WRC 2011 - anyone else confused?

[Emeye]

I'm sure there was a topic about this a while ago, but buggered if I can find it!

I've followed WRC for as long an I can remember, but I'm still not sure what is supposed to be happening in 2011!

Have the car specs for WRC been decided? Will the main teams be running S2000 reg cars with added turbo and a few other bits?

I'm looking forward to 2010, I get the feeling WRC is going to be revitalised, hopefully leading to an even more exciting 2011.

[zac510]

Ford and Citroen seem to be forging ahead with their new S2000 cars so the rules must be going that way?

[caz4213]

S2000 will ruin WRC. It might work better on television, with more teams/cars/drivers... but for real fans going to watch the rallies it'll be crap. Went to Rally GB this year and the way the proper WRC cars sound as they approach through the trees and then blast past is unbelievable. A prototype S2000 skoda came past and it sounded like a bloody washing machine.

[andy97]

I must admit that i thought it had been decided to have S2000 chassis allied to 1600cc Turbo engines

http://wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&id=5292&a...

[BBS-LM]

caz4213 said:

S2000 will ruin WRC. It might work better on television, with more teams/cars/drivers... but for real fans going to watch the rallies it'll be crap. Went to Rally GB this year and the way the proper WRC cars sound as they approach through the trees and then blast past is unbelievable. A prototype S2000 skoda came past and it sounded like a bloody washing machine.

+1

[Emeye]

Should count ourselves lucky then - it could have been diesel engines!

[Northern_Monkey]

caz4213 said:

S2000 will ruin WRC. It might work better on television, with more teams/cars/drivers... but for real fans going to watch the rallies it'll be crap. Went to Rally GB this year and the way the proper WRC cars sound as they approach through the trees and then blast past is unbelievable. A prototype S2000 skoda came past and it sounded like a bloody washing machine.

The issue is that the WRC needs more cars and drivers if it is going to survive - it can't continue as it has in recent years.

Look at this season. Amongst the 'current' WRC cars, there is 2x Citroen, 2x Ford and 2x Citroen Junior confirmed for the season (or most of the season in the case of the latter). While we'll no doubt see a Stobart team, Petter Solberg and there is Ken Block for his part season, you're looking at just into double figures for WRC machinery. Last season there were events where the entry overall was less than 40 cars.

Compare that to the IRC, where there will be entries from Peugeot, Skoda, Ford, Proton, Abarth and VW with S2000 machinery and it shows the need for change - whether people like or not.

In an ideal world, people would love it to be like the old Group B days with hardcore machinery but the series would only go on for so long while you have just Ford and Citroen to do battle as it is at the moment.

Of course, it will also open the door for a number of drivers who should be in the WRC to find a drive, which simply isn't there at the moment.

[EDLT]

caz4213 said:

S2000 will ruin WRC. It might work better on television, with more teams/cars/drivers... but for real fans going to watch the rallies it'll be crap. Went to Rally GB this year and the way the proper WRC cars sound as they approach through the trees and then blast past is unbelievable. A prototype S2000 skoda came past and it sounded like a bloody washing machine.

Are you sure that was an S2000 car? They sound fantastic.

Skoda S2000
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwFun910qA

A washing machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AA7MmtFLYQ

[zac510]

It is looking better for WRC this year with some 'personality' drivers in Raikkonen and Block. Us anoraks aside, people follow the drivers more than the cars so having good drivers is important commercially.

[Northern_Monkey]

zac510 said:

It is looking better for WRC this year with some 'personality' drivers in Raikkonen and Block. Us anoraks aside, people follow the drivers more than the cars so having good drivers is important commercially.

Exactly. Your 'anorak' would probably prefer to see someone like Kris Meeke in one of those cars, but Raikkonen and Block will bring in outside interest in the sport.

Block in particular will be interesting to see the effect it has on the image of the WRC in the States.

[Emeye]

EDLT said:

caz4213 said:

S2000 will ruin WRC. It might work better on television, with more teams/cars/drivers... but for real fans going to watch the rallies it'll be crap. Went to Rally GB this year and the way the proper WRC cars sound as they approach through the trees and then blast past is unbelievable. A prototype S2000 skoda came past and it sounded like a bloody washing machine.

Are you sure that was an S2000 car? They sound fantastic.

Skoda S2000
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwFun910qA

A washing machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AA7MmtFLYQ

I watched the Skoda video with interest, but it does sound a bit high pitched!

What concerned me more is WTF is someone doing putting a 6 minute video of their washing machine on Youtube for!?! Scary.

Maybe it's an alternative WRC - Washing-machine Racing Championship?

[Jungles]

WRC could very well become the Washed-up Rally Championship without some major changes. S2000 is part of the process of reviving the sport, whether the cars sound good or not.

The only problem with S2000 is the relative lack of torque. But speaking only for myself, I still find them interesting to watch and not much different from current Group N or early-90s Group A cars in terms of spectacle.

[davepoth]

I don't know why people get so het up about power reduction. All they need to do is spec narrower tyres and they'll go sideways just the same. Also it makes it much cheaper to enter, and enables the manufacturers to homogolate their most popular cars, which makes works support more likely.

[Lotus7th]

Anything that brings back more works support is fine by me imo

[moribund]

EDLT said:

Are you sure that was an S2000 car? They sound fantastic.

Skoda S2000
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwFun910qA

A washing machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AA7MmtFLYQ

I was at IRC Rally Scotland and thought the S2000 cars sounded great - very evocotive in a woods at night (yes they had night stages )

In fact I'd say that quieter, lower-revving 1600 turbo cars would be a backward step IMO.

[Pkh72]

Northern_Monkey said:

caz4213 said:

S2000 will ruin WRC. It might work better on television, with more teams/cars/drivers... but for real fans going to watch the rallies it'll be crap. Went to Rally GB this year and the way the proper WRC cars sound as they approach through the trees and then blast past is unbelievable. A prototype S2000 skoda came past and it sounded like a bloody washing machine.

The issue is that the WRC needs more cars and drivers if it is going to survive - it can't continue as it has in recent years.

Look at this season. Amongst the 'current' WRC cars, there is 2x Citroen, 2x Ford and 2x Citroen Junior confirmed for the season (or most of the season in the case of the latter). While we'll no doubt see a Stobart team, Petter Solberg and there is Ken Block for his part season, you're looking at just into double figures for WRC machinery. Last season there were events where the entry overall was less than 40 cars.

Compare that to the IRC, where there will be entries from Peugeot, Skoda, Ford, Proton, Abarth and VW with S2000 machinery and it shows the need for change - whether people like or not.

In an ideal world, people would love it to be like the old Group B days with hardcore machinery but the series would only go on for so long while you have just Ford and Citroen to do battle as it is at the moment.

Of course, it will also open the door for a number of drivers who should be in the WRC to find a drive, which simply isn't there at the moment.

Haven't Abarth pulled out of the IRC, or is that just the works team?

[caz4213]

EDLT said:

caz4213 said:

S2000 will ruin WRC. It might work better on television, with more teams/cars/drivers... but for real fans going to watch the rallies it'll be crap. Went to Rally GB this year and the way the proper WRC cars sound as they approach through the trees and then blast past is unbelievable. A prototype S2000 skoda came past and it sounded like a bloody washing machine.

Are you sure that was an S2000 car? They sound fantastic.

Skoda S2000
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwFun910qA

A washing machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AA7MmtFLYQ

It sounds great on video there, but after you've just heard full blown WRC cars blasting past it does come as a bit of an anti-climax. Maybe when they're all S2000 there'll be no comparison so fans won't be disappointed.

[curlie467]

This happens most years with most motorsports, change is just a factor in motorsport and we just have to accept it.
If the changes make the sport more appealing to the masses then hopefully tv coverage will be better, i miss not seeing it much on tv and really hope this is what happens.

[scoby87]

It sounds great on video there, but after you've just heard full blown WRC cars blasting past it does come as a bit of an anti-climax. Maybe when they're all S2000 there'll be no comparison so fans won't be disappointed.
[/quote]


It depends on whether you would prefer to here an 'engine' noise or popping and banging from an anti-lag system. I was at Rally Scotland and hearing an s2000 car coming towards you is no anti-climax, especially the new fiesta

[PhillipM]

Emeye said:

I watched the Skoda video with interest, but it does sound a bit high pitched!

Nah, this is a high-pitched rally car:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFIg4KRs92s