is, at least.

F1 teams are just far too expensive to be considered for Caddy. I read awhile ago that for the cost of one NASCAR team, you could have 3 or 4 Trans Am teams. Now if theres a Jaguar XKR running in Trans AM, then why not a version of the Caddy XLR, or CTS-V. How about a team in GTS or GT for ALMS. (Well nevermind, GM would never put the XLR vs the C5-R in CTS) Put the Caddy CTS-V against the M3's and A4's in GT. The main problem with these series isnt that they're great to watch, just no one advertises them. If caddy manages to build a team, and be successful, I'd imagine the images of a CTS-V or XLR in race form would be an impressive poster in a caddy dealership.

Caddy pulled out because they only wanted to be in the ALMS for 2 years.This was well reported when they first started..So they didnt just "throw in the towel" they made their point and done their testing and the time came to a close.

I don't think that the Caddy brand needs to be in LM or F1, but I do think that the GM name has a place in both of those series. It really comes down to whether GM wants to establish a name just for Cadillac, or for the entire corporation, in Europe (as LM and F1 racing don't influence US marketing).

From a strict engineering standpoint, I don't care who's name is on the car - GM needs to get themselves into F1. While I don't think there's as much to be learned from F1 as there was in the 80s and early 90s, I feel there's still an educational opportunity.

Originally posted by Eric Bryant
. (as LM and F1 racing don't influence US marketing).
I would not say that...........


Originally posted by Eric Bryant

From a strict engineering standpoint, I don't care who's name is on the car - GM needs to get themselves into F1. While I don't think there's as much to be learned from F1 as there was in the 80s and early 90s, I feel there's still an educational opportunity.

Right on!!!!(they have alot to learn thats why Caddy did ALMS.Its called"engine development":bow:

Originally posted by guess who
I would not say that...........


Maybe, just maybe, you've got a handful of buyers in the US who'd be drawn in by an F1 program. In all likelihood, though, it'd be a big waste of money to race in an LM or F1 series just for domestic marketing reasons - there's just not enough exposure. For a high-end vehicle, you're better-off putting a golfer in your ads or sponsering a half-time show :(

In another five years, maybe things will be better :confused:

Originally posted by guess who
Caddy pulled out because they only wanted to be in the ALMS for 2 years.This was well reported when they first started..So they didnt just "throw in the towel" they made their point and done their testing and the time came to a close. it was three years and BTW i would love to see caddy back in the ALMS because i got really excited about them and i do belive thet left too early.:mad:

Originally posted by guess who
Caddy pulled out because they only wanted to be in the ALMS for 2 years.This was well reported when they first started..So they didnt just "throw in the towel" they made their point and done their testing and the time came to a close.

That I didnt know. Thanks for clearing it up.

Regardless, it was disappointing to see them get it right, then their time expired. The efficient, naturally aspirated, 1000 hp 16 cylinder shows what Caddy/GM is capable of on an outrageous scale, itd be neat to see that applied to a higher-class racing circuit.

F1 is too expensive for GM. GM is already pouring money into NASCAR, IRL, ALMS, and other racing classes. In order to win in F-1 you need a huge budget, and years of experiance. I don't think GM is willing to go into that area. I think it is much more efficient to dump some money into touring car series, and ALMS. This way the public sees the accual cars GM makes (well the racing version) and associates them with the street cars. This is alot cheaper than F-1.

97z28/m6

Sorry,I forgot-I thought it was 2 years,I stand correted.Thank you:o



Yeah GM couldnt afford to pay someone like Mike Schumacher to drive a (insert GM brand here) for 30 million a year.For the driver alone it probably close to what it costs for their entire investment in TBR (Toilet Bowl Racing).
:eek:

Originally posted by CamaroRSguy
F1 is too expensive for GM.

Part of me wants to agree with you. And then part of me looks at Ferrari, who sells 3000 cars a year, and says that GM ought to throw a bit of their weight at this series in a serious way.

And then part of me looks at Ferrari, who sells 3000 cars a year

So if you factor that on average, a ferrari car cost $160,000 x 3000, you got $480,000,000. Not to mention how much Ferrari makes off of F1 and sponsorships, I mean really, to have your name on a Ferrari....we are talking big bucks here.

Sorry to say, Ferrari is in an entirely different league than GM, probably in a league of their own.

Personally, I dont think Chevy has the technology to enter F1 and be competitive. Its sad that America is not into F1 and ALMS as it should be. People just dont know that there is more to racing than driving in a circle.

:bow: to F1.

Originally posted by Eric Bryant
Part of me wants to agree with you. And then part of me looks at Ferrari, who sells 3000 cars a year, and says that GM ought to throw a bit of their weight at this series in a serious way.

Ferrari only directly funds one sports car series ( atleast I do not believe they fund the ALMS team), and that is F1. They pour all their racing budget into F-1, and have all the best people and drivers there are. It would takes years for GM to even come close to being competitive if they put alot of money into it. Ford tried F-1 through Jaguar, and look how successful they've been. Let's face it, GM sees the most bang for their buck in NASCAR:rolleyes: ALMS, and touring car series is the cheapest way to get the namettag out there along with easy success.

You will see CTS in roadracing very soon.

Originally posted by DavidGP
So if you factor that on average, a ferrari car cost $160,000 x 3000, you got $480,000,000.

$160,000 is base price for the 360 series. Then you get into the 456GTS and the 575 that push $200,000 easily all the way up to $300,000. Throw in a few half-mil F50s and now Enzos and BOOM! More money!

Im sure one of the largest companies in the world could come up with the funding to make a decent team and match it with a good driver if they really wanted to.

OK, since everyone took my tongue-in-cheek Ferrari comment way too seriously, then how about Honda, Toyota, Ford, Mercedes, BMW, and Renault? If all of those companies can afford F1, then why can't GM? I mean, come on - Renault competes, guys (and has some history of doing very well, just not in the past few years). And look at the payoff that's come in the form of production-viable technology (especially Honda, who's learned and applied a huge amount from their F1 experience).

Originally posted by Chuck!
If Caddy is going to compare their cars to the likes of German powerhouses, and possibly beyond, do they need to have a strong presence in one of those? I assume they pulled out of ALMS because of cost, but they finally got a podium and were headed in the right direction, it seemed like their investment was starting to pay off then they just threw in the towel.

Typical of GM's factory racing efforts over the years. I am so glad they've stuck with the current Corvette endurance racing program and been a great success.

Caddys have had racing success almost by accident over the years--the Pan American races, the Allards with Caddy engines. I think if Caddy is serious about losing it's old, octogenerian barge image, and selling cars overseas, it needs to race.

F1 is too expensive and not really the image I think they need. They need to stick with ALMS/LeMans--they were so close--and also put the CTS or CTS-V in a good touring car series; and in both cases, stick around as long as it takes for them to win the series and use the racing as a big marketing tool during and after the process. Once they've won, they can pull out for a while if they want and save some dollars, but to pull out before they've won may be worse than doing nothing. Knowledgable customers want to see a commitment to winning, just like they want to see a commitment to customer service and quality. You can't do that overnight, by definition.

OK, since everyone took my tongue-in-cheek Ferrari comment way too seriously, then how about Honda, Toyota, Ford, Mercedes, BMW, and Renault?

Renault, Manardi, Honda, jaguar and many of the other players in F1 are struggling because it is soo damn expensive to maintain a team of drivers, crew, engines and the cars. F1 has many rules and regulations that cost the team lots of money. It costs a team about $20mill a season for the engines alone. If a lot of these teams dont start winning. They will not be around for long. Many changes are currently taking place with F1, in effort to minimize costs to allow independent companies a chance to survive as the manufacturers come and go.