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Quinn also tweeted this...
#Ecoboost made in Wales, tuned by @MSportLtd and @FordRacing , rallied around the world by @ElfynEvans #welshpride
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4kprQ7IAAAcpBI.jpg:large
Maybe he's getting more enthusiasm for Ford rallying again ?
At least we have a guy who wants what the fans want... :DQuote:
Originally Posted by EstWRC
'"It's too early to have hybrids in rallying. We have discussed introducing different sizes of engines by controlling the fuel flow and this kind of thing, but it's so expensive and unreliable at this stage - it's too early for this as well.
"We will see conventional cars, an evolution of what we have now."
He admitted that his preference had been for further-reaching change.
"I would like a revolution. I always start these meetings by saying I would like to see a silhouette car with 600bhp and then it goes quiet..." said Mahonen.
Could they perhaps have their own in house developed engine ready already for the start of the season?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Weirdly, a hybrid may be an easy way to get there using Porsche, McLaren and BMW as examples of that direction.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
You're saying that to the guy who spectates 30 events per year on all surfaces in all possible championships. I guess he knows what he likes ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by janvanvurpa
Anyway do You find this nice to watch? Just asking :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wj-WX-h5B4
This video is nearly completely taken on the official spectator points.
Here is what You get on the same rally when You walk deep in the forests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfc5yUVAlWw
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
Mirek I am saying that it is rather silly to say "somebody "doesn't understand" something if they say they don't like it" And I say the opposite is possible: they understand something, therefore they don't like it.
If he like tarmac, OK....
And come on You have to admit that the tarmac you have in Barum Rally and some other Czech rallies is not what most tarmac---or what most people think of when they refer to tarmac events..
You guys are simply insane...
You have different types of tarmac, you have different types of gravel. Not all tarmac events are boring, not all gravel events are funny. Somebody prefers gravel, somebody prefers tarmac, somebody likes both...Quote:
Originally Posted by janvanvurpa
Yeah, we can always post examples of what we personally like. A good example of spectacular gravel video:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDRkHXMHqFo
I know, I know, this is Finland after all and the car here is in veeeeery different league of nowadays, as big as airplane and just as powerful.
But I think janvanvurpa's point was You can't tell anyone what he likes and what not, people are different. I also like the tarmac Rallies in my country, especially in my home region, well nowadays they're nowhere, but the events themselves can be harldy blamed for that. I also like Lukyanuk driving on Baltic stages with evo, blame me for that, but I don't think he is that spectacular on asphalt with R5. People are different, events are different. I personally enjoy what is spectacular, regardless of surface, country, championship, etc, etc.
So, master, could you tell us what "most people" think of when they refer to tarmac events? I think there's the answer to why I'm saying that people who think tarmac is boring know nothing about it. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by janvanvurpa
it really doesn't matter on what surface a rally is, or which cars are used. it's the drivers that make the difference.
put the top wrc drivers in a r1 car on asphalt, and they will be more exiting to watch than gentleman-drivers in a wrc on gravel.
I like them both,but i believe its easier to find a good place on tarmac.this is because even to a medium corner a rallycar can achieve high speeds which is imposible to gravel.when i go to gravel i try to watch fast technical corners but its not the easiest thing since its difficult to find them.
Of course if i have to choose between an insane gravel corner or an insane tarmac corner i will choose the gravel one.
World Rally Blog @WorldRallyBlog 17 λεπτάΠριν από 17 λεπτά
Five days from now, @Opel will announce their motor sport programme details for 2015, 2016 and 2017. Includes news concerning rallying!
I dont have high expectations from opel when we talk about rallying.
Bellow is the entire 2014 asphalt season of ERC. As ERC is primarily an asphalt championship, tell me please which one of them is that which people usually refer to when speaking about asphalt.Quote:
Originally Posted by janvanvurpa
Austria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ANoqgKU4GQ
Northern Ireland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzMcjmYD8cA
Belgium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1IrIMdyjdY
Czech Republic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tls0YxlpfE8
Switzerland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSFM8iCMW7c
Corsica: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4ZIDe3i_Ro
Mirek those links to vids you ported were great.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
The roads were narrow, bumpy, curvy, tricky and the guys were on the gas...and you can see ACTION.
Much asphalt is perfectly smooth, the cars don't do anything, they just drive around---until they spin or lock the brakes and slide off..
I like seeing things happen....if I wanted to watch slot cars, I would watch slot cars...
When I say you guys (in Czecho) are crazy I mean that in the good way...as in "Look at dat sheet, mon! Dem guys are crazy (fast, sideways, on the gas)(whatever) But the piccie a few pages back of somebody saying "I like tarmac cars cause they so low " or whatever..look at the photo. It could be a still shot of a car standing still. No action..
Your Czech stuff: cool, cars doing nothing, not cool.
Howzat?
I just wanted to tell You that it's not a rule that asphalt events are smooth and circuit-like. That's why I put videos from all asphalt events of ERC. If smooth, wide and boring roads were somewhat standard for asphalt events they would have to create a significant part of largely asphalt championship however it's not like that. In my opinion events like Catalunya are more an exception than the rule. Even in Spain there are extremely spectacular asphalt roads. For example in the IRC/ERC there used to be Rallye Principe Asturias which had great stages (Nord-West of Spain). Also most of asphalt rallies in France have nicer stages than Alsace.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nafpaktos
For now they have a few european one-make cups in R2 class ;)
The truth is gravel looks better on TV and on still images. Plus manufacteurs can say their cars are able to endure very hard gravel roads, that's good for marketing.
What marketing would that be? Apart from the odd VW advert I can't remember seeing much, certainly not in recent years. I actually thought the Manufacturers wanted more Tarmac as it's more 'road relevant', to use that dreaded phrase.Quote:
Originally Posted by Francis44
Marketing people, no offense to them, quite often don't know what they want. Manufactures just want the titles.
Who drives their (shiny, brand new) car on gravel ? I doubt anyone who buys a Polo, Fiesta, DS3 etc.
OK so the car may be portrayed as 'tough and reliable' but I think anyone watching rallies is more interested in performance...
The Dakar may sell a manufacturers 4x4, but WRC gravel rallies dont sell fwd hatches.
Drifting well of topic but I dont think motorsport success directly sells cars, it helps with brand awareness and stuff but direct car sales? I doubt it affects them, has anyone figures of VW Polo sales over the last 10 years?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
Actually I just found european figures and the Polo had its worst years sales since ages ago in 2013( the figures went back to 1997 and sales were nearly double 2013s figures then)
Doesn't brand/model awareness help with direct car sales ?
I'm pretty sure that rallying had very positive effect for some manufacturers and especially for Škoda. Even though their WRC was never able to fight with the top teams they proved they were not some cheap garbage from the east by taking the gamble in 1998. The stock Octavia was a huge success which started new era of the brand. The WRC campaign sure helped it. Last week Škoda communicated some numbers from this year which is going to be the most successful for the brand in the whole history and I do believe that the great success of Fabia S2000 helped their growth into one of the most important carmakers in Europe. I'm of course aware that the most important was the VW policy towards Škoda but that's for another topic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
Skoda VW was the big difference between Octavia and the previous models. I recognise that brand awareness/image can be helped immensely by motorsport, Skoda you have mentioned and even back in the 80s they used motorsport and clever targetting of the smaller classes to get recognised for their tough/durable cars. Subaru utterly transformed their image through the 90s with rallying. Audi and Peugeot too have over time done good things for their image with rallying.
Hyundia I think will too, actually I think of all currently involved in WRC they are the one who can benefit, VW really IMHO have nothing to get, thay have come and done what was expected of them, impressive? Yes of course, has it changed anyones opinion of the brand? I'd very much doubt it.
Mr N.O.T. that is always the plan, its hard to prove.
This is just a rumor and I am starting it.
Bryan Bouffier will drive number 20 car for Hyundai Motorsport N team at Rally Monte Carlo 2015. He led Monte 2014 for 6 stages and had a lead of over 30 seconds at lunchtime service on day 2 last year. He finished the 2014 Monte on the podium in second place.
So the theory goes - but I'm not sure it actually applies.Quote:
Originally Posted by N.O.T
It may be doubtful with established brands like VW but it for sure helps a lot for newcomers or expanding smaller brands as Nornbugger pointed out.
How many of you have a car that is related to WRC or rallying in any way? I do not and I will not - though my wife has had two (Fiesta and now Polo).Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyRAC
Maybe this topic (motorsport and car sales) should be separated to a new thread.
But to answer Jonkka's question. Out of the three I've had only one marque has rallying history, tho that model hasn't/isn't used. And the marque success wasn't decisive when picking it.
But regarding the whole brand awareness I agree with Nornbugger.
It's much more about keeping the brand on the eyes of people as long as possible (and in positive light). For example people from Škoda were very happy about IRC Monte Carlo editions when they had virtually dozens of hour on the Eurosport for a whole week in January when most of motorsport championships are sleeping and people therefore follow RMC. For same reason they have been a partner of long-lasting live events such as Tour de France or World ice hockey championship. Actually the goal in my opinion is to make people who start to think about new car to visit your garage as first. Sure a lot of people will not stay in the first one but certainly the first one will sell the most and that's why it's important to be on the eyes.Quote:
Originally Posted by jonkka
Remember the years of Citroen sales success in the decade of Loeb driving the Xsara and C4... :confused:
Cant remember the last time I saw either of them on the road and the main sales in the UK were with the Picasso, not exactly a sports car. :D
well F1 cars are driven by girls and followed by overweight crowds in stupid hats and they look like nothing you can buy from the manufacturers involved but the investment there is huge... motorsports is a way for the manufacturers to say "look what we can do" "look what we can achieve" "now go buy a 1.2 litre car than does 1000 miles to the gallon"... the correlation to the sales is not direct but it does affect them.
nobody is going to buy the C4 because Loeb raped some sick dogs for years and years... but when the discussion about what car you are going to buy comes up and citroen is within your shortlist you will definately mention their experience in rallying..Quote:
Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC
I remember when petter won in 2003, subaru norway upped theire sale with 40% the year after. It has to be with the rallything to do:)
Correlation F1 and car sales is almost nothing that is why F1 didn't make sense many years. Due to connection Le Mans cars and the new techniques on road cars and its growing popularity, F1 is in panic now. A lot. Hyundai and Toyota returning back to World Rallying does say a lot; they have a reason for that and of corse it has a lot to do with car sales directly and indirectly. They know what they do, no forummers / amatures like we are :)
Of course the story of Subaru is something unique. The whole product branding was built around rallying. You must also keep in mind that back then the economic circumstances were better for buying such a car, I can't believe that something like what Subaru was in the 2000's is still possible today..Quote:
Originally Posted by skarderud
From my info rallying does have some impact. For example some time ago I heard that in Belgium Skoda had something like 3,5% market share, while in "rally-regions" (such as the region of Ypres) the market share was up to 5%. However you can't clearly say if rallying is the main influence, it could be because of better dealerships as well. ;) In magazines and on billboards rallying has been used as well here. Especially in car-magazines the big advertising pages are often filled with a rallycar. For example Peugeot BeLux took big advantage of the popularity of Neuville's IRC Program in 2011 for sure the victories in both Corsica and San Remo helped a lot with that. Also Skoda Belgium used the victories of Freddy Loix in Ypres for their advertising. Now in Hyundai dealerships you can see life-size Neuville and Gilsoul in cardboard. For sure some manufacturers exploit rallying, which is good. Advertising is often about being creative, and displaying a rallycar probably draws more attention than the 1000th typical front-side photo of an every-day car.
tweet from Hayden Paddon
"Tonight from 6.40pm on @TV3nz sports news, we will be able to tell you about our 2015 plans"
Hayden is referring to NZ time. It will be 5.40am UK time 6.40am CET
TV3 is one of our main network news programs. I would expect between 3 & 5 minutes on Hayden amongst all the other news. If anyone is interested is seeing the announcement live the following link will be streaming
http://www.3news.co.nz/Video/3NewsLiveStream
Audi would have been nothing today if not for the Quattro-concept in rallying, back in the beginning of 80īs. Before that one was laughing at the brand AUDI or (Auto-union).