Ford might quit next year?

Ford might call it a quit next year (2004) due to cost..

Where will Markko go?:mad:

They were doing pretty well better this year than last year

I think they just need to hire a new crew of a mechanics:lol:
 
Wow, that'll be a thin field next year. Is Mitsubishi coming back anyway?
 
Mitsubishi will be back in full effect next year with Gilles Panizzi (full schedule) and Kristian Sohlberg (for the most part of the schedule)
I'm still not buying these "Ford will quit" rumors, seems highly unlikely. And if they do, too bad, but the WRC will go on.
 
Originally posted by Viper_Maniac
Hyundai's out? Why?

Let's just say that they weren't particularly happy with the value for money that they were getting from Motor Sport Developments, whom they had contracted to build and run the cars.

Can't say any more at this point.
 
i dont think that ford is withdawing from the wrc thats one of those rummors that you only see on a message board

ford has to long of a history w/ the wrc to drop out now
i think it was a bad move this year to go with new drivers to put more money in R and D but they still have at least one ford finish in the top 10 every race
 
I wouldnt be surprised. Those rally cars are all about advertisement. People see those cars race under those conditions and go "Wow!!... I can buy one of those." As to with Ford, they dont make a profit off of it because they dont offer a Turbo Focus or for that matter an AWD one. So with racing that car Ford gets its name out but can't make a profit off of showing what the car "can do" because to the average buyer, It can't. Hyundai did the same thing last year in the SCCA ProRally, They backed out because they weren't making a profit off of racing the car. They used Mitsubishi everything in their rally car so what good was it to their company. Mitsubishi and Subaru are known for their EVO and STi because they are manufactured rally cars that fall under actual SCCA and WRC Rally classes. You show me one EVO or STi owner that isnt a Rally enthusiast and I will be impressed. What does Ford have to show for what they do.. nothing.
 
TS1AWD: your point is partially valid. Ford do sell the Focus RS, which is turbocharged, although it may not be available in the US.

And it's already the top-selling car in its class, which makes continued expenditure on promotion seem to be doomed to produce limited results.
 
Originally posted by TS1AWD
As to with Ford, they dont make a profit off of it because they dont offer a Turbo Focus or for that matter an AWD one.

You may not have anything in the US, but here in Europe Ford has at least had a try.

We get the Focus RS over here, Ford advertise it very heavly on the back of the WRC.

http://www.ford.co.uk/ie/focus/foc_overview/foc_rs/-/-/-/-#

It uses a turbo'd version of the 2.0 duratec engine. Spec is 215 ps (about 210 bhp) @ 5,500rpm and 310Nm of torque at 3,100rpm. 0-60 is a claimed 6.4 secs with a claimed top speed of 144 mph.

It may not have 4WD and personally I'd rather have an Evo, but they are selling well over here.
 
Okay well as being over here unfortunatly, its harder to keep up with the different cars, but hopefully my statement still has a point :odd:
 
It doesnt, and Ford will probably be offering a supercharged or turbo'd SVT focus sometime in the next couple of years. If not, theyre still fairly cheap enough to buy a supercharger for them.
 
yep i would have purchased a focus if i could have got ti w/ a turbo insted i bought the 1.8t gti
thats the problem in the states, the focus is a economy car , even if you get the svt package it still dosent drive or feel like a sports car
personaly i hope they bring the escort gt back, now that thing was fun on a dirt road :D
 
Originally posted by ShobThaBob
It doesnt, and Ford will probably be offering a supercharged or turbo'd SVT focus sometime in the next couple of years. If not, theyre still fairly cheap enough to buy a supercharger for them.

'05 SVT Focus will be our Focus RS from what I hear. The RS isn't sold here because it doesn't meet our emissions I believe, but don't quote me on that. There have been spied photos of the next Focus and low and behold, what's that? An intercooler!? It's thought that the '05 SVT Focus will be either supercharged or turbocharged. The emissions issue was solved by the next engine the Focus will be using starting in '05, the very green Mazda 2.3L. Unfortunately I think I like the 2.0 duratec better, especially the SVT one (do some research on that thing it's awesome!).

Just a little extra something for the Year of the Car.

Ford obviously DID NOT quit 2004 WRC. I didn't watch it yesterday but when I watched them race on Monte Carlo, Ford came out on top leading by 4 points.

What's wrong with the Focus as a rally car? Hell I think a Cavalier would make a decent rally car.
 
ok.. whats left now.. french and subaru.. man i miss the days where the italians were dominating and audi actually could compete. Sigh.. no more category B..
 
Focus RS - from £20,100
Key features
• Rally-derived suspension
• Wide track for stability

• Thatcham Category 1 alarm
• Leather-clad Sparco road-race seats
• Leather steering wheel
• Metal-finished driving pedals
• Polished alloy gear knob
• Air conditioning
• 6 CD player with remote controls
• One-push starter button
• Blue backlit dials

• Turbo boost gauge
• Change up warning light

• Available in 2.0i petrol

:irked: Bet we won't see the features in the US model.

This is ****ed up... I remember back in early 90's they had great races and cars like in the Enduro race series. I was never able to see them then, finally I got speed vision and then what happens they decide to turn everything to ****. That's great... Now they are gonna **** away the Rally races. Oh, and yeah Ford can you make the Focus RS but ugly before you send it over here?? Thanks.
 
Originally posted by Drifting Thunda
What's wrong with the Focus as a rally car? Hell I think a Cavalier would make a decent rally car.


I think any car would make a decent rally car if $500,000 were invested into it. because that is about the average cost of a WRC car these days. unless you weren't talking exclusively WRC. and remember, FI doesn't make the Focus RS a Focus RS. the artwork that is the RS's suspension + the engine makes the RS an RS. but you probably already knew that right? either way, I would kill for one, it's a frickin RS!!!













ROCK.:cool:
 
i heard some weird shiat in my life but nothing tops the comparison of a focus to a cavalair, listen to me boy ford has been in rallying before you where even born, who ever came up with that stupid analogy. :grumpy:

and yes a cavalair can be entered into rallying, as soon as the humiligation process is taken care of the car would be eligible to rally, and chevy would have no problem with that cause they already manufactured and sold more than 2500.00 of these cars of the year, let's say 2004.
here is some info: taken from: http://www.rallycars.com/Cars/Homologation.html
In order for a vehicle to be able to take part in FIA approved races it has to be produced to a minimum number of units by its manufacturer, 5000 for the GroupN class, 2500 for the GroupA class and 200 for the now extinct GroupB. These units have to be similar, in aspect and mechanically, to the ones that will effectively take part in racing i.e. if the racing vehicle has a 4 wheel drive transmission so must also have the homologation base vehicle. Certain mechanical and electronic parts that are present in the racing vehicle must also be present in the homologation base unit. If modifications are required to the competition version then a new series of street going vehicles that include them will have to be produced. These cars were bred by racing for racing.

and yeah one more thing, FORD will never leave rallying, god bless the cosworth team :D:D
 
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