[Malcolm]

This months edition of Motosport makes reference to it. It is both a good and bad thing! The example above illustrates the point nicely and no offence is meant by this. An accurate replica chassis and body was made up of a great car and the original car was kept safe by the owner. But chassis stiffening was included to improve the chassis for racing. Hold on, that cannot be an exact replica, which is what the FIA are talking about. If you recreate a car and wish to call it authentic, it is the bad as well as the good that needs to be replicated. You can't pick and choose. To be extreme, a follow on discussion would be that GTD, RF, Tornado etc etc are all accurate replicas but they changed the chassis to spaceframe to improve maintenance issues in the chassis. An extreme and non watertight example but it highlights the issue of where do you stop? Chassis stiffening or beyond?

Aren't there more Lola T70s racing now than the factory ever made? Same with Cobra 500 GT's?

It is a good thing as it will get more cars onto grids for historic races giving Joe Punter a better show when they go to watch motorsport.

The reason why it is a bad thing is because that without extra policing the boundaries defining nut and bolt accurate replicas from lesser quality cars widens the gap between originals racing and authentic replicas racing in the same race. It will take more original cars off the race track and into the garage and cars are not meant to be in garages but to be driven.

Allegedly the MacLaren M8F that GTD made some time ago using an original bodyshell only is now an FIA approved car! I hope the new owners took out the Renault gearbox first!