2010 Cars, teams, drivers

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Originally Posted by Simmi

All these so called manufacturers joining is a clever bit of marketing I must say by IRC/Eurosport. But the fact people get sucked in by it (especially on the forum) is amusing to me. It is a complete smokescreen making something out of nothing.

To stack up the numbers to make it appear like the IRC has 7 more manufacturers than the WRC is laughable to me, when in fact really manufacturers are signing up as simply a token gesture to their customers - not because they truely want to be a part of the IRC.

The only real aces the IRC holds are works Skoda, semi-works Proton and the ever diminishing Kronos Peugeot efforts.

All of these cars will compete on the WRC this year. But the WRC at least wont blackmail them into a sham of a signing up process in order to ensure tv coverage and points - then market their series off the back of it. It speaks volumes Ford have registered as M-Sport, and when you look at RalliArt too it is like one forumer said, they are making up the rules as they go along.

So like I said - clever bit of marketing but am I supposed to get excited that Subaru/Renault/M-Sport etc have literally signed a scrap of paper to let their cars (that would have been there anyway) score points? That's hardly the endorsment of the IRC that they would have you believe.

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I do see what you're saying, but to join the main WRC you also have to sign up and I think pay too.

Fact of the matter is there are still only two real manufacturers in WRC and I don't see Eurosport's practice as worse than the pretend teams we have in WRC (Stobart, Munchis..)

At least those in IRC are actually car manufacturers!

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Originally Posted by RS

I do see what you're saying, but to join the main WRC you also have to sign up and I think pay too.

Fact of the matter is there are still only two real manufacturers in WRC and I don't see Eurosport's practice as worse than the pretend teams we have in WRC (Stobart, Munchis..)

At least those in IRC are actually car manufacturers!

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Not really, M-Sport registered to get point for the Fiesta, Ralliart registered to get points for the Mitsu's...

But yes, more manufacturers and tuners then WRC ....

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Originally Posted by RS

I do see what you're saying, but to join the main WRC you also have to sign up and I think pay too.

Fact of the matter is there are still only two real manufacturers in WRC and I don't see Eurosport's practice as worse than the pretend teams we have in WRC (Stobart, Munchis..)

At least those in IRC are actually car manufacturers!

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Yeah I take this point too. There are two real manufacturers in the WRC but I'd say there's probably really two in the IRC too. At best. It depends how you classify these semi-works efforts. How much mustard is really behind Proton for example? The Peugeot effort seems to survive on the whims of national dealer funding. The IRC has the names of real manufacturers but I don't see these teams putting in real manufacturer efforts. Just Skoda.

I suppose it is the marketing perspective that irks me. Making out that you have all the Japanese giants on board when really it is just a few privateers. I see the Stobart/Munchi's etc as a problem but I think WRC had to do something to allow more than two entries on the manu leaderboard. At least they aren't making out they have multiple works presences in their series. The IRC had to do something too so I suppose - it is just indicative of the problems rallying finds itself in.

French motoring tuner RDM Moteurs announced in their press release that they started to develop Punto S2000 engine. The question is now who ordered that engine? Is it for Abarth, for some private team or their own initiative to offer their engines to team running Puntos? In any case they proved to be able of making good and reliable S2000 units with 207 S2000.

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Originally Posted by 'Mirek Fric [Cze

]French motoring tuner RDM Moteurs announced in their press release that they started to develop Punto S2000 engine. The question is now who ordered that engine? Is it for Abarth, for some private team or their own initiative to offer their engines to team running Puntos? In any case they proved to be able of making good and reliable S2000 units with 207 S2000.

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Very good news, and this might do wonders for the used market for GP S2000, for people to continue to use them in international rallies !

Will more cars than Ford and Skoda come with 1820 mm to Monte ?

Skoda won't come to Monte with 1820 mm wide car. They will use it only later in the season. Probably since Brasil.

Wilks' Skoda UK programme confirmed: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80798

On this website portuguese www.supermotores.net, I found this picture:

http://www.supermotores.net/images/n...eugeotbmmm.jpg

looks like a winners car ;)