WRC mainclass from 2027

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Toyota prototype on tarmac

https://youtu.be/j2RS8D0kTs4?si=b83p49T6v9KbQm4M

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Dont be too worried about the look of the new Toyota...

Their Head of Engineering Kevin Struyf:

“It's just a prototype rally car at the moment,” he said. “In 2027 the regulation changed for the first time in rally where the body is quite open, so the choice of the manufacturer is not really clear where we want to go, so it's just a base mule car, a prototype car.

“A lot of people get excited about some model, but there is nothing about any model at the moment, it's just a prototype.

“Basically, we are continuing the development of the mule car that we have seen in Portugal, and the car will continue to do some tests this month [April].

"Quite soon, another chassis is in the build, and we will test a bit more, let's say, the final model, because the problem is that there were some technical elements that weren't super clear or super defined by the FIA when we started development."

[skarderud]

I think this is a good comparison.

Sent fra min SM-S901B via Tapatalk

[Kenneth]

Yup and back then only Lancia had a competitive car. Now there are 5 at the more or less same level, with new Toyota, Prospeed and probably few more private efforts on the horizon.

[macebig]

Kankkunen is right. Everybody loved the Group Bs, but they were literally killing the Sport and had to go. Rally 1s are great as cars,but they're figuratively doing the same thing to WRC. And this time, WRC doesn't have to wait for Toyota to get on top of reliability issues or Ford to figure out how 4WD + Turbo works for a fully competitive field from the go...

[Fast Eddie WRC]

The difference in the 80s was way bigger - going from Gr B absolute monsters to the Delta HF, Mazda 323 and Audi 100 !!

Ofc WRC27 wont kill the sport, but it'll just kill a bit of the thrill going from the extreme to the ordinary.

[deephouse]

Rally2 cars and WRC27 will be monsters in hands of top drivers, since the stakes will be high and it will be exciting. Maybe event or two and we probably won't see any difference. Also there is a fact that Rally2 cars are way more beautiful than current cars. Hope that WRC27 will go similar direction in styling.

[Jarek Z]

The difference in the 80s was way bigger - going from Gr B absolute monsters to the Delta HF, Mazda 323 and Audi 100 !!

I'm afraid that Kankkunen doesn't take one fact into account. Back in the 80s there was a great enthusiasm for cars, they were considered cool, and manufacturers were joining motorsport willingly. Will it be the same now, when the whole automotive market is considered almost "evil" by all those leftist / eco maniacs?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Plus the 1980s rally fan-base was massive and many of them stayed with the sport after being hooked by the Gr B cars, even after they were banned.

[WRCStan]

I'm afraid that Kankkunen doesn't take one fact into account. Back in the 80s there was a great enthusiasm for cars, they were considered cool, and manufacturers were joining motorsport willingly. Will it be the same now, when the whole automotive market is considered almost "evil" by all those leftist / eco maniacs?

Still clinging on to that hope Jarek?