RE: Subaru Quits WRC
Discussion
Turbobanana said:
Lax Power said:
Hopefully this will spell the end for the WRC as we know it.
Goodbye to the days of spectators squashed into tiny areas 200 yards from the actual stage, £20 per person to go into public forest and 3 stages per leg in daylight because you can't see the sponsorship at night.
Fingers crossed this will bring less expensive cars (RWD) which are more spectacular to watch and sound far better (no turbos).
Dare I say it, we may even see the cars driving on stages covered with ice even if they haven't had 6months to test on it first!
Well said that man. I haven't been to the forests since the days when the Lombard RAC Rally was actually a UK-wide event, not just a few square miles in South Wales. A return to basics, if managed correctly, could be the breath of fresh air worldwide motorsport needs.Goodbye to the days of spectators squashed into tiny areas 200 yards from the actual stage, £20 per person to go into public forest and 3 stages per leg in daylight because you can't see the sponsorship at night.
Fingers crossed this will bring less expensive cars (RWD) which are more spectacular to watch and sound far better (no turbos).
Dare I say it, we may even see the cars driving on stages covered with ice even if they haven't had 6months to test on it first!
If anyone can continue to feck things up, he can.
bromers2 said:
Ironic isn't it - when things are going t*ts up you really should be spending more money on marketing not withdrawing it.
Absolutely, trouble is when you haven't got it you can't spend it. Not sure how much Suzuki or Subaru have mind you. Particularly for Subaru, who have built a reputation based on rallying it is concerning, but then they have been aiming to move away from a dependence on that image recently, hence the design of the current Impreza. The shame is that the design doesn't have much appeal to anyone unless it has a large turbo'd engine and 4wd.
I think Subaru have already gained almost all of the marketing advatage from the WRC - They'd probably done that by the end of the 90's.
The Impreza has now shed the "farmer's car" image it had before then and it wont go back to that any time soon.
Given that WRC isnt' even shown on mainstream TV these days, I dont think missing a year or two will do them any harm.
The Impreza has now shed the "farmer's car" image it had before then and it wont go back to that any time soon.
Given that WRC isnt' even shown on mainstream TV these days, I dont think missing a year or two will do them any harm.
Goochie said:
I think Subaru have already gained almost all of the marketing advatage from the WRC - They'd probably done that by the end of the 90's.
The Impreza has now shed the "farmer's car" image it had before then and it wont go back to that any time soon.
Given that WRC isnt' even shown on mainstream TV these days, I dont think missing a year or two will do them any harm.
You are right in some respects, the lack of coverage being the main issue. The reputation will continue for a while, but not indefintely. Problem then is that that reputation could cost more to rebuild after a break than to maintain in the meantime. But that could be affected by the priorities of Subaru.The Impreza has now shed the "farmer's car" image it had before then and it wont go back to that any time soon.
Given that WRC isnt' even shown on mainstream TV these days, I dont think missing a year or two will do them any harm.
They have been clever marketers, however, in that they have built the rallying reputation without harming the image which makes the Legacy popular with some - although probably not enough - groups of people.
rubystone said:
rockystarr said:
Phil Dicky said:
Thats a massive blow to the sport, its looking grim for alot of motorsports now, how long before BTCC start loosing teams?
Bad I know, but the BTCC have a couple of new teams for next season, one of which is a Ford
Goochie said:
I think Subaru have already gained almost all of the marketing advatage from the WRC - They'd probably done that by the end of the 90's.
The Impreza has now shed the "farmer's car" image it had before then and it wont go back to that any time soon.
Given that WRC isnt' even shown on mainstream TV these days, I dont think missing a year or two will do them any harm.
If WRC is still around in a couple of years ...........The Impreza has now shed the "farmer's car" image it had before then and it wont go back to that any time soon.
Given that WRC isnt' even shown on mainstream TV these days, I dont think missing a year or two will do them any harm.
I would imagine it is pretty high up on Ford's agenda to be thinking of quitting too.
Can WRC exist if there are no manufacturers involved ? (Same question for F1 too !!)
It is definitely sad to see them go. The question is, will it have a dramatic impact on them selling their road cars? Probably not, at least not in the short run. And if they are smart, not later, either. I cannot say for sure but I do not see a massive decline in Evo sales since they left. And Audi is in part still trading off the rally heritage that stoped decades ago. The quattro has become a concept all of its own and the direct relationship to racing is no longer necessary. It's definitely best to make the transition, while you're still close to the top of the game.
The other question is whether Toyota (part owners of Subaru) or Subaru have got the foresight and stamina to build Subaru into a brand, which builds off their past rallying glories but adds layers of extra appeal also for the buyers, who do not and never will know of their rallying past. Maybe the RWD AE86 replacement, to be sold both as a Toyota and Subaru could be a way there, who knows. Their current product offering definitely isn't.
The other question is whether Toyota (part owners of Subaru) or Subaru have got the foresight and stamina to build Subaru into a brand, which builds off their past rallying glories but adds layers of extra appeal also for the buyers, who do not and never will know of their rallying past. Maybe the RWD AE86 replacement, to be sold both as a Toyota and Subaru could be a way there, who knows. Their current product offering definitely isn't.
mainaman said:
Sad day,but i don't think that there is MUCH room for cost-cutting measures in WRC.While very expensive(300k?),the cars are not very high-tech(seam-welded original steel bodyshell!) and cost-no-object by motorsport standards,the gap between the road-going STI and the racer is not huge.A far-cry from the mad days of Group B...
Not high tech?Similar to the road car?
Group B cars are as advanced as a Masey Ferserson next to a WRC car. Don't confuse moving engines and radiators about inside a GRP siloette bodyshell as being high tech. Group B cars were monsters! Largely down to crude football sized turbos and drivetrain off of the farmyard. The original Quattro didn't even have a centre diff.
WRC regs are well defined, and closely monitored. That doesn't make the car any less technologically advanced. Only F1 and DTM are more high tech than WRC! You argue that a WRC is packed with more technology than an F1 car with all the clever turbo managment technology, and electronic differentials.
With governments using legislation and taxation to kill the roadgoing performance car, motorsport becomes less attractive to manufacturers - if you want to be seen as a "socially responsible" purveyor of friendly little eco-boxes to sensible shoe wearing yoghurt-knitters, do you really want your name on a flame-spitting gravel beast?
If the EU's plans to restrict fleet CO2 outputs come to fruition, I think the Japanese manufacturers will simply stop selling affordable performance cars here. Subaru have been trying to get out of the rally rep market since the launch of the new Impreza, Honda's Euro Type-R is a minimal investment token effort and I wouldn't be surprised to see Mazda drop the RX-8 in Europe and move to diesel powered MPS models. Depressing. The EU is corrupt and protectionist enough that domestic manufacturers may get a loophole, for a while - let's get excited about those diesel four-pots.
If the EU's plans to restrict fleet CO2 outputs come to fruition, I think the Japanese manufacturers will simply stop selling affordable performance cars here. Subaru have been trying to get out of the rally rep market since the launch of the new Impreza, Honda's Euro Type-R is a minimal investment token effort and I wouldn't be surprised to see Mazda drop the RX-8 in Europe and move to diesel powered MPS models. Depressing. The EU is corrupt and protectionist enough that domestic manufacturers may get a loophole, for a while - let's get excited about those diesel four-pots.
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