I've wondered this for a while.
What is the reasoning behind converting rally cars to left hand drive and which competition type/levels does this apply to?

Neil.

I think it's due to most of the rallies taking place in countries where they drive on the right.

Shouldn't there be a winking smilie at the end of your reply?!

A rib dig surely? http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/smile.gif

Neil.

Maybe its down to the fact that to buy these parts abroad its CHEAPER!!!!!

Dan http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif

Hi Neil

We asked this on our tour round Prodrive and that was the answer i.e. the majority of Rallies are in countries that drive on the right ergo LHD.

Neil.

Blimey! Seems a bit soppy as most of the time the driver is sideways on both sides of the road!!
I'd assumed there was some ruling that governed this, as I've seen privateers who I wouldn't have thought would be worried about LHD/RHD that had made the conversion.
As many of these privateers running Scoobies are using 2 door derivatives, they must have been WRX/STi's and would only have come in RHD. I couldn't be bothered myself!

Neil.

I doubt if any are actually converted - they are either built from a bare shell with LHD parts or they start with a LHD car

How do you explain that the WRC Subaru that RB drives is made in Japan, and that they have right hand drive cars as we do in the UK??

Does RB drive LHD euro import??

Just a thought

Neil.

I believe the ruling forms part of the regulations ( don't quote me ) for group A / WRC cars.

Prodrive were saying that it was derived from the fact that most rallies were on countries which drive on right ( again this was my interpretation ).

Not so sure about Group N as we drove the Bill Gwynne Rallyschool Group N Impreza and that was RHD.

I know they are all based on STi WRX-RA/R models as these are the ones homolgated and can come in RHD or LHD.

Perhaps someone involved in Rally Car preparation could set the record straight.

Martin - The WRC RB Drives is assembled in Banbury with components made in Britain / Japan BUT it is still to the FIA Rules for WRC.

[This message has been edited by Neil Micklethwaite (edited 05 January 2001).]

To add a bit more...

You need to consider that a 1500km rally will involve about 1000km of road work. LHD is an advantage here and would make no difference 'on stage' to a top flight driver.

Group N cars are normally RHD, because they are probably only used in UK championships. Prodrive and others do build GpN cars in LHD if requested.

The shells are ambidextrous.

....ALL GOOD DRIVERS COME FORM COUNTRIES, WHERE IS LHD!!!!

simple!
ric

There are several reasons.

The majority of top-level drivers prefer LHD as they are from countries that drive on the right. They generally seem reluctant to drive rhd cars, whereas British drivers are more prepared to compete in lhd cars.

The majority of the rallies are held in countries that drive on the right which makes driving the car on the road much safer.

When the car is sold after use, being rhd would effectively limit the market to the UK, hence severely reducing it's sales potential.

Some competition cars such as the original M3 were never designed to be rhd as the steering column would interfere with the exhaust manifold. When the Legacy was originally designed, the gearchange was actually biased for lhd to make it easier to operate.

Mike