2007 Champ Car to be announced
While the turbocharged 2.65-liter Ford-Cosworth engine will remain the same, the chassis regulations are going to receive a minor makeover. But Kalkhoven said that the basic appearance of the car will be similar.
"You won't mistake it for anything but a Champ Car," he remarked. "It's a little bit narrower and a little bit shorter, the nose is higher, the wings are smaller and the underbody tunnels are bigger. And it's a lot lighter, though it still passes the 80-G impact test. It should be a racier version of the current car."
Champ Car is likely to stick with a single chassis supplier, though Kalkhoven did not reveal its identity. Seven companies reportedly submitted proposals to Champ Car for chassis construction and supply. "We're going to leave some more areas open for development by the teams," Kalkhoven said. ChampCar.ws
08/26/05 AutoRacing1.com spoke to Champ Car's Tony Cotman today in Montreal who tells us the new car probably won't be announced this weekend because "we are not quite there yet. After putting out a Request for Proposal we got back seven very interesting proposals. There won't be a vote by the team owners on which proposal we go with, that decision is being made by Champ Car." Separately we heard that the chosen car/proposal will be presented to the team owners at a meeting Saturday after qualifying. Some think the car will be presented to the media between Montreal and Las Vegas. Some speculation we have heard is possibly a paddle shifter transmission, carbon fiber brakes to reduce unsprung weight, a bit lighter and narrower car, a starter motor, and a twin turbo Cosworth engine. We expect the wheels and tires to stay the same size. 08/14/05 Word here in Denver is that the new 2007 Champ Car has been selected by the technical committee and it will be voted on by the owners at a meeting to be held in Montreal. Whether it is announced in Montreal remains to be seen, but we hear that is a goal given all the media will be assembled. Waiting until Las Vegas at the end of September is thought to be too long a wait. We hear just one manufacturer will supply all the cars.