Maxi Rally Class

**Sulland** · 22nd Nov 10, 08:13

Any more news on the development of the Maxi Rally class in Argentina ?

Are more cars being developed, and will the class be big in 2011? Any info on the Prices gotten out yet ?

**ZequeArgentina** · 28th Nov 10, 18:57

lot of news:

1- Second VW Gol has been finished and run in Uruguat Southamericanrally champ. (DNF due to engine failure)

Tango rally team will run 2 or 3 Chevrolet Agile (A local car)

2 Fiat Punto are to start construction, and Villagara team is exécted to build 2 fiesta.

2 Peugeot 207 are also ongoing.

Honda is interested in the cathegory (a Fit??)

No info on prices yet.

**Sulland** · 28th Nov 10, 19:02

Cool, thanks for info !

**imprezarb5** · 31st Dec 10, 00:42

Hi there!

I've been doing a little research on this class. Will all the cars use Honda engines?

If so, how will the cars differ? For example, will the Chevrolet Agile, Fiat, Villagra's Ford and the VW's all have a Honda engine?

Cheers!
Simon

**Sulland** · 31st Dec 10, 10:38

http://www.rallysportmag.com.au/home...=5135&Itemid=2

So they will all have the same engine, but not sure on the suspension, gearbox etc - are there some regulations produced for this class ?

**Sulland** · 18th Feb 11, 08:56

Any news on this class, more cars made, and do you know any prices ?

What is the plan for 2011; more countries in the region adopting this plan, or will it only be in Argentina ?

**Co-driven** · 18th Feb 11, 12:00

Yes, for this year there are a few other cars expected:
- Ford Fiesta with Villagra's team;
- Chevrolet Agile with Tango Rally Team;
- 2 more VW Gol;
- 2 Fiat Punto;
- There's at least one Peugeot 207.

Besides that, I heard that Kia may enter too. Rumors say that there will be two cars in Paraguay and in Brazil it's being said that Mauricio Neves (the one that took part of the Dakar with VW Motorsport) is building some cars too.

**Sulland** · 18th Feb 11, 18:53

So are they rebuilding S2000 fiestas, 207s and GPuntos to fit the Maxi Rally regs ?

Are the class regulations available online somewhere ?

**Co-driven** · 18th Feb 11, 19:12

No, they are building new cars under the MaxiRally specs. The Fiesta and 207 aren't the same as the S2000. The 207 isn't the same 207 in Europe, it's more likely the 206+. The Fiesta is a bit different too, with 5 doors. The Punto has the same appearence as the S2000, but aren't the same.

It's the same engine, gearbox and differentials for all cars.

**Sulland** · 18th Feb 11, 23:06

Like the concept a lot ! Keep us posted please ?

**Co-driven** · 19th Feb 11, 01:27

Yes, for sure.

Some pictures published today of the Punto and 207:
http://www.mundorally.com.br/index.p...gory&catid=579

**Co-driven** · 31st Mar 11, 17:01

The Argentina National Championship starts this weekend. For this round, there will be 10 of the new Maxi Rally cars.

http://www.mundorally.com.br/index.p...novidades.html

**Sulland** · 31st Mar 11, 19:19

10 cars is not bad at all !

Do you have any information on prices for the different cars compared to N4/R4 or S2000 ?

**Co-driven** · 1st Apr 11, 00:02

What's being said over here in Brazil is that one of those cars costs approximately $150.000 - $180.000 dollars.

Here in Brazil, there is a project really similar to those Maxi Rally (same engine, gearbox and differentials) that is being started and probably in a few months the first car will be ready. The team that's building this car is ProMacchin, which is owned by Mauricio Neves (the one that was in Dakar 2010 with VW Motorsports).

**Sulland** · 1st Apr 11, 08:04

OK, are we talking US Dollars ?

If it is USD we are talking in the range of 100 to 125 000 Euro, so aprox as a Gr N4 car, but looks much more fun to drive !!

**Co-driven** · 1st Apr 11, 13:18

Yes, US Dollars.

That's one of the advantages of this new class: it's a car that is relatively cheap but is really fun to drive. And one of the other benefits is that lots of new makes are entering the competition. For example, on this first round there is: VW, Peugeot, Ford, Chevrolet, Kia and Fiat.

**Bruno Cancianrally** · 1st Apr 11, 13:21

I'm not sure about that values, as my good friend Gabriel said ... I think they are a little bit lower, even considering that Argentina's currency is weaker ... Even if we consider the price of the models used for the preparation are around $ 10,000 USD (Do not think that the Punto, 207, etc... sold here are the same in europe!), and that the set: engine + gearbox + transmission is purchased at wholesale, guess it would be cheaper for them, because, 180 000 U.S. dollars in the currency of Argentina is a lot of money, and will be a no sense project (will be best keep the N4!). In Brazil there is an ongoing project similar to the Maxi rally, but I believe that, with the intention of reduce costs, will be used k20 turbo-charged engines (and not the k24 N/A as in Argentina), in popular sedan bodies (but in Brazil its cost, naked, around $ 25 000 USD!!!), with the intention of lowering costs and bring them closer to the N4. In Brazil, make it happen is more difficult, since we have the most expensive tax, cars and parts of the world. Just to give you an idea, a BMW 3 series, which in the Norwegian BMW website costs $ 308,000 FRA, in Brazil costs $ 650,000 FRA! That's because it is a luxury brand... in the popular cars that difference in value increases a lot!!! So, the costs are the biggest problem in the Brazilian rally... import a Evo or a Sti or a engine or a sequential gearbox is unbelievably expensive!!! Therefore, the problem of the rally in Brazil are the government taxes, and in the rest of South America is the weakness of the currency!!