First test of the Rallye Polo R WRC - YouTube
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Now we need more manufacturers.
Some sounds sound like the Impreza WRC S5 for sure the first seconds of the video of Rally MAD
From this video angles of dampers and position of suspension anchor points look same like in Fabia, so I was wrong in my assumption from previous video when I thought it must be very different.Quote:
Originally Posted by mousti
We need more manufacturers to make cars available to normal human beings with some of the characteristics of these fun little cars, like uprights and hubs and driveshafts and wheelarches to accommodate suspension movement...Quote:
Originally Posted by Barreis
And gearboxes.
Only way to do that is by rules mandating bigger series of specialty parts.
Otherwise the separation between the car and the fan continue to become oceans wide like it has since the "World Rally Car" subset of GpA came on the scene.
And us liking a rally car vs a touring car vs a F! car is a mere whim of personal taste.
Oh boy how I already like this car. What a great sound! Welcome back Audi ... errmm... VW!
No wonder it looked like having lots of power, I've heard some rumours about restrictor...
the anti lag sound reminds me of early 90s gr A cars, especially celica st185
what about th restrictos? you suggest they run it with wider or no restrictor atm?
Or a "Special" restrictor, like 1995 :D ?Quote:
Originally Posted by makinen_fan
The 555 anti lag is also a bit alike :)Quote:
Originally Posted by makinen_fan
I don't think there will be anymore announcements this year. Maybe next year someone will be brave?Quote:
Originally Posted by Barreis
I was quite optimistic this time last year - now I'm not. I still think that the new car regs are too expensive - and the returns in media, etc aren't good enough. Add the new WEC Sportscar World Championship....Manufacturers have a series that is more 'road relevant', with varying levels of technology, diesel/petrol hybrids, etcQuote:
Originally Posted by Plan9
That's interesting. I thought that touring cars were fading out a bit; just like the WRC! I think that F1 massive calendars have been a bit of a problem for any series that is not as easy to package to the media. It will be interesting to see if WRC gets bigger calendars in the years ahead. After all VW has deep market penetration worldwide! It will also be interesting to see if IRC/ERC becomes the GP2 of the rally world (i.e each year we will be blessed with a new gravel Vettel wannabe).Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
Lastly, I think that for Mikkelsens generation of drivers it will be make or brake for world rallying as well (I hope he wins IRC this year as it may introduce a new market).
Well i think im with you on this. I still think its a turn in the right direction for the WRC, as i said Jean Todt should be an ideal person to bring it forward. BUt your right, with crap TV covage and media, it dose not matter how many manufactors there are.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
And as a WEC fan, then that is going in the right direction, and seems to be atracting the manufactures at the moment.
Mikkelsen a dead cert for a VW seat now?
Carlos Sainz testing in the video above right? Has to be!
Any news on what VW will do next year? I'm hoping they might stop messing around with random Germans and take 2 or 3 good drivers to WRC with the Fabia to learn the rallies for 2013 (Mikkelsen, Neuville, Hanninen)
oh dear, do you still think they will choose one of those germans for the 1st or 2nd seat? they want a german, shure, but there is none(german rallye scene is probably one of the worst in whole europe), so they need to build up one. this will 90% be young wiegand, he´s already faster then riedemann with almost zero experience. it´s pretty shure yet he will drive the fabia at least once more next year. dont expect him to be on top level before 2014(if he will ever be at all), so if he gets a seat, then in a 3rd or 4th car. all other germans to be considered have been tested or could be observed anyway, like gassner jr. or wallenwein and herbold, all seem not to be the big talents...they will defenetly choose 2 top drivers, that is shure. maybe ogier and if ford ends theyre wrc engagement they could pick up latvala. also rumours about neuville and mikkelsen for 2nd seat, but neuville might also stick to psa. lemes, weijs and abbring also have shown a very good performace and i´m quite shure they will test a view more drivers next year on the fabia too.
No, I don't - which is why I wanted to see them running some or all of the other 3 I mentioned on a more permanent basis next year.Quote:
Originally Posted by darkstar
ok, ok ;) yes me too, i hope they will choose neuville, i think he´s a very very big talent. rumours said he should drive swrc and irc with skoda. that would be perfect.
Good on tarmac but gravel?!
did you miss cyprus and scotland? he has almost no gravel experience (7 rallyes on gravel including cyprus, 3rd rallye on gravel with s2000 at all) and was very fast. for me he´s the next big thing! this weekend again at condroz, he was on the absolute limit everywhere. just amazing!
Being fast and winner on gravel is a different thing. We'll se him next season.
shure...i bet he´ll beat mikkelsen and hännninen very soon, he has less experience and the worse car too. if he will be also on skoda he´ll be even faster.
I was a little critical of Wiegand getting the drive, but he acquitted himself very well - and considering his lack of Rallying experience. I wonder if they'll keep an eye on him, or maybe give him a Fabia for S-WRC/IRC National events in Germany to build up experience.Quote:
Originally Posted by darkstar
They may keep an eye on him but they better keep both eyes on Weijs and Abbring. As far as I can recall ( Dutch fans can correct me here) WRGB was not only KA's first 4wd event but also his first with Lara Vaneste as co-driver (Mombaerts now being with Van Merkestein). His pace on tarmac is great he looks to have the gravel ability too. Exciting times ahead.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
yes he was at least ok i would say. i think they will give him something to drive. german rallye magazin says he will probably do monte with the fabia:
Abbring und Wiegand überzeugen*:: rallye-magazin.de
last part of the text.
He debuted last year already with Lara in Hellendoorn last year. He continued rallying with her this year at Boucles de Spa and the rest of the rallies he started in France, only Ypres this year he did with Erwin.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mintexmemory
This is true, but what they need to learn to do isnt only on the stages, they need to learn to work the media etc, mainstream media is increasingly superficial, right now sports stars profiles are more likely to rise from their private/love lives than for their sporting ability(Beckham anyone?) Mikkelsen is a good looking lad, he need to dodge the odd days testing and start dating models/actresses etc if he wants to get really big.Quote:
Originally Posted by Plan9
Thanks. How is Lara rated (for her co-driving!) in Belgium?Quote:
Originally Posted by mousti
She is rated quite high by most drivers she was codriving for.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mintexmemory
And only 20 years old. A perfect duo like Neuville - Gilsoul.
Regardless, Abbring did what I expected, a great drive. Citroën should actually pick him up for some sort of program next year. He did very well for them in French gravel championship this year.
Good idea! also he should take some PR lessons from Ken Block and Lewis Hamilton!Quote:
Originally Posted by Nornbugger
I think the marketing aspect of WRC is crucial. I hate reading how the WRC has a passionate "but dwindling" fan base. What the hell does that even mean? Load of bollocks I reckon.
The question is will there be enough cars for all these people? I don't see how all these new driver could all possibly find a homeQuote:
Originally Posted by Josti
Surely Solberg will take the money and finish his career by sitting out the 2012 season to develop the VW? He has found himself in a lucky position with the other main contenders for the seat all committing themselves to other seats. It would be a wise move and would line his pockets after his expenses over the last few seasons and maybe set in place some building blocks for the Petter Solberg World Rally Team.
He also recently mentioned that he options in other forms of motorsport that he could take up for 2012 so the VW test job and a season in Global Rallycross would go well together.
Is he so luck after all? We have no idea that he will actually BE in VW AT ALL!! Everything that has come out about Petter and VW link-up has most been responses to the fandemonium that both these brands elicit from audiences.Quote:
Originally Posted by J4MES
What we know is that there are 2 VW seats and no suggestions coming from VW that they will be filled by anyone other than a German wunderkind. Not even Hanninen and Mikkelsen have had official confirmation yet. For all we know this could be the last we see of Petter sadly. If it came down to it Ogier could sit out the season if Ford does not commit. He is a far better future prospect at this stage I would think.
Global Rallycross would be fun for him but I think he would like something much more new like WTCC that may provide a fresh start.
WTCC - I hope not, that's a dead-duck series with even less prestige than the WRC.