WRC mainclass from 2027

[Steve Boyd]

The Alfa-Ferrari Andy Burton built before the Peugeot Cosworth was pretty spectacular also!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2rROTHn5y0

[focus206]

I really didn't, try quoting me! Anybody can build a road legal car to their own design at home, though as those 70s examples above and Group B (037, RS200) show is in spirit, I would love to step away from having to resemble 'touring cars' even if they had to be series-produced. If you think the R4 is a buggy, what do you think of those?

You wrote:
"But crucially for me, those types of consumer-series car names are not the future, there's no link anymore so why restrict it to them?"
"I made a list of 10 manufacturers of rally cars that'd be available for sale to the public (hypothetically). They'd all be manufacturers, manufacturing manufacturers' wares. You might say "but I can't buy one". Yes you could. "You don't see anybody driving them on the roads". How often do you see a Rally1/2/3/4/5 being driven?"

to which I asked you what you meant and if you could give me an example. You answered:
"How about a McRae R4 of today, space frame style."

Which is a buggy to me. The RS200 and the 037 are not buggies to me, they were sold to the (not so) general public as road cars. I don't find relevant if they fall into the touring or grand touring or whatever category.

You'll still watch it �� and it's probably what they want to achieve.

I wouldn't, and I think many fans would get sick pretty soon if there's a championship filled with buggies or protos or fantasy purpose-built cars. I think some fans prefer cars over show, others prefer show over cars.
Growing up, my rally fan classmates and friends loved cars and loved rallying because rally cars were based on road cars (group N, or the huge amount of small FWD French cars, etc) or at least there was a resemblance with the bodyshell like in WRC, racing on everyday town and country roads. Rally cars were not like single seaters, bunch of almost identical looking rockets on 4 wheels with different liveries. Of course, rallying is a great sport to spectate, so show mattered as well.
But to choose show over rally cars, no. You could guarantee to me that if we put Ogier, Neuville and Tanak on dirt bikes, we'd get a super exciting championship with lots of show, I still wouldn't care, I'm not enough of a motorbike fan. I'd rather see them drive Peugeot 106 N2 than a Red Bull buggy, and I'm positive many fans who like cars over show would also be disappointed to have many McRae R4-like cars in the championship. I watch them when I follow Dakar. Hopefully there's something inbetween.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

I remember the McRae R4 from an old rally game (DiRT 3) and never bothering to use it. It wasnt a 'proper car' nor had it been used in rallies by the drivers I admired.

If they went down this route I feel many would feel the same way. Plus if the existing star drivers didnt stay or retired this would also kill the viewership.

Rally cars have to have a road car connection, however vague, or it's just not a rally car.

[WRCStan]

For me Buggies are either for pushing young children in and built by Maclaren; or they're a bit bigger for a few adults, powered, and found on the beaches of 1960's California, the moon or a golf course. These usually have no/low sides, no windscreen/windows or rooves, have a high centre of gravity and do not make suitable or safe road-rally cars at all.

I'm not saying WRC2027 cars shouldn't have rules and be a free-for-all designs; the bodywork reference volumes were already decided and they could have been based on production road safety guidelines by prominent bodies. They must be fully closed with windscreens etc. There's your road car connection no? It's an idea that'll rule out the Audi buggy, moon buggy and the sofa. And probably the R4 is too small.

McRae had a plan to build a road legal car useful for various motorsport disciplines and for sale to the public. The only difference between this (being done now) and the Stratos, 037, RS200 is that he wouldn't have had to build a minimum number, and as stories go, neither did Lancia or Ford anyway so they're exactly the same car type. His was the most hideous looking car I've ever seen, but if Loeb turns up to Monte 27 in it, I'm watching.

If instead of WRC you want to see a rally series which has scores of production road car makes involved, with true 2027 road relevance; check out this series.

[focus206]

For me Buggies are either for pushing young children in and built by Maclaren; or they're a bit bigger for a few adults, powered, and found on the beaches of 1960's California, the moon or a golf course. These usually have no/low sides, no windscreen/windows or rooves, have a high centre of gravity and do not make suitable or safe road-rally cars at all.

Those are dune buggies. In Dakar and cross country rallies, these are called buggies (by everyone, not just by me):

As you can see, they're closed and have windscreens, but they're still called buggies by everyone.

McRae had a plan to build a road legal car useful for various motorsport disciplines and for sale to the public. The only difference between this (being done now) and the Stratos, 037, RS200 is that he wouldn't have had to build a minimum number, and as stories go, neither did Lancia or Ford anyway so they're exactly the same car type. His was the most hideous looking car I've ever seen, but if Loeb turns up to Monte 27 in it, I'm watching.

The difference is that there were 0 McRae R4s as road cars for the public. Few is better than 0, and to me 0 road cars for the public automatically disqualifies a veichle to be considered for a rally championship.

If instead of WRC you want to see a rally series which has scores of production road car makes involved, with true 2027 road relevance; check out this series.

That's a regularity rally championship that doesn't involve rally cars, different discipline. One could suggest that if you want to see buggies (or however you'd like to call them) in WRC, why not just create a new motorsport discipline? You can call it WBC, so one can go watch that and leave the RALLY championships alone, since I would imagine that to run a rally championship you'd need rally cars.

[wyler]

Actually there are at least 2 disciplines to see any kind of prototype racing: hillclimb and gymkana/slalom. why turn rally into it?

[RS]

So it seems that the ‘tuners’ will really just be bodywork manufacturers:

https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/what-...c-2027-so-far/

There are some points I like about these regulations; a return to production based engines (so they are at least more of a proper rally car than Rally1) & less silly aero bits/downforce.

I’m not sure of the wisdom of also having these cars as the main class for regional and national championships too as it will push costs up there and remove the ‘pyramid’

[Fast Eddie WRC]

I can see the old R5 & Rally2 Cars going on and on for years, dropping down the rally levels like the Subaru's and Evo's before them. These will be the lower pyramid cars, although still too expensive for many. Plus Rally3 cars will also be around as they're pretty new.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

I see the picture used is now also credited to M-Sport too, not just FIA. Maybe its how the WRC27 Puma could look & a hopeful sign that they are on board & may have it ready in time ?

[pedro16]

"A tuner will have to align with a single manufacturer running a currently homologated car – and don’t forget the manufacturers are obligated to sell their parts."

This should calm down the road connection is dead talks.