The new FIA WRC-car concept 2017

[Rallyper]

I guess it´s time for a special topic for the new formula WRC cars which should be decided by FIA quite soon.

4WD or 2WD? NA or turbos? Production cars or limited series?

[Mirek]

Just my 5 cents...

4WD or 2WD - it will stay 4WD in my opinion.

NA or turbos - sure turbos, naturally aspirated engines have been disappearing from production, I think that for example VAG in Europe produces only three naturally aspirated engines - 1.0 I3, 1.2 I3 and 3.6 VR6 and even those may disappear in close future.

Production or limited series - in my opinion the concept will stay same with current WRC/S2000/R5 with a kit car based on a stock car which has otherwise little common with the result; it's definitely the cheapest and easiest way for car manufacturers.

I think there will be some sorts of energy-saving systems implemented whether in a form of KERS known from F1 or something else. It's also likely there may be no anti-lag as it is known now, again purely because of ecologic aspects. I don't say I like that but I see it as inevitable.

[Maui J.]

I’ve once written in this forum that factory approved homologated is restricting this sport.
It is obvious that there are very few drivers who can compete at the very top level due to expense or lack of available factory seats.

So here’s an idea. Have three championships. One for drivers, one for manufacturers, and one for teams with non-homologated cars that run to the same spec as the factory teams but without the factory ok.

To make this work the specs of the future WRC cars would need to be lowered, below R5 in my opinion to make it cost efficient., backyard workshops don’t have the big budgets for R&D and testing as VW.
This way we could see interesting cars appearing from all corners of the globe, running to the same specs as the official WRC cars but without the ‘officialdom’ of homologation.

Here in NZ in the national championship, which has been long dominated by the presence on Imprezas and Evos, we are just starting to see homebuilt 4WD Turbos appearing in the Championship. Firstly it was Emma Gilmour’s Suzuki Swift. Add to that Hawkswood’s Mazda 2, and soon the Peugeot 208 rocket ship of Alex Kelsey.

In Argentina with the Maxi class, and in Australia with them running Quad bikes (No thanks!). Local championships are widened their horizons to keep there championships healthy, but at the same time are drifting further away from the FIA approved format. Remembering both countries hold a WRC event but how few locals actually have valid cars to run in them?

So to summarise, if the new FIA WRC formula could be lower spec and be both approved for factories and tuners/backyards builds to compete on equal footing on the WRC stages we may see some growth once again.

Plus the interest from factories if a homebuild is doing well on the stages could be rewarded with financial and technical assistance.

[Mirek]

You are right about the homologations but unfortunately I don't see FIA changing this in near future. Maybe if the experiment with RGT was successful... but it has been 1,5 years since non-homologated GT cars are allowed in FIA rally events but we have seen one single car in Rallye Monte Carlo and that's all. I'm afraid FIA will use this fail as a justification to keep only homologated cars.

[AdvEvo]

Rgt is far to expensive also.

Gt3 is also expensive to buy and run.

[Mirek]

RGT by rules is defined as almost stock car without need for homologation. How can You create reasonably cheaper formula than that? Nobody says You must use Porsche...

[MJW]

I agree with Mirek on the engine issue, the days of N/A 2.0 OR 2.5 (the much loved in the UK and Ireland) Millington Diamond type engines are gone, in a few years time 1.6l will be considered a large capacity, the future common engine will probably be 3 cylinder 1000cc forced induction with other energy recovery.
Also consider that by 2020 with all emissions and other restrictions it will be difficult for a rally car to be on the public highway, already in France rally cars are not road registered and have their competition number instead of tradional number plates.
My feeling is that the future will be R5 4WD 1.6t - having said that I fear the formula wont solve the issues - of specatcle / noise etc.
Fundamentally I think the balance between power and grip of the current cars is too perfect, I would like to retain the current power level in a 2WD car or give a 4WD car more power, it shouldnt be hard, Citroen have got 50 or 60 bhp more out of the rally engine in the C Elysee WTCC car.
I also quite like the way the new WTCC cars look with wings splitters and body kits.

Please consider these facts in the debate.

[AndyRAC]

I fear more of the same. I’m not sure that’s what the WRC needs. I agree with DR – cars need to look and sound spectacular. The current cars are ‘production based’, but are really prototypes, so why not go the whole way and make proper prototypes? Problem is they cost.
As MJW correctly said, the cars will not solve the problem; they simply don’t have the ‘X Factor’.

It would be nice to start with a blank sheet of paper and ask all interested Manufacturers what would it need for them to join the WRC.

[Mirek]

I think that generally too much weight is placed on technical rules for cars. In my opinion there shall be much more discussion about calendar, about the form of each event etc. For example in my opinion the standardized format was a wrong step. Rallying from its nature brings variety (in surfaces, scenery, people). It shall make maximum use from the variety while it's the opposite in reality. That's why I would suggest to give organizers the biggest possible freedom. If one wants to run the event over the whole country why not? If other wants to have for example a complete night leg why not? There's no need for 13 events in calendar. If there is just 8 but really big events it would be better. By really big I mean that such event shall ideally be No.1 sporting event in the country in the time. That's the case for Monte Carlo, for Argentina or Finland. The other thing is off course media promotion which has been quite horrible in last years.

Everybody speaks about WRC being too expensive but in my opinion far more important is what it offers. If You make the best steaks around people come and pay for it and nobody asks why it is more expensive than McDonald.

[AndyRAC]

Nail on head there Mirek!!