[WRC] News & rumours (part IV) 2016

[stefanvv]

In Engleski wir sagen "Pratice makes Perfect"

3 years of that on SS1 or SS2 and he learned how to flip sehr gut!

und Sie können sagen, - wunderbar

[ToughMac]

What would be wrong with supplying the 2017 cars with the current 2016 restrictors? Manufacturers would have an outlet to sell their cars to national competitors and to be fair the cars would be no faster than they are now just with active diffs, it might even make them safer for less experienced drivers.

[Mirek]

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

[Munkvy]

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?

[Munkvy]

What would be wrong with supplying the 2017 cars with the current 2016 restrictors? Manufacturers would have an outlet to sell their cars to national competitors and to be fair the cars would be no faster than they are now just with active diffs, it might even make them safer for less experienced drivers.

In my limited experience with production style active centre diff (ie Subaru DCCD with an aftermarket controller programmed with custom diff maps), compared to regular plate diffs, a plate diff is easier/more predictable to get used to for a newbie (ie me).

[Mirek]

In my limited experience with production style active centre diff (ie Subaru DCCD with an aftermarket controller programmed with custom diff maps), compared to regular plate diffs, a plate diff is easier/more predictable to get used to for a newbie (ie me).

Current WRC cars don't have center diff at all. The difference of having an active one and none at all is really big. Than we have the new aero package, wider track, better brake cooling and many other small things which must make the 2017 faster even with same restrictor. Thinking only about the power like ToughMac did is wrong.

[dimviii]

In my limited experience with production style active centre diff (ie Subaru DCCD with an aftermarket controller programmed with custom diff maps), compared to regular plate diffs, a plate diff is easier/more predictable to get used to for a newbie (ie me).

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.

[Jack4688`]

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

Can you explain this to me? I don't understand how a four-wheel-drive drivetrain can function 'without a centre diff'. To me a centre diff is what apportions torque between the front and rear axles...

[GravelBen]

Can you explain this to me? I don't understand how a four-wheel-drive drivetrain can function 'without a centre diff'. To me a centre diff is what apportions torque between the front and rear axles...

As far as I know the current WRC cars have front and rear axles effectively locked to rotate together (like a Hilux or similar when in 4wd) - a centre diff would let the front and rear rotate at different speeds (hence the word 'differential').

If you've ever tried to take a tight turn with a locked centre diff or no centre diff 4wd you'll understand why that setup generally results in more sliding from a rally car.

[Jack4688`]

Thanks, makes more sense now.

So essentially that rearward shaft is just taking 50% of the torque from the front final drive back to the rear diff without anything fancy going on inside?


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?