Filed under: Motorsports, Japan, Subaru
Subaru considers entry into World Touring Car Championship
We're going to play this little game again. Close your eyes and think "rally". (Not picket lines and protest signs, but tail-sliding, dirt road heroics behind the wheel of turbocharged four-wheel-drive monsters.) Now what company comes to mind? If you're a sentimentalist you might be thinking Audi or Lancia, but anybody who hasn't been living in a cave for the last decade or so (with apologies to all our cave-dwelling readers) will almost invariably think of Subaru. Never mind that its WRC team hasn't been doing that well recently: pumped up Imprezas like the WRX and STI are nearly synonymous with rallying. But now reports indicate that Subaru is considering confusing us by entering to World Touring Car Championship.
The news is sparked by a forthcoming arrangement between the WRC and the WTCC that could see them adopting a common set of rules, not unlike the more practical Super 2000 formula that has both rally and touring car series. Now we're always encouraged by news of carmakers – especially ones with such well-established motorsport pedigrees – going racing, but we can't help but wonder if Subaru's venture onto paved tracks wouldn't confuse the message and dilute its hard-earned brand identity. Conversely, the oil-ification of the WTCC could give Subaru a chance to prove its mettle with its new diesel engines. Either way, execs from Fuji Heavy and Subaru Tecnica International are expected to visit the touring car championship when it visits Japan on October 24 to scope it out.
Just because we love you, our loyal readers, ever so much, here's a gallery of studio-quality, high-resolution images of Subaru's current rally contender.
Gallery: Subaru Impreza WRC2008
[Source: TouringCarTimes]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
BoxerFanatic 7:09PM (9/10/2008)
Wouldn't Legacy make more sense in Touring Car?
Don't they race A4s, 3-series, C-class, and the like?
STI should use the S402, with their race-prep modifications as a TC series car.
Come on, Support the LEGACY!!! Legacy used to be your rally car before the Impreza, Now let Legacy come back into the light a little bit!
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John Johnson 7:22PM (9/10/2008)
I agree - I look at the Legacy as a "Touring" WRX, or a "Luxury" WRX. I think it would fit the bill much more as a Touring car.
But the boy racers who love the big wings wouldn't like that :p. I think the WRX fits the WTCC "look" - if they could still make the car look sophisticated and appeal to the late-twenty-somethings, it could really broaden their market.
church72 11:03PM (9/10/2008)
For what its worth... Didn't Subaru build/design the latest Impreza on the Legacy platform?
nagmashot 12:55AM (9/11/2008)
currently the WTCC is raced by
SEAT Leon TDI
SEAT Leon TFSI (non turbo n/a petrol)
BMW 320si
Chevrolet Lacetti
Honda Euro Accord Type R
Lada 110 2.0
Volvo C30 (they run some races for full season preparing)
curret manufactor ranking
Seat 216
BMW 192
Chevrolet 167
Honda 26
Lada 0
Volvo 0 (they run this season outside the points)
Level 5 8:50AM (9/11/2008)
The Legacy is the first thing I thought of as well. In 1995 when the Dodge Stratus came out my grandfather bought one, and then my dad bought one a year later. Then in 2000 I bought a Plymouth Breeze. Seeing them in the NATCC made me a huge fan of touring cars, as well as a backer of the whole "4 door midsizes can be quick and showy too" thing. Granted the Stratus TC was a completely different beast but still.. it was the midsize sedan race car thing that appealed to me.
I adore me a midsize, and I'm particularly fond of the Legacy in an of itself; I'd LOVE to see a Legacy Touring Car, especially since it's very high on my list to be my next car.
Richard 7:11PM (9/10/2008)
First guys, thanks for the Hi-res photos.
From the point of view of promotion, the WRC is no-longer anywhere on the US scene. Speed used to give this great Sunday afternoon hour-long recap. It was a great 52 minutes of "rally-bites." Great for promotion...but it is gone.
Though it is also pretty much non-existant in the US, WTCC would be cool. A better emulation of where most of us would-be Petter Solbergs (or Andy Priaulxs) learn how ham-fisted we really are. Better marketing photo opportunity too, me thinks.
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rypt 8:08PM (9/10/2008)
Your (Americans) own fault for liking Nascar too much, and not caring about all other racing.
boxerFanatic 8:31PM (9/10/2008)
rypt,
that is kind of a broad brush, there.
I am an American, and my comments here about nascar just yesterday were considerably less than glowing.
I don't control what other people are interested in, nor would I want to. But I also don't individually program content for ESPN or Speed Channel, or schedule racing events in the US.
So perhaps blaming a blanket group of people is a bit irrational, and something most people resent when it happens to them. Or you.
Richard 9:26PM (9/10/2008)
Mostly, I am an F1 fan and defer to my brother re. NASCAR issues.
But, we Americans, we're all different and prejudice of the sort you have expressed doesn't fly too well over here (sorry Jezza)
In fact, Bernie is the inspiration for the business I have started. You do know who Bernie is don't you rypt?
Mark 4:14AM (9/11/2008)
yes, Bernie Eccleston is a prejudice hypocritical money grabbing doddering old fool
rypt 6:25AM (9/11/2008)
The American Networks are after the biggest amount of money they can make for a show ... clearly there is not enough demand compared to other sporting events for them to show more things like WRC/WTCC.
dejal 8:09AM (9/11/2008)
rypt. Look up the word "putz".
Lou 9:04AM (9/11/2008)
Yeah, I remember when Speed Channel used to be Speed Vision and really had interesting programs, but like most things, it has lowered itself to the lowest common denominator over time to make the almighty dollar. I would pay a few bucks extra a month for programming like SpeedVision used to have.
Dave 7:25PM (9/10/2008)
WRC videos:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bn880
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Geeky1 8:31PM (9/10/2008)
Legacy or Impreza, I don't care. I'd love to see it either way.
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alex 8:48PM (9/10/2008)
i don't know much about these cars.... but what's with the air intake on the roof? that can't be functional can it? the only thing i can think of is it brings fresh air into the cabin, but what would be the point of that?
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jkendall 8:53PM (9/10/2008)
That is for cabin air in WRC events,
jkendall 9:00PM (9/10/2008)
Sorry, my bad, sent message too soon.
Was trying to say that in WRC events that is only way to get air to cabin for driver & co-driver since cars run with windows closed and usually have no AC and limited heat, just primarily defrost for windows (saves engine BHP). Drivier/co-driver can allow fresh air into car without additional drain on engine/performance using ram-air effect of the intake on roof. About 4 years ago Subaru tried using a system that took air in from around the headlights and routed it into the cabin (looked very slick, but they changed in later iterations of the Impreza WRC car - Look at pictures from 2003 - 2004 WRC Subarus to see).
fastwgn286 12:28AM (9/11/2008)
+1 on using the legacy for this instead of the impreza. With ICY/Phoenix and SPT using legacies in road racing series (SPT using the LGT wagon, no less), the Legacy should be well proven in this arena. And it would be a good business strategy, WRX for rally, and the Legacy for 3-series killing duties.
Sigh, probably won't happen. The marketing folks never listen to any of us....
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nagmashot 12:58AM (9/11/2008)
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/WTTC-Tom-Coronel-2007_175318.htm
thats WTCC... the driver is Tom Coronell at his main work... SEAT WTCC driver... Tom Coronell is the one who drove the Viper ACR in 7:22min around the Ring
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