WRC switching to S2000-spec car for 2010 season
For whom does the cost-cutter's bell toll? It tolls for Formula 1... and for the World Rally Championship. The FIA has announced that from 2010 the WRC will use Super 2000-spec cars, instead of the current championship's Group N racers. As with the FIA's moves in F1 to standardize components in order to help teams save money, the S2000 cars all have third-party-supplied gearboxes and drivetrains, use 2.0-liter engines with 8,500 rpm rev limits, and are prohibited from being excessively modified (if you have some time, check out the FIA-mandated S2000 specs), among other things. Should manufacturers wish to sell their S2000 cars to privateer teams they can charge no more than €168,000. Five time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb has spoken out against an S2000 WRC, saying he won't be interested in rallying if the 2010 regs actually take effect. The Group N cars that drivers like Loeb currently pilot will be relegated to the P-WRC come 2010. We'll find out then if Sebastien Loeb goes with them.
[Source: WRC]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Daveman427 4:49PM (12/13/2008)
This spec-car bug is spreading too far. Racing used to be about crazy and exciting innovations like the ridiculous wings on the Superbirds in NASCAR, or the supercharger-turbocharger combo in the Lancia S4, or my favorite the suction system on the Chaparral 2J. I realize the race organizers do spec-cars to reduce development costs for the teams and to keep the competition even, but racing is not just about the drivers and their skills its also about the cars and the imaginative geniuses behind them.
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Swede 4:52PM (12/13/2008)
S2000 is slooooooooooooooooow and booooooooooring. I watched it and fell asleep almost immediately.
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Mobius_1 4:53PM (12/13/2008)
Bring back Group C!
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Matty 5:24PM (12/13/2008)
Bring back Group B! Audi Quattro widow maker FTW!!
Ben 4:57PM (12/13/2008)
I have a good feeling FIA will be on its way out and another organization will be formed if the motor companies object to this.
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Stuka 5:06PM (12/13/2008)
UHG, FIA is determined to destroy all forms of racing that its aquatinted with.
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Ben 5:07PM (12/13/2008)
Maybe a way to save money for Max Mosley's fetishes?
why not the LS2LS7? 5:11PM (12/13/2008)
It's a bummer about the transmission. This presents a problem for Subaru, who uses a longitudinal engine instead of transverse.
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tankd0g 3:50AM (12/15/2008)
They always seem to get an exemption...
2007RC46SP2 5:25PM (12/13/2008)
first speed channel cuts their coverage back a few years back.
and now this....
RIP WRC.
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mike 1:45AM (12/14/2008)
good thing there's still youtube :-D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d74HSA2ND7Q&feature=related
Duders 5:29PM (12/13/2008)
FIA is getting ridiculous.
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st3ph3n 5:33PM (12/13/2008)
Did you guys do any research before posting this? The current main cars in the WRC are of the type "World Rally Car" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Rally_Car). It is a development of the old Group A rules. PWRC is run with Group N and S2000 cars.
The new rules for the main contenders are going to be for cars that are S2000 BASED. It will allow for turbos and a few other choice modifications to be installed. They will not be purely S2000 cars. Look:
"Instead, the WRC kit is believed to be limited to a turbo, revised inlet and exhaust manifolds, a quicker gearshift mechanism (with steering wheel paddle shift) and an aero package consisting of a rear wing and front spoiler. The bolt-on kit will cost under 30.000 Euros and should give the cars an extra 50bhp."
See?
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João 6:00PM (12/13/2008)
Didn't see this post before I commented on the news.. Totally correct.
happy_penguin 5:52PM (12/13/2008)
Oh Joy! More ugly hatchbacks!
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João 5:55PM (12/13/2008)
Are you serious about this news? Or do you have no clue about WRC is??? WRC cars are not Group-N!!! PWRC (Production World Rally Championship) admits Gr-N and S2000 cars. WRC (World Rally Championship) admits WRC cars. Totally different.
And:
2010 WRC cars will be based on S2000, but won't be S2000. Those cars will be normal S2000 with the adition of a turbo, paddle-shifts and a rear wing. They'll be the so called S2000+!!!!! The top of rallying won't be S2000's.
I think some research was good to make the news.
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Kitko 8:21PM (12/13/2008)
Why on Earth did you put a pix of Skoda Fabia there...
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Metar 7:03AM (12/14/2008)
Because it's a Skoda Fabia S2000 car. Duh.
Michael 8:40PM (12/13/2008)
I had to reread this several times because by the second mention of S2000 I thought you were talking about a two-seater convertible. :p
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PumaGTO 9:51PM (12/13/2008)
me too.