Prodrive Mini WRC

[navtheace]

Private-works tuners are going down in last few years. Prodrive and M-sport lost their contracts. Hyundai and VW came with their own department.

That is because the days of private teams being able to self build a near works car have been impossible since GpA and GpN have been phased out.

Remember the GpA days where you had many private teams that were highly respected and built cars very close to the works ones, and also maintained ex works cars owned by wealthy privateers.

[Frostmourne]

Does anyone know if Prodrive is looking for anther partner? Would it be realistic to think that when the period of homologation ends for this MINI; that will be the end of MINI in the WRC for good?

Speaking of homologation, isn't this year supposed to be the last for the cuurent homologation regulations? I remember a news saying there will be no new homologation for the next year to cut the costs, anyone knows when the new cars will come?

[Mirek]

That is because the days of private teams being able to self build a near works car have been impossible since GpA and GpN have been phased out.

Remember the GpA days where you had many private teams that were highly respected and built cars very close to the works ones, and also maintained ex works cars owned by wealthy privateers.

That's nonsense. Prodrive, M-Sport, MML, MSD developed full WRC cars in times when those were the most hi-tech in rallying history. Other teams were participating on building cars according to factory spec - such as Bozian, Racing Lions, JUKA etc.

Also S2000 were developed by many private teams, not only factory ones. Besides M-Sport and Prodrive it was MEM, TRD, RGRS, MSD who developed S2000 cars. Other teams were building S2000 cars for factory teams such as PH Sport, Barroso, JUKA, Racing Lions etc...

[Sulland]

That's nonsense. Prodrive, M-Sport, MML, MSD developed full WRC cars in times when those were the most hi-tech in rallying history. Other teams were participating on building cars according to factory spec - such as Bozian, Racing Lions, JUKA etc.

Also S2000 were developed by many private teams, not only factory ones. Besides M-Sport and Prodrive it was MEM, TRD, RGRS, MSD who developed S2000 cars. Other teams were building S2000 cars for factory teams such as PH Sport, Barroso, JUKA, Racing Lions etc...

Yes, but still the rules are that the manufacturer need to agree for it to be homologated. So without a deal, no use to start the job. Especially if you compete with the factory, they will block I guess.

[Mirek]

That's true but it has always been like that. I can tell You a story of such privately developed car buried by factory homologation refusal in 1984...

[Leon]

That's true but it has always been like that. I can tell You a story of such privately developed car buried by factory homologation refusal in 1984...

please share with us

[Mirek]

This car I know is Škoda 160RS MTX Gr.B10 car (am I right that B10 was for under 1600 ccm?). The car was developed by company Metalex and Agroteam Slušovice in 1983. It was based on Škoda Garde car but it was using space tube frame, improved Lada VFTS engine, Škoda 130RS or Tatra 603 gearbox, custom build suspension and steering based on autocross buggies. The car did several events in 1984 as a zero car and usually it was faster than all other cars (we had no gr.B12 cars until 1985). I'm too young to know all the story behind but Škoda refused to help with homologation and instead pushed for their own 130LR gr.B9 model. It's true that their car later proved to be very successful despite having only 1300 ccm engine.

Photo of original car (3 were built): http://www.rallylife.cz/data/imgs/0024475l.jpg
See-through view from old magazine: http://skoda.panda.cz/fotografie/specialy/0089.jpg

[Barreis]

That is because the days of private teams being able to self build a near works car have been impossible since GpA and GpN have been phased out.

Remember the GpA days where you had many private teams that were highly respected and built cars very close to the works ones, and also maintained ex works cars owned by wealthy privateers.

Good old days. There were really good Italian tuners around...

[navtheace]

That's nonsense. Prodrive, M-Sport, MML, MSD developed full WRC cars in times when those were the most hi-tech in rallying history. Other teams were participating on building cars according to factory spec - such as Bozian, Racing Lions, JUKA etc.

I wasn't aware of that, how did the likes of Bozian, Racing Lions etc build a world rally car from a road car shell?

[Mirek]

It wasn't built from a road car shell in case of WRC cars. They used the floor pan, than welded the rollcage and only after that built the shell around - without anything of no use and with thinner steel I think. At least I believe it was like that. In times of high demand for Fabia S2000 I believe Juka Motosport was actually doing this job for Škoda Motorsport (Barroso did same for Peugeot I think).