Hopefully come 2012 the cars will even look even better than they did that year. I've seen some REALLY awesome fanmade concepts using the new car backbone template provided by IndyCar.

It's a great template and hopefully it'll led to a sort of Formula 1 situation where you've got different engines with different chassis designs all going up against each other.

We know Dallara will be doing an aero package, and Lotus has also confirmed they're doing one. So we've got at least two cars. We know Honda will provide an engine, and Randy Bernard's been around Europe trying to drum up interest. Word is he's got Jaguar and Audi interested in providing engines, and possibly even RENAULT as well.

If I remember correctly they are moving away from the V8 formula?

2.6-liter turbocharged 4 or 6 cylinder engines. They'll produce about 550 horsepower on longer ovals(down 100 from the current cars), and upwards of 700 on short ovals and road courses(where the power is really needed). They'll be considerably lighter than the current cars, however, so the power-to-weight ratio will be closer to the '07 Champ Cars on the road courses and the current cars on the long ovals - speeds should go up significantly on short tracks and road courses but stay about the same on the big ovals(and if we're honest, they really don't need to go up on those tracks). They're talking about 100 horsepower push-to-pass, but it's unlikely that'll happen - it'll probably be 50 horsepower, which seemed to be ideal during Champ Car's use of it.

That sounds awesome. The difference between the IRL and Champ Car cars at Long Beach is massive. CC looked very poised, built for the circuit while the IRL cars looked awkward and out of place.

It's not surprising since the IndyCars were built for ovals then adapted to road racing. It works better than the reverse, but the difference is still obvious. The only road course where the IndyCars look just as well-suited as the Champ Cars did is Edmonton - where the speed difference is the only thing really noticeable.