WRC 2011 - Build up and test phase

[Sulland]

When will we see the first pictures and test with a 1600T WRC car, and who will be first ?

Apart from Citroen and Ford that have said they will build cars, what other factory will start building a car ?

Will the new rules attract new factories, apart from the ones that have S2000 cars as of today ? If yes, which ones ?

[Gordini]

Hopefully Renault will see that Rally is a splendid way of reintroducing the Gordini brand, as Fiat have done with Abarth. Makes sense.
Could look like we can have a FIA approved Toyota as well:
http://www.rallysportmag.com.au/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4003&Itemid=2
Maybe the VW and Porsche merger news of today will give us another rally Manufacturer ?

[WRCS14]

I would imagine come January Ford and Citroen would want to have thier cars in their very final stages of production going into serious endurance testing from March onwards. This would be the vary latest I could see. I would imagine they might be able to better these dates.

Look back at the WRC initial phase, the stalwarts of the sport will roll up with their 2 new cars. Then you may see some toe dipping by some of the current S2000 manufacturers, i.e as limited a programme as the regulations allow, untill they are forced to commit to the full 12 or 14 round programme. The number of manufacturers may increase to 5 or maybe 6? Then after 1 or 2 years of continuinity but unprodructive results they will citing a change in company direction pull out of the sport again.
This is the cycle , it has happened in many times before, and it will happen again. :)

[A.F.F.]

I've heard through the grapewine that many manufacturers are basicly interested the new concept of WRC but could there be issues of trust towards FIA ? Hopefully FIA will now stick with these rules and NOT change them. What they have created before is only insecurity. No wonder there are no potential manufacturers...

[COD]

No one, not even Citroen or Ford have said anything about 1,6T cars. Ford on the other hand is developing S2000, so....

[noel157]

No one, not even Citroen or Ford have said anything about 1,6T cars. Ford on the other hand is developing S2000, so....

I agree, I think we'll see S2000 long before 1.6T from Ford and Citroen. We may not even see 1.6T for at least 2 or 3 years, if at all.

[Saabaru]

And I hope we don’t. You don’t see that many 1600cc cars on the roads but I can think of many makes and models that are between 1.8L and 2.5L. The WRC needs to be more open to different types of engine platforms (even diesel and/or natural gas racing against petrol engines) because it is less likely an manufacturers will join the Championship if they have to design and produce an entirely new platform that no one wants to buy on the open market but has to have it just to race in the WRC, and they would have to go through all this even before dumping money into a stupid homologation.

[Mirek]

Well, in US there is not that much of small cars but here in EU large majority of cars use engines between 1.2-1.6 displacement. 1.6 engines are pretty common and also 1.6 Turbo are used in new models. They are more efficient and have lower emissions than equivalent 2.0 N/A engines. Almost all S2000 base cars are not produced with 2.0 engine at all and they use engines from other manufacturer's car. There is absolutely no point in using 2.0 N/A engine as a promotion.

[OldF]

And I hope we don’t. You don’t see that many 1600cc cars on the roads but I can think of many makes and models that are between 1.8L and 2.5L. The WRC needs to be more open to different types of engine platforms (even diesel and/or natural gas racing against petrol engines) because it is less likely an manufacturers will join the Championship if they have to design and produce an entirely new platform that no one wants to buy on the open market but has to have it just to race in the WRC, and they would have to go through all this even before dumping money into a stupid homologation.

The biggest challenge with different platforms is to get them equal. A bigger displacement engine always has higher torque, and therefore also more power, on lower revs than small displacement engine. With turbo engines of different displacement it can be solved with different boost limit for different size of displacement. A smaller displacement engine would have a higher boost limit than a bigger displacement engine.

[Saabaru]

Allow smaller engine cars to have a lower weight and the cars to only be equipped with engines their factory counterparts use, let the manufaturers worry about the rest. The WRC can't worry about keeping all cars equal, subaru was at a disadvantage with its boxer engine being out of balance hanging so far in front of the front tires, did they allow them any changes from the other cars to counter this disadvantage? No and I don't think they should have even though I am a subaru fan. Subaru should have taken the steps to move the engine back shemselves in the impreza's production counterpart then made the change in the WRC car at their own accord.

[Motorsportfun]

I've heard that Subaru (which is growing again after passed the big "crisis") is thinking about a comeback from 2011-2012 with new regs.

Try to learn more... stay tunes!

Tomorrow a "close-up" about regs and times looking to 2011... now go to bed haha :)

[grugsticles]

I've heard that Subaru (which is growing again after passed the big "crisis") is thinking about a comeback from 2011-2012 with new regs.

Try to learn more... stay tunes!

Tomorrow a "close-up" about regs and times looking to 2011... now go to bed haha :)
Source?

[koko0703]

I've heard that Subaru (which is growing again after passed the big "crisis") is thinking about a comeback from 2011-2012 with new regs.

Try to learn more... stay tunes!

Tomorrow a "close-up" about regs and times looking to 2011... now go to bed haha :)

I won't believe it until I see the official announcement but I will welcome back Subaru to the WRC if they do. I think Subaru still has the intention to be involved in the major motorsports, and hopefully WRC is the one they choose to get involved.

[Motorsportfun]

I won't believe it until I see the official announcement but I will welcome back Subaru to the WRC if they do. I think Subaru still has the intention to be involved in the major motorsports, and hopefully WRC is the one they choose to get involved.


Source?

No official interest has been made yet, it's just a 'confidential' from a marketing person at Subaru. They are waiting to have a stable financial condition (so good sales), due to not risk "company's life". :)

In conclusion, we have to hope that Subaru will sell lots of cars in the next months...

[WRCS14]

While a Subaru fan I believe they are far from past their "Crisis". Their sales in the UK are still appalling compared to say 2003, one of thier best years for the STI Impreza. They have a range of some of the most dirty petrol engines regarding Co2, the Forester Turbo is now not sold in a good few european countries. This was always a model that sold well in say 99-2004. They have one good diesel engine which they are now trying to ram into every model across the range. And I wont start on the Tribeca 3.7 :o . BMW are setting some fantastic examples of low C02 petrol performance engines and unfortunately Subaru have a long way to go in this respect.
They were never a high volume seller and in these tough times I hope they pull through. Some of the national importers/distributors are feeling the pinch most.

I think Subaru will have to get their own house in order, i.e sorting out their roadcar engine range before spending millions on the WRC again. But I hope to be proven wrong :)

[JFL]

Subaru Impreza 2008 2.0 150hp petrol..

Fuel consumption combined:


8.0 l/100km

Fuel consumption (urban):

11.0 l/100km


Fuel consumption (extra-urban):

7.0 l/100km


CO2-Emissions combined:

199 g/km

A little high, but not too bad...

[Mirek]

NEDC method used for measuring fuel consumption and emissions in EU is not very representative for real life especialy for strong turbo charged engines (even worse for hybrid drive) unfortunately.

[HaCo]

Don't know if this has been posted before...
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_610/car_photo_305270_25.jpg
With... 1.6 turbo :)
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/234992/sizzling_ds3_gunning_for_cooper_s.html

[MJW]

Extract from this weeks (monday 24th august) online magazine http://www.gpweek.com.

Next week the FIA hosts an
invitation meeting to discuss
engine policies for the future –
like World Engines, 1.6 turbos
etc. The following day, there
is a manufacturers' meeting
to discuss the implications
regarding rallying.

I expect another twist...........

[Wim]

Source?
http://www.rallyreportnews.com.ar/
I know they are developing a 1.5l direct injection engine, and the Toyobaru would be a perfect basis for a wrc. And the new engine would be a square one (bore/stroke) and wil be shorter, so the output should be equal to other makes now..

[Sulland]

Things Take Time (TTT)

[Wim]

http://www.rallyreportnews.com.ar/
I know they are developing a 1.5l direct injection engine, and the Toyobaru would be a perfect basis for a wrc. And the new engine would be a square one (bore/stroke) and wil be shorter, so the output should be equal to other makes now..
The last lines of the article...
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77996

[Sulland]

The PSA Sport Machinery has started to move, and Quesnel has dropped the S2000 DS3, for the time being.

http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&id=5885&desc=Citroen's%20future%20WRC%20challenger%20'90%2 0per%20cent'%20complete

[sal]

New PUG 308 RC Z to be fitted with the 1.6 Turbo so going by the previous post I assume the new motor will slip into the exisiting 207 S2000 car.

[Mirek]

No way because of Citroën DS3. PSA won't built two cars in the same class since Peugeot Sport and Citroën Racing are joined.

By the way the engine (1.6 THP) is already used in Peugeot 207 RC and it's rally variant R3T (and also in Mini Cooper S).

[Barreis]

So what will be with works teams next year?

[Sulland]

Is the FIA meeting where all will be decided for 2011 and forward tomorrow ?