WRC mainclass from 2027

[focus206]

As far as I understood every entry will be required to be related to a manufacturer and a car model that exists on the roads, right?

No, they can if they want to, but they're not required to. That's my point, they want to get rid of even the minimal, loose tie to a car that exists on the market.

[focus206]

With the reference volumes and requirement for body work, and by looking at the concept renders above, don't they resemble 'road models' even if they are bespoke designs? Think of the fans in parts of the world who never saw a fiesta or Yaris, or Peugeot 307, they might be having the same complaint for years.

IMO there's so many new models, brands, model year facelifts and trim lines these days, that most members of the public could assume these to be production cars.

If they are bespoke design, it means they don't resemble any road model. Getting rid of even the tiny factor that linked Rally1 with production model is just insulting...
The non-European rally fans make up a tiny percentage of all rally fans, and I'd guess they probably know those models by other means, like videogames, Block gymkhana etc. They understand those are models from elsewhere in the world.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

There's been one before, the McRae R4...

https://dirtfish.com/rally/the-one-o...-pure-driving/

Would we be happy seeing bespoke cars like this in WRC ?

[focus206]

There's been one before, the McRae R4...

https://dirtfish.com/rally/the-one-o...-pure-driving/

Would we be happy seeing bespoke cars like this in WRC ?

Colin was planning for the R4 to be sold as road version too, in limited numbers. I'd be fine with that.

And it's not the only car in history to be "made up" for rallying. Few cars in France in the 70's, and I know there's Darrian in Britain and Ireland, which I don't think has produced any road version? But we're talking about national rallies and what, the 0.000001% of rally cars.

[deephouse]

They agree to that because WRC is in need for new entries. If there would be constant interest from various brands through cycles or eras, they wouldn't open the regs so much. Also I think there will not be that much weird design of cars or teams with those cars. Maybe one, but as soon as they would somehow get some deal with brand, the car will look like some road model.

[WRCStan]

If they are bespoke design, it means they don't resemble any road model. Getting rid of even the tiny factor that linked Rally1 with production model is just insulting...

I know they won't resemble a particular named existing production (road) model, but from a distance they'll fit the generally accepted shape and look of what a production model would be to somebody who has no idea or care for there are not 10,000 of them all around the globe. They won't look like buggies, spaceships or dragsters, in other words.

It's apparently not the shape, look or technical specs of these cars that bothers you, but that there aren't consumer production manufacturers involved. You say that's insulting, but it's commercial stuff reflecting the era we live in. It's a pivotal change but entirely necessary. If they didn't have to have done it, they wouldn't have done it. The only alternative is an amateur historics sport instead and no WRC at all.

[WRCStan]

They agree to that because WRC is in need for new entries. If there would be constant interest from various brands through cycles or eras, they wouldn't open the regs so much. Also I think there will not be that much weird design of cars or teams with those cars. Maybe one, but as soon as they would somehow get some deal with brand, the car will look like some road model.

Exactly, and with some positive imagination the sport could boom and some small time tuner could be the next cool production car brand. F1 wouldn't be where it is today if the garagistas hadn't made it cool, and some are now selling 'road cars'.

[focus206]

I know they won't resemble a particular named existing production (road) model, but from a distance they'll fit the generally accepted shape and look of what a production model would be to somebody who has no idea or care for there are not 10,000 of them all around the globe. They won't look like buggies, spaceships or dragsters, in other words.

They will look like the shape of a production model, then fans will ask "What is that car?" and the answer is "It's a Project Rally One Rally1, it's not based on any actual road model, you can't buy a road version and you can't find it anywhere else"... then look at the disappointment of the fans asking the question...
It's not surprising that most comments on the Project Rally One announcement and on the FIA regs are people speculating what models these new cars are going to be... Porsche, Subaru BRZ, Honda Civic Type-R etc.

It's apparently not the shape, look or technical specs of these cars that bothers you, but that there aren't consumer production manufacturers involved. You say that's insulting, but it's commercial stuff reflecting the era we live in. It's a pivotal change but entirely necessary. If they didn't have to have done it, they wouldn't have done it. The only alternative is an amateur historics sport instead and no WRC at all.

I'm all for cars like the Swedish Mitsubishi Mirage R5. In the Group A days, there were many Audi rally cars never used officially by Audi, but only privateers, or national importers: Coupé, 90, S2... This is a step too far.
Where is the red line? When are we going to say stop, it's not rallying anymore? What if in future they'll propose, because of commercial reasons and to boost entries, to allow SxS and motorbikes in WRC... or to have WRC rallies only inside circuits. I'm sure the vast majority of rally fans would hate that, that wouldn't be WRC anymore. Changing one of the core aspects of rallying/WRC to keep WRC alive is a contradiction. If WRC isn't sustainable anymore, I'd rather them to do a new discipline with these type of cars and scale down rallying to an ERC level, with privateers and semi works team.