Agreed, I don't see any good reason for which Rally 2 cars require manufacturer approval. I suppose they could request a certain number of cars to be built and sold with a price cap to avoid homologation specials, but other than that it seems the WRC keeps screwing itself over. In my opinion a more open approach will bring more variety, more competition and lift the championship interest. The key is healthy competition. Look at GT3, TCR, BTCC.