no suzuki @2009?

[BDunnell]

My favorite is Ford Escort RS1700T

Ah, but at least Ford didn't try it as a WRC entry and fail! In world championship terms, the RS200 is probably nearer the mark, with its awful finishing record.

[BDunnell]

Suzuki still has a chance, hey have shown very little, but something with reasonable times, only when they get the cars running.
Lets give them some more credit.

Nissan case with the Sunny GTI_R was much the case of Suzuki, but Nissan was aiming to win the championshipwith a high tech car (probably too advance for the moment, with active differentials and lot of the then common electronics).

Seat also won a junior champ (F2 at that time) and when step onto WRC level did not achieve good results (and yes I remember Gardenmeister 3rd position in NZ)

I take the point, but Nissan team boss Dave Whittock recalls the company's top brass as only really caring about the Safari and not understanding the nature of rallying, and the Seat Cordoba wasn't a complete disaster on the level of the BX 4TC or Golf G60, and possibly the Suzuki as well. I'd put the Cordoba onto a similar level as the Skoda Fabia — not great, but not totally crap either.

[Viking]

Ah, but at least Ford didn't try it as a WRC entry and fail! In world championship terms, the RS200 is probably nearer the mark, with its awful finishing record.

Yes, dark years for Ford this. Someone wrote that Ford spent 6 years of development to do 3 wrc rallys At least RS200 was a fast and competitive car.
So Suzuki dont give up

[BDunnell]

Yes, dark years for Ford this. Someone wrote that Ford spent 6 years of development to do 3 wrc rallys At least RS200 was a fast and competitive car.

It was certainly reliable in the British Open Championship, taking Mark Lovell to the title despite the fact that he didn't win a single event. With Audi pulling out mid-season, Mikael Sundstrom not matching Lovell's consistency in the Peugeot, and the 6R4s regularly expiring, it was rather an unsatisfactory year.

There is in fact a direct parallel between the RS200 and the Suzuki, in that Ford knew the shortcomings of the RS200 and would have fixed them with an evolution version, but there was then no point developing it because Group B was banned. Hopefully Suzuki will follow Ford in another way and have a good car ready for the next WRC formula.

[DonJippo]

after so much testing and impossible to finish a stage without major proplems.

There has not been so much of testing before the season and this year there has been no testing sofar...heard that there is a plan to test prior NORF but remains to be seen...

[WRCfan]

It's a shame. Always good to see another manufacturer supporting WRC and when they leave, it leaves us to be showered with the footage of Loeb and the many Ford's. It's good having some variety.

No doubt everyone should agree that the more manufacturer's there are in WRC the better...always sad to see one go from the top level...

[jonkka]

If Suzuki have any brains they'll have an S2000 car ready ASAP to test next year in the WRC so they can hit the ground running in 2010

To do that, they do need experience of running a WRC team, of all events and such. So, if their plan is to abandon WRCar and switch to S2K, they still should continue running the team even if car isn't developed any longer.

What comes to developing S2000 Turbo at the moment, with technical regs in stage that they are (and likely to change at least once more before word go) might be another bottomless hole for money.

[Tom206wrc]

I have the feeling Suzuki's new S2000 won't be a success, especially regarding the level of its future contenders(207, Grande Punto, Polo, Corolla/Auris, Fabia,...)

[Leon]

I remember reading sometime ago that the SX4 WRC can easily convert to an S2000 car and that the team is planing to use it for the first time in New Zealand. However after reading the autosport article I get the impression that there is no commitment from Suzuki even for a new S2000 car.

hope i´m wrong

[Sulland]

I can understand if they decide to drop the current car, and concentrate on the future S2000T if the mother company has a long term commitment. It costs too much to put money into a a car that will die soon anyway.

Be first to come with a S2000T car, and gain experience in 08/09 - before anyone else - that would give Suzuki an advantage !