Is the WRX STI the only road version of rally cars?

[needmorespeed]

AFAIK the WRX STI is the only road version of the cars that participate in the WRC that is a (true) sports car?

I heard it accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.6 sec... Do any of the other brands (e.g. Citroen/Peugeot) off similar sports versions?

[Roy]

AFAIK the WRX STI is the only road version of the cars that participate in the WRC that is a (true) sports car?

I heard it accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.6 sec... Do any of the other brands (e.g. Citroen/Peugeot) off similar sports versions?

You questions in one thread please.
There is allready a Impreze WRC thread

http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114730

[Daniel]

AFAIK the WRX STI is the only road version of the cars that participate in the WRC that is a (true) sports car?

I heard it accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.6 sec... Do any of the other brands (e.g. Citroen/Peugeot) off similar sports versions?
I think you need to grasp the concept of the WRCar to make sense of it all. A WRCar is basically just a road car body with a fair bit of freedom to make changes. A 206 GTi is only a turbo and 4wd away from about the same as a WRX but the WRX itself is a mile away from a WRCar. This is not like when you could buy a Legacy Turbo or Celica GT4 and just bolt some bits on and add a cage and you were close enough to a Group A car. A WRCar has very few parts from the original car. It has door handles, light housings and sometimes shares panels with the road car too. Other than that it's a purpose built rally car. They don't even have to have the same engine size as the road car.

An STI is closer to a Group N car.

Anyway to answer your other question Mitsubishi has always offered the Evo which offers roughly the same performance as the STI.

The homologation versions for current WRCars as as follows
Citroen C4 WRC - Citroen C4 VTS fwd 2L NA engine in road car (2L turbo in rally car)
Ford Focus WRC - Ford Focus ST FWD 2.5L turbo engine in road car (2L turbo in WRCar)
Subaru Impreza WRC - Subaru Impreza WRX STI (Could be the standard WRX but I think it's the STI) AWD 2.5L turbo in road car (2L turbo in WRCar)

[needmorespeed]

A WRCar is basically just a road car body with a fair bit of freedom to make changes.

Daniel, thanks so much for the detailed answer :)

[cougarrange]

While I agree with Daniel's response and acknowledge the great differences between WRC cars and their roadgoing and Group N relatives (such as $50,000+ sequential transmissions, etc.) it is true that the STi and the Evo are the only roadgoing relatives that share the basic package of high HP turbo motors, all wheel drive, and (in the case of the STi) long travel strut suspension. A roadgoing STi can be converted to Group N spec with mostly bolt-on parts, and as rally stage times show, the Group N cars are about 10% behind the WRC cars on gravel. The front wheel drive, relatively low HP road cars from Peugeot, Citroen, and Ford would not even be close.

[SubaruNorway]

Might be an Focus ST AWD on the way maybe, as it's basicly only to throw on the Volvo AWD system.

[Daniel]

Might be an Focus ST AWD on the way maybe, as it's basicly only to throw on the Volvo AWD system.
It would possibly be called a Cosworth if they did it and I doubt they will :)

[cougarrange]

[quote="Daniel"] A 206 GTi is only a turbo and 4wd away from about the same as a WRX but the WRX itself is a mile away from a WRCar."

I guess it depends on one's perspective, but seeing how well the Group N STi's do in stage times despite having far less torque, no trick gearboxes and diffs, more weight, and less strength than the WRC cars, I would say a 206 GTi is "a mile away" from a Group N WRX and the WRC is 10% more capable than the Group N.

[Daniel]

A 206 GTi is only a turbo and 4wd away from about the same as a WRX but the WRX itself is a mile away from a WRCar."

I guess it depends on one's perspective, but seeing how well the Group N STi's do in stage times despite having far less torque, no trick gearboxes and diffs, more weight, and less strength than the WRC cars, I would say a 206 GTi is "a mile away" from a Group N WRX and the WRC is 10% more capable than the Group N.
Yes but you're comparing a road car to a rally car. Compare a S1600 to Group N car on tarmac and the difference is a little different. Like I said a STI is still a way away from a Group N