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WRCStan
20th November 2021, 22:44
Thought there's a good bunch of brains here to ask this: Does anybody have a citable source, i.e. FIA regs, that says 25,000 cars had to be produced for Group A (or any) homologation at any time. Given these sources, are they accurate?

Root of the question from Toyota about the GR Yaris: "To acquire WRC homologation, the base model of a vehicle to be entered in a race must have a continuous 12-month production volume of 25,000 units or greater."
https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/toyota/30976389.html

Second statement: "The winning recipe (WRC) called for steel-bodied, front-engined, four-seater road cars made in an annual volume of at least 25,000." https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2021/25-stories/the-changing-face-of-world-rally-cars/

Thanks.

becher
20th November 2021, 22:58
Group A requierd 5000 cars and later on 2500. The GR Yaris had to be built 25000 times in a year to be eligable to use it as a base for a WRCar as the bodyshell of the GR is uniqe. It is not comparable to a Group A homologation special but rather like the 206 with extended bumpers.

WRCStan
20th November 2021, 23:14
Thanks Becher, but where, what or which is the relevant ruleset that says about the 25,000 'family' models? I'm assuming it should be public, maybe I'm wrong there. Only thing I've found is a 2016 R4 regs with the 25,000 requirement crossed out, but can't find what it referred to.

becher
20th November 2021, 23:28
I dont know exactly but I believe the WRCar rulset is basically Group A + kit (or used to be). A FIA document should be on their website but it is very rough and most technical details are missing. I don't remember exactly but production numbers and basic requierments should be visible to the public.

Rally Hokkaido
21st November 2021, 07:04
Thanks Becher, but where, what or which is the relevant ruleset that says about the 25,000 'family' models? I'm assuming it should be public, maybe I'm wrong there. Only thing I've found is a 2016 R4 regs with the 25,000 requirement crossed out, but can't find what it referred to.

Please go to the FIA website and download the latest Group N and Group A technical regulations. In the first few lines of either it should define what a Touring Car is including the minimum annual production numbers.

WRCStan
23rd November 2021, 22:14
Just in case another wonk is searching this out: there was a 25,000 production requirement in Super Touring cars from 1996. (Appendix J Article 262). These were gone by the mid-noughties. I think this requirement must've been assumed to apply to Group A by somebody influential (a touring car fan) and the myth spread and those articles above have been referencing Wikipedia. For clarity, Group A (and N) require 2500 produced for homologation and the period will last for 7 years after every subsequent year at least 250 are made.

If "25,000" ever applied to any rally cars please put me right.