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What has the World Rally Championship turn into?

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Old 25 October 2010, 09:53 PM
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ryn004
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Default What has the World Rally Championship turn into?

Well I've stopped watching rally since R.Burns, Colin McRae and Carlo Sainz used to drive, so I just went for a quick look and found out that there are only Fords or Citroens participating? Please tell me I'm wrong.....

My reference:
http://www.wrc.com/drivers-and-teams/teams/
Old 25 October 2010, 10:15 PM
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CrisPDuk
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Sounds about right

Dull as fecking ditch water now
Old 25 October 2010, 10:19 PM
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Sad, isn't it? When it was Imprezas vs Evos you could go to a showroom and buy a proper turbo 4wd car that had at least a little bit in common with the rally version... do Citroen even make anything that's vaguely sporty or is it all MPVs these days?
Old 25 October 2010, 10:32 PM
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my94wrx
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as above boring as hell, the first wrc i went to was in 2002 and the were
Subaru
peugeot
Hyundai
skoda
ford
Mitsubishi
Citroen

and there was action and plenty to see now i wouldn't go if it was free, and i think leob should retire and give someone else an chance.
Old 25 October 2010, 10:35 PM
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r32
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Hey dont forget BMW, under the Mini guise will be participating next year.......
Old 25 October 2010, 10:53 PM
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F1 is more exciting now
Old 25 October 2010, 11:35 PM
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BTCC all the way for me
Old 25 October 2010, 11:59 PM
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Was better in the 70's and 80's.
Old 26 October 2010, 12:05 AM
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I agree, and I am not a grumpy old man, honest
Old 26 October 2010, 12:31 AM
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Sadly I agree. The WRC has become very boring in recent years and there is very little action and because of that the manufacturers have pulled out.

I gave up with the WRC and watch F1 now Group A was amazing, WRC is boring
Old 26 October 2010, 12:38 AM
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Didn't the majority of manufacturers pull out because of the banking crisis, and simply not having the cash (of their own or from sponsors) to maintain factory teams any more?

And as of next year, there'll be at least one more team running, in the shape of Prodrive Mini.

Things are looking up, even if only a little.
Old 26 October 2010, 07:17 AM
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bigsinky
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what you guys want to watch is MotoGP, now that exciting.
Old 26 October 2010, 09:43 AM
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Agreed - watch MotoGP and there have been some cracking races this year.
Next year might not be so good at the start as Mr Rossi gets to grips with the new machine.

WRC is boring as **** now and has been for several years to be honest.
Old 26 October 2010, 10:30 AM
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Was channel hopping the other day and saw "superleague Formula", racing teams named after football teams

http://www.superleagueformula.com/

pretty strange I thought
Old 26 October 2010, 10:43 AM
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Leslie
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Originally Posted by bigsinky
what you guys want to watch is MotoGP, now that exciting.
Yes I agree, never fails to impress me how they get round those corners at those speeds with the rear wheel drifting out. I suppose modern handling and tyres make it possible now, after the odd tank slapper I have had in the past!

WRC seems not worth the effort of changing channel any more now.

Les
Old 26 October 2010, 10:44 AM
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Originally Posted by Moley_WRX
BTCC all the way for me
+1
Old 26 October 2010, 12:18 PM
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Few changes to the format for 2011, and the intro of Mini in the mix should spice it up a bit. Did hear a couple of others were coming in for 2011 too.

The cars taking part might have become a little boring, but the action is as good as ever.
Personally I like to take in as much motorsport as I can, and seeing as they rarely clash, I like to watch all of the above lol.
Old 26 October 2010, 12:27 PM
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THE WRC is basically a 3 day sprint under its present format, its still great to watch the skill on show but as a spectacle its not a patch on what it used to be when you had longer events, rallying into the evenings, more manufacturers and a whole host of top drivers like Kankunen, Sainz, Makinen, Auriol, McRae, Burns, Biasion and Vatanen just to name a few.
Old 26 October 2010, 12:29 PM
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Tidgy
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all motorsport has been dulled down now thanks to the FIA.

taake away most of hte restrictions on any of the racing, f1 or wrc and my o my would there be some awesome cars
Old 26 October 2010, 12:35 PM
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Leslie
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Originally Posted by Tidgy
all motorsport has been dulled down now thanks to the FIA.

taake away most of hte restrictions on any of the racing, f1 or wrc and my o my would there be some awesome cars
You could well have a point there.

Les
Old 26 October 2010, 12:43 PM
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Tidgy
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as far as wrc, i think the rules should be

1. saftey rules as is (so lots of them but this is an important issue)
2. Engines no more than 2.5L Turbo and must be available in a road going production version size, aspiration and location in car. (eg no engine in boot unless you can buy a road going version).
3. Drive train train must be same format as a production version of the car. eg awd rally cars must have an awd production version.
4. production version means 2000 units minimum must be manufactured and sold for road use (does not include any race chassis or fully built race cars)

and there you have it, dead simple. easy to interpret, 1999 prod versions doesn't qualify, 2.6L is too big, FWD only road cars arn't eligable etc etc

Last edited by Tidgy; 26 October 2010 at 12:45 PM.
Old 26 October 2010, 12:56 PM
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Engines are 1600 turbo for next year are they not? And losing paddle shifts too I thought.
Old 26 October 2010, 01:01 PM
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Tidgy
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Originally Posted by Snazy
Engines are 1600 turbo for next year are they not? And losing paddle shifts too I thought.
1.6 turbo is the next F1 car,,,,,,

o may be rallying as well lol there switchign to super 2k rules it hink.

its crap, pinacle of the sport my ***. Wonder how long till a company becomes more influential than the FIA, the way its going i don;t think it will be too long
Old 26 October 2010, 01:16 PM
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Bring back starting/finishing in the dark, 5 day events and homologation. End.
Old 26 October 2010, 03:36 PM
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Got to agree with you there.

I remember the days of the Cossies, Subarus, Toyotas etc etc.

A lot of the problem is they cant go back to Homologation rules as the EU has almost legislated all 4x4 hatches cars off the road. All the major mauf's are now running FWD on their hot cars.
Old 26 October 2010, 04:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Leslie
Yes I agree, never fails to impress me how they get round those corners at those speeds with the rear wheel drifting out. I suppose modern handling and tyres make it possible now, after the odd tank slapper I have had in the past!

WRC seems not worth the effort of changing channel any more now.

Les
its when the front slides and they somehow control it gets really intresting imo
Old 26 October 2010, 05:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Tidgy
all motorsport has been dulled down now thanks to the FIA.

taake away most of hte restrictions on any of the racing, f1 or wrc and my o my would there be some awesome cars
Yes and no here... FIa is getting it right with F1. Technology got so good that passing etc just wasn't possible. No ABS and no traction control now has made a difference with skill (like Rosberg was showing before he got taken out) coming back into it. Just need to get rid of Bernie the poison dwarf and his brown envelopes full of cash from all these new circuits and they might get the interest back.

agianst that, without the rules you'd get some great kit. Things like ABS which have made a big difference on the road were developed through motorsport so it stifles innovation not to let them loose.

5t.
Old 26 October 2010, 07:03 PM
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Well that told me.... Citroen look like they will bring a 4x4 DS4 "RS" to the market in a couple of years. No doubt the 4x4 will end up in the bin though!
Old 26 October 2010, 07:08 PM
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jeez , it is going to be actually impossible to tell manufacturers apart in another 5/7 years i reckon

- thats a rusty festa imo
Old 26 October 2010, 09:45 PM
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WRC = ****, and has been for a good few years. As with most other motorsports - technology has ruined it. Lose the wacky diffs and gear boxes in favour of proper gears / drive train and then release the engine restrictions somewhat. Part of the thrill of rallying is hearing the engines screaming their **** of throught the gears - currently, with the restrictions on power, they sound dull as if they are only revving to 4k or similar.
Watch Eurosport/Motors tv and catch British/Irish rally. Loads of stuff like Talbots, Porsche, Subaru, Mk1/2 Scorts and 6R4's and going sideways and screaming down the road. It seams to me that current WRC cars just seem to drive down the road with too much control. When was the last time you saw the Scandanivian flick in WRC?
As said above - they seem to be going in the right direction with F1 and BTCC (which had a good few ****e years), they need to look harder at WRC or let it die.


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