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Thread: WRC main class in 2025
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24th December 2023, 07:07 #501
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Yeah, they have always had an aversion to rallying and never saw it as something to get involved with, I’m sure I read somewhere in the 80’s they didn’t like the car being dirty for marketing.
Personally, I think they were a little short sighted on the Prodrive Mini idea as that could have leveraged the brand historically and provided a good source of customer Motorsport through Prodrive as stated above.
- Likes: AndyRAC (24th December 2023),EstWRC (24th December 2023)
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24th December 2023, 08:02 #502
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And yet they've recently raced Dakar with both BMW and Mini for more than a decade...
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24th December 2023, 09:18 #503
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24th December 2023, 09:25 #504
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24th December 2023, 09:58 #505
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24th December 2023, 12:17 #506
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Others no doubt know more than me, but as I understood it, the project was not a BMW (Mini) project or idea. Prodrive were allowed to use the brand and received some technical help, but there was no financial involvement at all from the factory and the whole thing relied on Prodrive obtaining a commercial sponsor to fund it into 2012 onwards. Prodrive backed it for 2011 to prove the cars worth for attracting a sponsor, but it didn’t happen and the project fell apart.
It was a shame as the chassis was reportedly very good, although the engine was certainly not as good as the others.
- Likes: AndyRAC (24th December 2023),cali (24th December 2023),HKSjbg (24th December 2023),Jewy46 (2nd January 2024),seb_sh (24th December 2023),TWRC (28th December 2023)
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24th December 2023, 12:26 #507
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From memory (and without looking it up) Prodrive had plans for a generic WRC car, and managed to sell the idea to BMW-Mini. BMW financed the early development/engine, etc It was then up to Prodrive to get a budget for an WRC assault from 2012 onwards, as BMW were returning to the DTM that year, and that was obviously their priority. There were plenty of mainstream news stories in 2011, even on BBC news about the Mini return to the WRC - all part of the plan to get finance/sponsorship. There were rumours of supposed big sponsors signing up, but nothing concrete. There were some promising performances in the few events they did, Meeke setting fastest time in the Rallye Catalunya Power Stage. All seemed good for 2012......
And then just before Christmas 2011, the famous tweet from Meeke....The Mini programme was in trouble and they required a pay driver in the second seat alongside Dani Sordo.
Is there a better sound than that of Porsche engined Flat-6 ???
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24th December 2023, 12:54 #508
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24th December 2023, 15:10 #509
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Can they do much about it? E.g. VWs carry on despite VW not wanting to carry on. This is if Dave has his way and if the FIA allows it. The realistic block at top level is the willing manufacturers not wanting competition. With WRC2 being a teams championship, there's no good reason I can see, as the future comes, why this isn't the way forward. It could even be the only way to retain ICE cars and keep people happy.
Last edited by WRCStan; 24th December 2023 at 15:23.
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26th December 2023, 09:46 #510
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In old days, importers in each country had own teams, building own cars.
Why would a manufacturer deny an official importers rallyteam based on a spaceframe and a productionbased engine?
I know its a long step fram a Escort MK2 to todays Rally1 cars, but someone around are able to build and finance a rallyteam.
Maybe rallying for a manufacturer is a dead horse anyway, maybe it has to be changed to more open and more simple rules to survive?
Sent fra min SM-S901B via TapatalkRadioreporter @ www.radiomotor.no
KNA Lillehammer Motorsport
- Likes: lmmjvss (27th December 2023),macebig (27th December 2023)
Really?? I'm no fan of F1, but too many here have a giant chip on their shoulder about F1......Compared to the WRC, it's actually a well run series....unlike the WRC which is extremely amateur a lot...
WRC main class in 2025