[WRC] News & rumours (part IV) 2016

[stefanvv]

Would the step between active diff and none at all be something like a Torsen or a viscous coupling then? i.e. not interfered with electronically (not in the same way a Haldex works, that would be a REactive wait-until-you're-already-understeering system), purely a mechanically PROactive system?

AFAIK there is no electronics currently.

[makinen_fan]

Current WRC cars don't have center diff at all.

Mechanical limited slip diffs (front/centre/rear) are allowed by regulations now:
See section 5.2b
http://www.fia.com/file/37755/download?token=qSz1j2jX

Front/central/rear differentials
Only the housings and mechanical limited slip differentials
homologated in the WRC extension may be used (without any
modification).
"Mechanical limited slip differential" means any system which
works purely mechanically, i.e. without the help of a hydraulic or
electric system.
A viscous clutch is not considered to be a mechanical system.
Any differential with electronic management is prohibited. The
number and the type of the plates are free.


From next year, hydraulic control of the centre diff (via electronics of course) will be allowed again.

[GravelBen]

Good info, cheers

[J_n_z]

Centre dif. is allowed, but they don't use it.
Are F1 type water cooled intercoolers allowed in 2017 regulation?

[ToughMac]

Are You saying that a car with active center diff is not faster than a car without center diff at all?

No, what i'm saying is it makes the car more predictable. Rather than driving the road you're driving the car if that makes sense.

[br21]

now no center diffs at all in WRC cars (same with R5).
active center diffs is huge difference, big advantage over non diff at all or mechanical center diff.
mechanical centers were used/tested in beginning of S2000 cars, but finally everyone decided not to use them at all.
subaru or mitsubishi with well set active center diff is much more easy to drive (and way more faster) than same car with mechanical center diff.

[denkimi]

I can't see how R5 experience would qualify you to drive the new WRC cars, as surely there should be a considerable gap in performance, particularly power and aero. So surely this is a flawed idea, they can't get experience in the car as they aren't allowed to drive it, and there isn't anything else that is close to it. So unless they say a current (2016) generation car is the stepping stone, I can't see how it can work?

But then look at Lorenzo, finished events when in an R5. Went to WRC car and seems to have lost the plot?

the intention is not to stop r5 drivers from going to wrc cars, the intention is to stop rich 18 year old kids from buying a wrc car and hurting themself.

the question is of course if this is actually necessary. latvala, mikkelsen and ostberg all started very quick in wrc cars, payed by their family's money.

[Munkvy]

quite the opposite imho. Mitsubishi evo has active center and rear diffs about 16 years back. For the average driver(and not only) active production diffs,are a big help to the driver.Thats why subaru decided to follow Mitsubishi after some years delay.
I ve changed mabe more than 20-30 maps at my evo center active diff,and the difference is impressive.But didnt find the last excellent result, just uploading some custom maps.It requires some more try and error with your programmer to fix it for your car and drive.

I may not have explained well enough, an active centre diff in my experience rallying has so many variables depending on surface, and what you are doing with the pedals, whereas a mechanical is more predictable, as it drives essentially the same when sideways each time, and can then be adjusted with the pedals.

I think for someone learning to drive fast and understand the cars dynamics, electronics while definitely faster, will dull your understanding of how the car is acting and therefore potentially give you a false sense of what you are doing to the car, in comparison to what the electronics are doing?

Definitely agree though that active will be quicker, just not necessarily a good thing for someone who is learning to drive a rally car.

[Rallyper]

the intention is not to stop r5 drivers from going to wrc cars, the intention is to stop rich 18 year old kids from buying a wrc car and hurting themself.

the question is of course if this is actually necessary. latvala, mikkelsen and ostberg all started very quick in wrc cars, payed by their family's money.

But have in mind they drove those machines from age as 12 years old boys and not had some new commitment from nothing at age of 20.
Like Kalle Rovanperä who´s already have driven 4WD for maybe 8 yrs and only 16.

[EstWRC]

Al-Attiyah in talks for fourth Volkswagen WRC seat

http://www.motorsport.com/wrc/news/a...c-seat-734737/