WRC main class in 2025

[Thousandlakes]

I can say that I am total petrolhead first of all. I have been following rallying since little kid in early 80`s. Watched live group B cars in Rally of the Thoudandlkes since 1982. Actually I was there every year 1982-2013. 2013 was little turning point cause I found rallying little boring. That time 2011-16 top level cars was so lame with(1.6litres /33m restrictors). not enough speed, less power and lame sound etc. marshalls put spectators far from road etc. Whole atmosphere and feeling was littlebit gone. Rallying goes wrong way my point of view. When 2017 cars came and I was happy again. Start to follow rallies more again.

Lately I started to think that rallying future could be fully electric. Let me explain: My eureka moment was this summer when I tested really fast EV car. It was mind blowing. Acceleration with instant torque was something amazing. I have been driving fast turbo cars so have something to compare. But anyway I personally started to think that petrol cars future is over sooner or later. Many of us dont want say it loud but main brands is going to make only fully elecric cars in the future like BMW, MB, Volvo, Kia and many others also. I dont take a stand and I dont have idea is this green transistion good at all. I dont have any competence for that. Another turning point was Hayden Paddons Ev Kona project. Watching many videos about it and see that car very developable. I wanted to go outside of box and give a change for electricity even it hurts me as a old rally fan. Really miss that loud group B cars.

Of course there is this sound "problem" What they can do for that sound? I am sure that artificially can create very nice rally car sounds with all the bangs and etc. I think it is not rocket science. I am ready to compromise anyway if we get more manus and more drivers in main class anyway. But sound thing can be solved one way or another. Imagine how nice sounds can create by these small speakers nowadays.

I can easily think that manufactors can be interested to make fully electric rally cars (lets call them eWRC=electronic world rally car). This can start new era of rallying. Rallying come once again as pioneering of this car industry globally. We remenber Audi and its 4x4 early 80`Can say that they were pioneering 4x4 tech and many manus follow after. What is Audi and other 4X4 cars nowadays without this pioneering in 80`Can just quess? Which car brands we can see? Who could be interested. Lets say car manus which already start to make ev cars and want to do and create new markets, new image with this new ev cars. Or manus which are thinking to go deeply in that business in fthe future. And what about chinese brands? Potential is huge. Rally can be again playground for different manus to show of their new ev technology etc. We remember 205 in midlle of 80`s. Can you imagine Peugeot e-208 as EV world rally car with huge spoilers and etc. 205 model sales exploded after it came to rally roads.

What can be specs of the cars?: If I can wish there is +500hp. Hopefully more +600hp. Rule could be that Electric motor have to make manufactor itself. There should be very open rules. Let them be visionnary as much they can be. Create something wild. Battery can come at one manufactor and could be limited like 60-80kwh. This means that electeric motor cant be take too much power. So technology plays very important role that how manus can create best electric motor which using less electic. Battery can be manus own also if it creates more pioneering and new ideas.

Rallies can change little also: They can create new remote stations where car can be charged. Lets say they have to drive two stages until new charging is possible. Nowadays cars can be charged full in less than 30mins and if batteries are 70kwh it can be 20 mins if fast charhing be used like (Kempower) has here in Finland. Can even change tires every two stages in same spot. Who say that fixing the cars could be also possible in this charging areas. How to move and create this charging areas cannot say on my exprience. Manufactors can have moving trucks which has batteries inside? or organiser make them ready to each rally? Routes can be in larger areas and spectators can follow charging and fixing the cars and ofcourse see drivers aswell. Remember old times when car fixed in someones backyard midlle of nowhere. Rally dont need to be so clinical as it is now with these service parks. Ofcourse need that also but remote services can be nice idea again.

As a huge rally fan I really want see this sport glorious as it was before and one way is go fully electric. I can be wrong but something has to be done. we have only 3 manus left and future looks not good if one of manus quit or manus lost interest cause these questionable hybrid rules. I havent heard that new manus are coming? We have only 10-12 drivers and lets say 3-5 top drivers. We desperately need more manus and more drivers. There is many many good drivers who dont have a seat and they certainly belong in top level. Many Finnish ones at least

I have so many other ideas but have to stop now and If you read until here I am very happy. Hopefully I can get some appropriate feedback. I dont want to hear that electric cars is no future. We have to respect the sport and give it change to chance even it hurts.

ps. I am ready to take WRC2 as a mainclass if FIA allow 34-35mm restrictors and a little bit more wings.

[Sulland]

The rallysport is sick.
Having a system where money and not talent deciding who will get the few seats at the top level is not logical and healthy.

We need a top class where we at least have 20 cars in Rally1.
Remove Hybrid, it is a dead end. No production cars have this, so no gain.

As said by others, open up for sale of last years cars to privat teams.

That, or cut Rally1 as it is now, and make Rally1 as a Rally2+.
With a bit more aero and a bit bigger restrictor.

The world is in a recession, costs need to come down a lot!!

[ictus]

Remove Hybrid, it is a dead end. No production cars have this, so no gain.

No hybrid production cars you say... ever heard of... I don't know, a Prius maybe?

[skarderud]

Several hybrids around, but thats as dead as the rally1 hybrid. Shortlived.

Rally2+ is the only path, maybe even to skip the manu involvement as todays level, they don't need to decide whos gonna build a car for rally.

Sent fra min SM-S901B via Tapatalk

[Sulland]

No hybrid production cars you say... ever heard of... I don't know, a Prius maybe?

Could have been better pinpointed. Many different versions of hybrids on the market.
Are there any prod cars where the hybrid gives a boost as in a Rally1 car?

[WRCStan]

Could have been better pinpointed. Many different versions of hybrids on the market.
Are there any prod cars where the hybrid gives a boost as in a Rally1 car?

With a tubular chassis.

[drive]

Have you seen in 'live' rally1 v rally2 cars on one place or just youtube.. or just local rally where rally2 cars looks great?
I'm big fan, in local rallies R5 makes a very good impression, but on every wrc round (this year I've seen 5) after rally1 cars goes through we just go to other spot to see or hear at least rally1 cars, but not rally2... because r5 looks'sounds boring after wrc cars, even if they driven by gryazin, mikelsen.... its like comparing apples and oranges...

[er88]

R5s have always sounded pretty boring. When s2000 started becoming the new group N in the late noughties, the sport exploded. IRC grew and grew, and I'd say overtook the WRC. The cars obviously had slighty better performance than group N subarus and mitsubishis, but when you stood in a forest there was a world of difference.

The 17 cars and now the rally1s have the pure spectacle, can hear them from miles away and also have the speed. R5s don't have the spectacle to be the top class without big tweaks. S2000s would've done back in the early 2010s, and that was reflected by how strong the IRC was and how many fans watched / attended.

[SubaruNorway]

Could have been better pinpointed. Many different versions of hybrids on the market.
Are there any prod cars where the hybrid gives a boost as in a Rally1 car?

Most of them, even the mild hybrid unless the engine only works as a generator like in the Prodrive developed Ford Custom with a 1L ecoboost.

[Oraamat]

Could have been better pinpointed. Many different versions of hybrids on the market.
Are there any prod cars where the hybrid gives a boost as in a Rally1 car?

Point isnt hybrid boost in roadlegal cars? Hybrid is just one way to somehow use WRC as marketing. Manus were using WRC to sell their brand and their road version cars of those rallycars Imbreza STI, Evo, Focus RS etc. Today there isnt models to sell with the help of WRC and it gets just more and more pointless to throw manus money. Only one Yaris GR, but that came to life more like thanks to WRC. And as many car manus have hybrid in their lineup, its only logical to try to use hybrid in WRC to somehow use WRC in marketing and to maybe atract new manus to it.