2010 Farewell WRC Cars and Hello S 2000.

[RS]

I think you are all reading this news wrong again!

I believe what the article is saying is that (if the winter calendar gets the go-ahead) then the start of 2010 will be the last for WRCars and 2010-2011 winter season will be S2000s with turbo plus extra aero bits.

I also think some people on here are too much torque-fetishists. A 'normal' Grp N4 has much more torque than an S2000 but there is no question which one is better to watch and listen to.

If you stick that Rallye-Magazine article through Google translate it calls the Fiesta's coming turbo engine a "2 litre vacuum cleaner" which based on the sound of the Focus WRC is about right

[Mirek]

MJW: The way You suggest would make sense. Manufacturers go downsizing with low pressure turbos because of more strict emission standards and lower fuel consumpion. Motorsport should reflect marketing needs. 1.6 turbo would be definitely better choice as a promotion for new car models in next years.

[Shrike]

I hate to be the one to say this but the WRC switching to S2000 will not make closer fights like in IRC. If Loeb stays in the WRC it will be the same old show just different cars. I hate to see Loeb win all the time but he is the best driver and has the best team to build the best car, neither of those things will change.

[RS]

I hate to be the one to say this but the WRC switching to S2000 will not make closer fights like in IRC. If Loeb stays in the WRC it will be the same old show just different cars. I hate to see Loeb win all the time but he is the best driver and has the best team to build the best car, neither of those things will change.

Maybe so, but at least more people would be having a go instead of just two mediocre Finns in that hovercraft thing and a load of paydrivers.

[Sulland]

]
Anyway that's plus in my opinion because driving such car fast requires more skills. IRC and local championships prooved that not all drivers are able to drive S2000 fast. Some of them are faster in gr. N cars which are easyier to drive.

This is a extremely good point, and it should cost you to make a mistake. I think a S2000 is more of a driver car, since it is harder to drive fast consistently.

We here believe a lot of things on S2000, but have any of the top WRC drivers tried out S2000, and if so - what did they think ?

But also try to remember some of the background for why, NA 2ltr is a smart engine seen from a manufacturers point of view, and why it was proposed as the new rally engine a while back; WTCC uses it, F3 uses it and rally uses it - Then they can participate in 3 different classes with minimum tweaks to the engine. In todays economical climate that is a more valid argument than ever ! And there is no reason for that the WRC S2000 can not be lighter than the one used today. FIA has changed the weight two times to match it better to GrN, remember ! The WRC car could be 900 or 1000 kg, that is easy tuning !

Would love to see a BMW 1 series Coupe S2000 Rally in the forrest, and for VW they are or will be in all 3 forms of motorsport, with the same engine in 2010 !

The cost is a worry, and it has to be a max price, but it is of course hard to control, and the "factory cars" might get the top notch expensive parts, while customers only get the B parts !

Any ideas on how a max price could be put in place ?

[HaCo]

If you stick that Rallye-Magazine article through Google translate it calls the Fiesta's coming turbo engine a "2 litre vacuum cleaner" which based on the sound of the Focus WRC is about right

LOL


Version Francais:
http://www.autonews-magazine.com/blog/?p=3788

[MJW]

This is a extremely good point, and it should cost you to make a mistake. I think a S2000 is more of a driver car, since it is harder to drive fast consistently.

We here believe a lot of things on S2000, but have any of the top WRC drivers tried out S2000, and if so - what did they think ?

Kris Meeke was interviewed by Motorsport News in UK at the begining of the year, now you have to remember that Kris was on the verge of his IRC campaign at the time, and may have been 'rose tinted glasses' at the time but his comparison of S2K and WRC cars was interesting. He said that in WRC cars there is torque from about 2500rpm and if you make a mistake with gears or a corner it didnt really punish you. He also said that a man off the street given 1/2 a days tuition would put up a mediocre time in a WRC, getting the very best out of them took something special (Loeb?) However regarding the S2K car he said that they were more rewarding to drive but far more difficult to be competitive as it punished wrong gear / messed up corners etc. Also teh power band was very narrow and they just have to be kept buzzing at high reves 7500 to 9500 for anything to happen. He said gentlemen drivers would be nowhere in s2k cars, they were for drivers.

[A.F.F.]

We here believe a lot of things on S2000, but have any of the top WRC drivers tried out S2000, and if so - what did they think ?

Don't know about TOP drivers but Sebastian Lindholm has tested Peugeot 207 and he said it was a proper rally car.

[Mirek]

A.F.F.: Lindholm was testing Fabia during the development also

[bluuford]

FIA has changed the weight two times to match it better to GrN, remember ! The WRC car could be 900 or 1000 kg, that is easy tuning !

Exactly my idea! don't add any turbo kit. Just remove some kg-s and that will make S2000 very spectacular in my view. There could be S2000 for national level to compete with grN cars and S2000L (light) that is meant for competing in WRC level (lets say, 150-200kg lighter).
Any idea how much the current S2000 cars are wearing ballast kg-s?
Can detuning be cheaper than adding turbo kit? Or do they have to use more expensive lighter materials?