To attract more manufacturers into the World Rally Championship, president of FIA Max Mosley proposes new set of cost cutting rules. Here is an article from WRC.com about this...

"Max Mosley, the president of the FIA - world motorsport's governing body - has put forward a proposal for new regulations for the World Rally Championship which he says will cut costs and could encourage new manufacturers to enter the sport.

The Super 2000 regulations, which encourage the use of common parts and limit sophisticated and expensive components and development, have been highly successful in the FIA's European Touring Car Championship and could be adapted for use in rallying. Costs to produce such a car are likely to be substantially less than their current level, which could encourage firms such as Suzuki, Renault and Fiat - who are currently not in the WRC - to enter if the rules were introduced for 2006.

Super 2000-style rally cars would be powered by a two-litre, normally aspirated engine producing around 250-270bhp, and highly-complex transmission systems such as the active differentials which are de rigeur on modern WRC cars would be banned in favour of more cost effective solutions. Gearboxes would likely be standard sequential units, and the use of exotic materials, such as titanium, ceramics, magnesium and composites would be banned unless they are already used on the original homologated production car.

Manufacturers currently competing in the WRC are currently in discussion about how to cut costs in the championship and Mosley is asking for feedback about his proposal ahead of a meeting in October. Any discussion about the future regulations of the WRC would have to take into account the plans of manufacturers - such as Citroen with the new C4 and Ford with the 2006-specification Focus - in developing cars for 2005 and beyond."

Also, as if forcing to take out Subaru's turbochargers wasn't enough, there are also talks about all WRC cars having to run transversally mounted engines. Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system with it's longitudinally mounted engine and transmission will not comply with the new rules if they were to get accepted.

P.S. I had to edit this post, since I want it to be on the front page and since you are the first one to post about it, these are your news. I just wanted it too look better for the front page...

 

if so, that would be ghey...

 

mos' def'. if it ain't broke, don't fix it right?

 

Confirmed....

All competitors will use a transverse 4 Naturally aspirated engine. They are hoping to encourage other manufacturers to participate in WRC. They mentioned that Subaru will have to build a new engine and Cintroen will have to scrap it's new C4 project. This will change WRC as we know it if these new regulations are implemented. Boo hoo for no boost

 

Seems stupid, why mandate any engine configuration? I don't really understand why that would encourage new manufacturers.

 

Petter Wins!

 

That sucks the big one !!

 

lowers cost for new teams to compete in... i guess...

considering the WRC is under the FIA umbrella, they are trying to the same thing they did to F1...

 

Kevin, where did you read that it was comfirmed?

 

This would be the dumbest thing ever.

Why not just have everyone drive the same exact damn car while they're at it.

 

I agree what the hell is next, to frustated to think

 

I haven't heard that its confirmed yet, but it sounds very possible. I can't believe that the FIA would require transverse mounted engines. The rumors of N/A and ditching sequential gearboxes and active diffs has been floating around for a while and is fairly controversial, but the transverse engine stuff is just crap. Argh.

 

They mentioned "active" transmissions to be banned. Regular sequential trannies will be ok. So, that's not really a loss, as the sequential transmissions just gave their place to "smart" trannies just few years back.

I don't think that Subaru would ever go for it if they would require transversally mounted engine and N/A. They would have to homologate the car first. Do do that, thet would have to produce it. And, they are not going to do that I think. At least with Impreza. They might cook up something tiny and stupid just to be able to participate. Something like Justy. A tiny NA I-4 hatch. Boo!

 

What kind of affect do you guys think this will take on the actual production of Impreza. I mean of course they would still make a turbo STI or will they?