Motor Authority - blog Tag: WRC

World Rally Championship racing won't see a Subaru factory team this year, but the 37th ADAC Zurich 24 Hour Race - a 24-hour race at the Nurburgring - will. The 200-car field will include a factory-built WRX STI that's hitting the track in the name of data collection and development.

Of course, winning is also the objective, with the 2.0L (EJ20) turbocharged boxer engine putting the car into the SP3T class. The chassis and body are original production pieces, but Subaru Tecnica International (STI) has added a few enhancements to make the car more race-worthy.

Starting with a 'flexible tower bar' and stiffening the chassis, the engineers... World Rally Championship racing won't see a Subaru factory team this year, but the 37th ADAC Zurich 24 Hour Race - a 24-hour race at the Nurburgring - will. The 200-car field will include a factory-built WRX STI that's hitting the track in the name of data collection and development. Of course, winning is also the objective, with the 2.0L (EJ20) turbocharged boxer engine putting the car into the SP3T class. The chassis and body are original production pieces, but Subaru Tecnica International (STI) has added a few enhancements to make the car more race-worthy. Starting with a 'flexible tower bar' and stiffening the chassis, the engineers have also lightened the car and installed a wide range of safety equipment including a roll cage, window net, racing harness and fire suppression system. Four Japanese drivers - Kazuo Shimizu, Toshihiro Yoshida, Naoki Hattori and Koji Matsuda - will take the wheel during the 24-hour run, helping the engineers and the rest of the STI team not only to victory, but to a better understanding of what makes a racing WRX STI tick.Subaru WRX STI 24-hour Nurburgring race car Read More

Rally racing has taken some of the hardest hits of all of the major motorsports during the ongoing economic and automotive downturn, but being down doesn't mean being out. MML Sports today unveiled their Group N Mitsubishi Evolution X rally car, to campaign for the World Rally Championship Production class.

Building the MML Evo X was an experiment in many ways, according to the company, because few of the necessary upgrades and modification pieces are available in the aftermarket due to the Evolution X's relative newness. That means much of the car is custom-fabricated in-house by MML, including the roll cage and fuel tank.

Per Group N... Rally racing has taken some of the hardest hits of all of the major motorsports during the ongoing economic and automotive downturn, but being down doesn't mean being out. MML Sports today unveiled their Group N Mitsubishi Evolution X rally car, to campaign for the World Rally Championship Production class. Building the MML Evo X was an experiment in many ways, according to the company, because few of the necessary upgrades and modification pieces are available in the aftermarket due to the Evolution X's relative newness. That means much of the car is custom-fabricated in-house by MML, including the roll cage and fuel tank. Per Group N specifications, the 4B11 engine and the standard suspension layout are unchanged. Springs and dampers were upgraded, however, including BOS dampers, the same company that works with Mitsubishi's WRC cars. One area where Group N cars are allowed to play with freedom is the center differential and engine mapping, and MML has fitted a MOTEC control system to maximize output and performance. Exact power and performance figure have yet to be released, but the car's maximum speed can be set anywhere between 118-136mph (190-220km/h) depending on the gearset chosen. That may seem a bit low compared to other motorsports, but remember, these guys do it in the dirt - or gravel, or mud, or mid-air. Check out the gallery below for shots of the car in stock form, through the build process, completed as a rally car and in action on course. For comparison with its main rival, check out the Subaru WRX Group N rally car.MML Sports Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Group N Rally car Read More

Following Honda’s surprise announcement earlier this month that it was pulling out of Formula One, we now have news that both Subaru and Suzuki will be withdrawing from competing in the World Rally Championship (WRC) next year. Once again, the global economic crisis is being blamed for the withdrawal, with motorsport events high up on the list of expenses carmakers are cutting as they attempt to boost profits.

"Our business environment has changed dramatically due to the rapid deterioration of the global economy," the boss of Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru’s parent company) Ikuo Mori told a news conference in Tokyo today. "In... Following Honda’s surprise announcement earlier this month that it was pulling out of Formula One, we now have news that both Subaru and Suzuki will be withdrawing from competing in the World Rally Championship (WRC) next year. Once again, the global economic crisis is being blamed for the withdrawal, with motorsport events high up on the list of expenses carmakers are cutting as they attempt to boost profits. "Our business environment has changed dramatically due to the rapid deterioration of the global economy," the boss of Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru’s parent company) Ikuo Mori told a news conference in Tokyo today. "In order to optimise the management resources and to strengthen the Subaru brand further, Fuji Heavy decided to withdraw from WRC activities at the earliest time." With both Subaru and Suzuki out of the WRC, only Ford and Citroen remain for next year’s title, the latter already laying claim to the world champion title. Subaru team boss David Richards had told Reuters earlier this week that Citroen, Ford and Subaru were all assessing their participation in the championship on an ongoing basis and that nothing could be taken for granted in the current climate. The Subaru WRC team was established in 1989 and won the manufacturers' titles in 1995, 1996 and 1997. The team came third in this year’s event.2008 Subaru WRX STI WRC car Read More

Billed as the first WRC rally car to be equipped with a hybrid energy recovery system, the Citroen C4 WRC HYmotion4 features an advanced adaptation of the HYmotion4 AWD hybrid system found in a number of Peugeot and Citroen concepts at this year's Paris Motor Show.

This particular implementation of the HYmotion4 system features a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder good for 320hp (238kW) on its own, but also equipped with a parallel electric motor capable of delivering 167hp (125kW) through the rear axle. Given the variability of use a rally car sees on any given stage, there are a number of different ways this flexible drivetrain can be... Billed as the first WRC rally car to be equipped with a hybrid energy recovery system, the Citroen C4 WRC HYmotion4 features an advanced adaptation of the HYmotion4 AWD hybrid system found in a number of Peugeot and Citroen concepts at this year's Paris Motor Show. This particular implementation of the HYmotion4 system features a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder good for 320hp (238kW) on its own, but also equipped with a parallel electric motor capable of delivering 167hp (125kW) through the rear axle. Given the variability of use a rally car sees on any given stage, there are a number of different ways this flexible drivetrain can be employed. Four driver-selectable modes are available: internal combustion engine only, for typical rallying; internal combustion engine with regenerative braking, for improved stopping power and resistance to fade; electric-only mode for between-stage transport and around-paddock driving; and finally boost mode that enables the driver to tap an extra reserve of 222lb-ft (300Nm) of torque from the electric hybrid system for short bursts. Electric-only mode is limited to about 25mi (40km) range, but by using it at lower speeds, Citroen claims the overall range is extended and fuel efficiency improved by 30%. The more racing-oriented uses of the system, namely improved resistance to brake fade and boost mode, draw on the system's advanced 400-volt lithium-ion battery pack to aid performance, though in complementary manners. The overall goal of the new hybrid rally car concept is to illustrate the future of racing and Citroen's ideas for how it might develop - and with the winning ways of Citroen and driver Sebastien Loeb, their voice will be an important one.Citroen C4 WRC HYmotion4 Rally car concept Read More