Prodrive is indeed working on a WRCar with Mini. The new Mini WRCar will be built on the Countryman which is their new 5 door crossover. Of course prodrive will base it on the JCW version which will be the most powerful version of it. It will debut in 2011 though they're delaying the announcement. They'll probably announce it alongside the JCW version.
Rally drivers are the most experienced ones, and btw hes got a co-driver cuz he doesnt remember all of them, but its not their first run there, they got to go there as a practice to see the track and to record all turns as they need it ...
There have been reports of Mini entering the WRC in 2011-12, as the FIA are currently looking at making the WRC engines 1.6L Turbo instead of the current 2.0L Turbo. I haven't heard any WRC reports regarding Mazda however. Still early days, have to wait and see.
That was what i was saying in the first place !! but someone was saying that some WRC have a 3rd seat which i thought seemed pretty pointless seeing as it would add unnecessary weight to the car. No one was talking about the view or a minicam btw.
The FIA has confirmed the 1.6Turbo for 2011. The new engine will have a 33mm restrictor and boost will be limited to 2.5 bar. All cars will have a FIA box that will makes sure teams aren't cheating. This engine will also find its way into the WTCC as well. It's called the world engine and it should make about 300 HP and it will have less torque but Loeb likes the idea of a 1.6T as opposed ot a super 2000.
Prodrive is coming back in 2011. VW is highly considering joining the WRC and abandoning their Race Touareg program. They'll join in 2012 with the Polo but they're also considering the Golf.
What regs did the FIA change that put the Boxer Engine at a disadvantage? The WRC regulations have been largely unchanged since their inception in 1997. I think you'll find that Subaru's fall from grace was due to Prodrive underfunding the SWRT operation from about 2004 onwards.
@MrGlennz0r Might want to turn the volume down a bit. ;) Nah, it's from an old VHS video, and when I recorded it onto computer six years ago, it was only in mono. :(
Petter Solberg has chosen Chris Patterson to replace to Phil Mills. Petter says he is a good co-driver, and he is probably willing to work for free. He has quite a bit of experience and he is from Ireland and not the UK.
@rendezvous65 VW is considering of abandoning the race touareg program and go to the WRC or have both programs. VW won't become a F1 engine supplier. That rumor is denied by VW so it's likely that they'll join the WRC. They'll announce their decision by March 2010 so they can start developing their new car.
Not true, the view is provided from a minicam attached to the lateral crossbeams from the rollcage. No third seat involved, ever, everything unecessary is stripped out..
have they been competing in a competetive WRC event with a 3rd seat in the middle ?? that would be weird because the team would be adding extra weight to the car that isn't needed.
Sorry CreationOS, my comments were more towards PaleYellow's comments, there was just a glitch with the reply option. My comments should have come up under his comments, not yours. If you agree with my comments, then it's all good. :)
The FIA changed the regs in such a way that the boxer engine can't really be used in WRC anymore. How many non boxer engines does subaru make? I'd have dropped out too. Hopefully it allows them to spend more on Rally America which hasn't drifted so far from what rally was supposed to be about... Production cars out racing (you can hardly buy any of the cars used in WRC anymore, and if you can there nothing like whats actually used in WRC).
Also, not much point comparing Mitsubishi to Subaru to Toyota to Peugeot etc. Times have changed, and so has technology, length of rallies, and importantly, the drivers. You cannot compare Makinens Mitsubishi performances to say Loebs current dominance, because there are so many changes, so many things that are different.
Penti Arrikala's comments are his opinion, and are not necessarily true or critical to vehicle performance in the WRC. I have read the full article, and comparing the C4 WRC to the Impreza WRC08 is flawed to begin with. Mainly because the C4 is developed on the back of six years of development of the Xsara, while Subaru were struggling to get back up to speed following three years of poor development and design, thanks partly due to a lack of funding from Prodrive.
Prodrive is being very secretive about this project it could either be Mini or BMW. They've also been looking at a bunch of car companies to make Rally cars for their new project. Mazda isn't likely. Mini would be a possible choice but BMW could just join in as the new 1.6T is used in both the WRC and WTCC. Still don't think it's BMW. Probably Mini and they'll want a British driver to drive it. The engineers that are working on it are under an NDA and can't even tell their colleagues.
That was the primary reason that Subaru Japan mentioned. However, it is also likely that Subaru Japan finally lost patience with Prodrive, and stopped the WRC team after poor performances. They haven't won a rally outright since Mexico 2005.
am i kidding about what ? am i kidding about the fact that this bloke pindrop says he has seen a WRC car with a 3rd seat and i am interested to know if they were actually competing with it ? no i am not. i was simply asking a question =/ i am guessing the 3rd seat would just be for passenger thrill rides.
on wrc you need a co-driver couz the driver dont know the track couz its their 1st time driving it... how can u drive a course without knowing where you gonna turn? in that course theres a lot of road... do you know where to turn,what road is the right way .... omg!lol!
