Greensmith says the speed of the new Puma Rally1 really shocked him... and this after driving the '17 car for a few years.
Printable View
Greensmith says the speed of the new Puma Rally1 really shocked him... and this after driving the '17 car for a few years.
Well I get that the looks and some parts can be different. But at least engine and hybrid unit can't be different (hybrid is same for everyone and engine was homologated in the summer). So Adamo is exaturating as always.
Incredible spin by Adamo on the new car.
They really have been still testing with a true mule right up until now, something M-Sport finished doing 6 months ago. Now Adamo says they have designed a brand new car (finally !) as if its a great achievement.
But that will need testing on real roads which others have also been doing for months. They're really going to be up against it to have a fully-tested, reliable fast car by Monte Carlo.
Other people may have eyes, but if all they're looking at / reading is PR or carefully managed interviews, they're not really seeing anything at all.
It's all a smokescreen. Diversion. Don't get me wrong, I respect what Adamo is trying to do, and I'd be doing the same in his position. Underplaying his hand, lowering expectations, making everyone think Hyundai are on the back foot. Takes the pressure off for Monte - if the car wins, amazing! If it fails, oh well, they were so far behind.
But based on what I see and read from elsewhere, that's no mule they've been testing. At least, it sure as hell isn't an i20 Coupe with a suit on. It has the proper cage, or at least a first version of it - how else would the co-drivers have sampled the new seating position / know how warm it gets with the new exhaust routing?
We may see a car with different bodywork / aero. But the idea that only now are they starting to test fundamental chassis concepts? Never in a million years.