WRC: News and Discussion Thread
 

The first was because snow blocked up the radiator from fresh air.
The second is so far inexplicably overheated. I'm sure we'll find out why later.

Good grief this is bad. They're rallying in Skandinavia of all places. :)


edit - they say the second one inexplicably lost oil pressure. they're looking into it.

Re: Subaru has lost TWO engines so far in the 2002 WRC series.
 

Ughh at least they're doing better than Mitsu. I still think the WRC Evo VII is a good car, just really inexperienced drivers. Allister McRae is in what 9th place?

I like this daily coverage ! Is this new, or was i missing something last year ? I love watching these guys in the snow :bow: The in car cameras are better than ever !

Nighttime icy-road racing now. :D

WRC r0x0rs.

Its new. I don't get Speedvision so I wouldn't know :(. I gotta get updated from websites and watch crappy vid streams for some WRC action.

Oh yeah, I wish FIA would make a DVD of the entire season or something like that. I would gladly pay mucho money for it...

what time is the show on?

I didn't see it today, but Friday night was 8pm West Coast time.

Peugot dominating the WRC... Is it fair?
 

I know that Peugot is absolutely dominating the WRC with so many 1,2,3 and 1,2 finishes it's not funny. But I've been thinking about this... They have held off on switching to their new Peugot (209??) car while almost all the other top cometitors have gone to the newer less developed cars. Mitsu and Suby are in new rides and I think Ford has not changed but McCrae keeps pushing the limits, (they are doing some new things with the Fords though).

What do you think about this? Is it driver domination? Or car changes that have seemingly flipped the Rally stats this year.




And who's you favorite driver?:cool:

haven't really followed the WRC for a while now. I always thougth that the EVOs and the WRX's dominated the sport....well at least several years ago. It's kinda refreshing I think to see someone else dominate for a bit.

True, I mean, I like Richard Burns and I'm glad he's doing well. I like the Peugots too. I have some photos of one I saw in Mexico. Pretty cool little car.
I just started thinking about how lopsided it was this year and realized they are the only team not switching cars yet.
I think they know what they're doing, I mean they're running away with the points wich will get them some great sponsorship.

I just don't know if what i'm seeing really is good driving or good cars...

I always wanted to go to one of these races. I have a vid game for the PC that is a blast. I like watching Carlos Sainz race and Makkinen as well. I don't have a problem w/ a team dominating a season, happens everywhere. Next year who knows, maybe they'll be suckin' hind tit! Does make for a long season tho even if it is Peugot! And why can't that manf make a decent car for the States? I remember their 505, whatta disaster. I'll take a little 205 w/ twin turbos and AWD any day.

Max Mosley proposes new rules for WRC cars
 

A change to transversely mounted engines of 2.0L displacement with simple mechanical differentials and standardized gearboxes.

Do I see the possibility of Honda getting into WRC? :ecstatic:

Why is max mosley always trying to cut costs for everything. He tried to do it in Formula one also. The whole point of these championships is a display of the technology of these manufacturers and I think the fact that certain companies can afford to be in this championship is a reflection of how hey are as car manufacturers.

I agree to a point. The WRC is really a showcase of the best (within safety limits...no more killer B's). The Super 2000, and 1600 series are some of the best rallies to watch and rules should be applied to keep the costs down.

I'm thinking that Moxley saw what happened to Mitsubishi and decided that an all Citroen, Ford, Peugeot, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Seat round up would be too confining.

Personally, I'd like to see the field expanded for the factory cars. Still....WRC cars are damn expensive.

I'm torn with this one. Instead of cutting costs on the WRC, leave it the way it is, and introduce a "Formula 3" style co-located series. Same courses, but much cost-reduced cars and a lead-in to the WRC series.

WRC 2006 cars...
 

From RSportscars.com...

============

New Impreza WRC2006 Breaks Cover in Monte Carlo

The Subaru World Rally Team officially unveiled the Subaru Impreza WRC2006, the latest version of the iconic Subaru World Rally Car, before the Monte Carlo rally.

The car, based on the 2006 model year Impreza, will be used by team drivers Petter Solberg, Chris Atkinson and Stephane Sarrazin as they tackle the gravel, asphalt, snow, ice and mud of this year s sixteen round FIA World Rally Championship season.

Like its road going cousin, the Impreza WRC2006 features Subaru s dynamic new corporate look, styled by Subaru s chief of advanced design, Andreas Zapatinas. But changes to the WRC2006 go far deeper than the striking new appearance. A whole raft of improvements to the engine, transmission, chassis and electrical systems make this the most advanced, and safest, Impreza WRC ever built.

A Base Car Shaped by 13 Years of WRC Competition

The starting point for the new rally car is the 2006 model Subaru Impreza road car. As the basis of a rally winning machine, few cars can match the competitive pedigree of the Impreza. First launched in 1992, the road car has developed in tandem with its rallying counterpart and over the last twelve seasons, and 46 WRC victories, lessons learned on the rally stages have been fed back into the production model.

Already renowned for its agile handling, leech-like roadholding and symmetrical all-wheel drive security, the latest Subaru Impreza forges even stronger links with its World Rally Championship stablemate.

Like the preceding model, both rally and road versions were styled in Japan by the FHI design team led by Andreas Zapatinas. Externally, a key new feature is the spread-wings mesh front grille with a centre section resembling an aeroplane fuselage and sweeping outer sections mimicking the wings. Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd, the manufacturer of Subaru, has its origins as an aircraft maker.

New headlamps have a 3-D effect with cylindrical lamp units. The rear lamps are also 3-D, with similar cylinders encircled by claw-type strakes. Revised front bumpers with concave horizontal corner spoilers smooth the airflow down the side of the car. In addition, the saloon features vertical air intakes at the side of the bumper for enhanced brake cooling.

A new design of side-skirts adds to the sports stance, being better integrated with the overall body design and featuring sweeping swage lines that continue to flow into the rear bumpers. Also new is a roof vane covering the top half of the rear window. This compliments the massive high-rise boot spoiler by deflecting airflow from the top of the roof under the boot spoiler, increasing downforce and high speed stability.

New Solutions to New Regulations

From the start of the 2006 WRC season, leading cars must comply with revised technical regulations which, among other things, outlaw engine water-injection and active control of front and rear differentials. So, ten years after the introduction of the computer controlled units, the Subaru team faced the engineering challenge of making their car go just as well but with traditional, mechanical differentials.

The two-litre flat-four engine had to be adapted to meet the new technical regulations but Lapworth’s team wanted to go further than that. “We had to take into account the loss of the water injection but we’ve done a lot of work on the control, fuel system, lightening of components and friction reduction. We’ve ended up with something which is more powerful, delivers more torque and is more responsive and lighter than last year’s engine.”

Back in 1999 Subaru was the first WRC manufacturer to introduce an electronically operated semi-automatic gearbox. This year, the ground-breaking six-speed transmission is further refined with a new hydraulic system which gives a better control of the centre differential and a faster gear change. The result is that the already rapid gear change is now faster than most Formula 1 cars.

Elsewhere in the car, from front to back, hundreds of other smaller revisions were made to areas including the wiring loom, fuel system, electrical systems and the location of systems in the cockpit.

http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/imprezawrc_01.jpg
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/imprezawrc_02.jpg
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/imprezawrc_03.jpg
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/imprezawrc_04.jpg
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/imprezawrc_05.jpg
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/imprezawrc_06.jpg
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/imprezawrc_07.jpg
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/imprezawrc_08.jpg

Specifications

Engine
Type: Flat-4, Turbocharged (IHI, with WRC regulation 34mm restrictor)
Displacement cu in (cc): 121 (1994)
Power bhp (kW) at RPM: 300(224) / 5500
Torque lb-ft (Nm) at RPM: 347(470) / 4000
Redline at RPM: n.a.

Brakes & Tires
Brakes F/R: Gravel: AP Racing 305 mm ventilated discs and 4-pot calipers front and rear
Asphalt, front brakes: 366 mm ventilated discs with 6-pot water-cooled calipers
Tires F-R: Pirelli
Driveline: All Wheel Drive

Exterior Dimensions & Weight
Length × Width × Height in: n.a.
Weight lb (kg): 2711 (1230)

Performance
Acceleration 0-62 mph s: depends on setup
Top Speed mph (km/h): depends on setup
Fuel Economy EPA city/highway mpg (l/100 km): n.a.

2006 Citroen Kronos Xsara WRC
 

2006 Xsara WRCs Run by Kronos Racing Team

While the Citroen itself is not participating in the World Rally Championship this year, Citroen Sport is still very much involved in motorsport with its “Customer Sport” activity, including the renting of “ready to go” Xsaras to the Kronos Racing Team.

The Kronos Racing Belgian team participated in the first event, the Monte Carlo rally, with three Xsara WRCs. Two of these were entered under the colors of the Kronos Total Citroen World Rally Team: one for two-times World Champions Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, and the other one for their Spanish team-mates Xavier Pons and Carlos Del Barrio.

Bearing number one and two on their doors, these Xsaras depend on a team registered in the ‘Manufacturers one’ category, and comply with the 2006 technical definition. The most known measures of these new regulations are the prohibition of the electronic front and rear differentials and an increased restriction of the spare parts changes.

http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/xsarawrc_01.jpg
http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/02/xsarawrc_02.jpg

Specifications

Engine
Type: Inline-4, Turbocharged
Displacement cu in (cc): 122 (1998)
Power bhp (kW) at RPM: 300(220) / 5500
Torque lb-ft (Nm) at RPM: n.a.
Redline at RPM: n.a.

Brakes & Tires
Brakes F/R: n.a.
Tires F-R: BF Goodrich
Driveline: All Wheel Drive

Exterior Dimensions & Weight
Length × Width × Height in: 164.1 × 69.7 × 61.7
Weight lb (kg): 2711 (1230)

Performance
Acceleration 0-62 mph s: depends on setup
Top Speed mph (km/h): depends on setup
Fuel Economy EPA city/highway mpg (l/100 km): n.a.

Those cars are ugly! :yuck: Subaru front grill!

Rossi doing WRC
 

pics.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=241040

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=241041

nice pics. but what is Rossi doing in WRC? he quit motobikes or just a hobby?

he gets bored easily. he will still do motogp.. this is just "for fun"..

Yeah Rossi is a big rally fanatic, and may give it a go when he hangs up his leathers. He's also racing the next round.

Cool :thumbsup:

i doubt he will quit motogp..

He tested for Ferrari F1 last time. This time its WRC. Who know what he'll be testing next time : IRL, Champcar, NASCAR, DTM, . . . Like I said before, riding bikes and driving cars are two completely different experiences and the skill learnt in one doesn't apply to the other.

Rossi is a great GP rider, and no way he will quit the sport. Looks like he just iching to try WRC like Travis did.

he wont leave motogp unless its for a full F1 ride. the doctor strikes agian! thats cool AGV made a helmet for him with the same paint as his motogp helmet.

Kimi to WRC . . .
 

Sorry to see him go.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80431

:sad:

I was watching a "Top Gear" rerun the other nite and it had Mika Hakkinen on with Richard flyin' around in a Mercedes rally car. Hakkinen said they spend so much time as kids learning how to drive (3 years!) before they get a license that they as Finns, are very adept at rallying, hence their success. I never knew that but am excited to see Kimi in another discipline, even if only for a year while the chips fall where they may for 2011 F1 season. I give him a lot of credit for doing what he wants instead of taking a BS drive just to stay in F1.

It was James May (season 12) IIRC

yes yes yes ^^

:)

I wish there was more WRC coverage on this side of the pond.

WRC coverage . . .
 

Don't know if this will help you, but the coverage has been good.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/16/d...e-back-to-u-s/

F1 is too political, dont blame him...

That it is. Look forward to seeing what type of impact he will have

My Sunday evenings have been occupied with the WRC shows on HD Theater ever since I discovered them a couple of months ago. I'm glad the FIA finally got the stick out of their ass and let us "poor Americans" have some WRC coverage over here.

The local motorsports enthusiast shop I frequent distributes many European racing videos and has a good working relationship with Duke Video in England. About three years ago, the owner of the shop approached Duke as to whether they would be interested in partnering to distribute the WRC season summary DVDs here in the U.S. Duke said they would be interested in discussing it and gave my guy a contact at the FIA. After three weeks of waiting, the owner of my shop got a one sentence reply back. "There are no plans to license the official WRC programming for distribution in the United States."

WRC might be shown on HD Theater, but it isn't in HD. When is F1 and WRC going to step up and give us true HD coverage?

What shop is that Billiam? I didn't realize that the WRC was on the tube, guess I have find it and DVR it, should be interesting. Like it was said before, I think Kimi will do quite well in the WRC.