Originally Posted by Livewireshock
This proposal has great merit & follows a logical stream. One chassis with two levels of engine/drivetrain is a good one.
The control elements within S2000 has shown the speed & relative ease manufacturers have in releasing a competitive vehicle. To have an optional increase of engine/turbo/brakes/suspension/gearbox/aero package to step up to a WRC level makes sense.
It lowers development costs with a common chassis. The emphasis stops being a case of keeping everything in house with in a singular factory race team but allows teams from various places to fabricate & construct a vehicle in the way S2000 cars are being built worldwide.
This is concept is hardly revolutionary. This is exactly the standards that NASCAR runs between their main NEXTEL CUP cars & lower level BUSCH NATIONAL cars. Speedway runs sprintcars with a common chassis with various engine sizes.
It allows many competitors to scale up or down as they see fit or as budgets allow. Off the shelf components, either control items or factory, would allow individual teams to make the changes as required. Regional teams could compete with an S2000 for the local championship but upgrade it for when the WRC has an event locally, then go back to S2000 after they have finished.
Having a N/A S2500 or S3000 car, as has been proposed by other forum members, do not allow for a large enough difference between themselves & current S2000 cars. It is for this reason that turbo power may have a place. Also an uprated control drivetrain would be needed too. Lastly an increased level of aero package would increase performance again for the WRC cars as well as distinguishing themselves from the lower S2000 cars.
My final point that some people also do not realise to, not only should the cars look different & go faster. The uprated WRC car should be a much different car to setup & handle to drive & handle. That raises the skill needed to compete at that level rather than just being a faster version of an S2000. Aero downforce, tyres & other components would help in this area.