WRC Testing

[dimviii]

Sounds like VW have cooked something engine wise, massive hissss in this clip.

maybe video microphone.

[Toyoda]

maybe video microphone.

Hissy in this also

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i-cwgyrAsX4

Other observations are less tail happy than hyundai, they (Hyundai )may still not have solved the grip issue, also traction aid or shudder under acceleration on the vw is more pronounced? Just speculation on the footage, take my comments with a grain of salt

[Andre Oliveira]

My source says otherwise...

VOLKSWAGEN WRC: Super photo of @SebOgier testing the 2017 @VolkswagenRally Polo WRC in Portugal 🇵🇹 📷 André Trigo https://t.co/GcOTEeyBmn

Ogier for sure

[itix]

I think we are attaching too much value to the aerodynamics... I don't think they are as important as we think they are. Even a formula one car can't actually generate much downforce until they reach 120 plus, and that is towards a smooth track.

Rally cars rarely reach above 150 and the number of smooth asphalt events is quite limited. Having small unsprung weight and a well sorted suspension is much more important in my eyes.

Even though the Hyundai is the least aero focused car it doesn't mean it will be slow...

The Peugeot 205 beat the competition from start without having any aero at all.

[N.O.T]

I think we are attaching too much value to the aerodynamics... I don't think they are as important as we think they are. Even a formula one car can't actually generate much downforce until they reach 120 plus, and that is towards a smooth track.

Rally cars rarely reach above 150 and the number of smooth asphalt events is quite limited. Having small unsprung weight and a well sorted suspension is much more important in my eyes.

Even though the Hyundai is the least aero focused car it doesn't mean it will be slow...

The Peugeot 205 beat the competition from start without having any aero at all.

make sure you communicate this to the teams, they spend money for no reason on aero R&D all these years while the answer is simple.

[Atob WRC]

Here our video from Hyundai Gravel Tests at Costa Brava!!

Strange that John Kennard is not at codriver seats, and his place it´s occupied by Seb Marshall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6dRhlMMuFc

[TWRC]

I think we are attaching too much value to the aerodynamics... I don't think they are as important as we think they are. Even a formula one car can't actually generate much downforce until they reach 120 plus, and that is towards a smooth track.

Rally cars rarely reach above 150 and the number of smooth asphalt events is quite limited. Having small unsprung weight and a well sorted suspension is much more important in my eyes.

Even though the Hyundai is the least aero focused car it doesn't mean it will be slow...

The Peugeot 205 beat the competition from start without having any aero at all.

To be fair, in the beginning of the 205's victory parade it came up against bad, undriveable Audis and 2WD Lancias and Renaults, who themselves had very little aero as well. Later that changed (and the 205 still won, so I'm not trying to devalue its worth). But regarding the aero's importance, is it only on tarmac that they reach those speeds (Finland, Poland, etc jump to mind)? Also, F1 is entirely different at every possible level, so using that as a marker might be misleading IMO.

[Sardalense]

My source says otherwise...

VOLKSWAGEN WRC: Super photo of @SebOgier testing the 2017 @VolkswagenRally Polo WRC in Portugal 🇵🇹 📷 André Trigo https://t.co/GcOTEeyBmn

I was there since the begining and saw Marcus doing the recce for the stage, so since early morning I was pretty sure who was the driver

[dimviii]

Mikkelsen
https://youtu.be/IMifUFDN8Gc

[janvanvurpa]

Rally cars rarely reach above 150 and the number of smooth asphalt events is quite limited. Having small unsprung weight and a well sorted suspension is much more important in my eyes.

Always remember this: the problem on gravel is grip.
Grip for simple "ax" (as in bilen axar ut från kurvan bra)
Grip for braking
Grip for cornering

Whole point of aero is to increase grip. It CAN easily creat down force at average speeds around 100 km/hr..

The problem is if you make it so it increases downfrorce and thus grip at 100 km/hr then it will cost a lotta speed higher up..
Example back to the late 80s..Opel Kadett E model..Great car in the GSI model with GMs wonderful 2,0 XE 16v..
Its a clean car aerodynamically..
Put it on a flat section of motorway and it took only about 7+8hp to drive down the road at 100 km/hr...
but to run that same clean car to 210 km/hr it takes all 150 hk it makes.*
Air Resistance goes up at some cube function..

So make aero work at "average SS sped" of 100 km/hr and you better have LOTS of power or it costs ax and top speed.

Another simple example is "Big Wing" Escort Cosworth vesus no wing Escort Cosworth..
Big Wing cars went 225 km/hr top speed.
No wing cars did 246..

Todays cars are little bitty 1600cc engines...
You could say that's barely 8% smaller than old GpB 205.. but they had a 44mm restrictor...vesus a tiny little thing now...They also had turbos that look like it came off a 6 liter turbo diesel truck...
They could afford to trade some downforce at SS average speed because they had abundant power.

No sure how much excess power todays things have with limits on intake valve size, turbine and compressor wheel limited and the engine volume limited.


*these figures were straight from an old friend Ola Strömberg in Örebro who did a few events in a GpA version. He might know something, especially coming from all those years in the very aero Saabs..