Peugeot making a return with 207?

[Freddie]

This just keeps getting better and better! First Suzuki, now this:

This is a concept car to be shown at Geneva, known as the 207 RCup. Fully functional, it boasts a two-litre four (No word on turbo) providing 280hp at 8500rpm, to all four wheels via a sequential transmission. Numbers hint that this car is designed for new low-cost "Super 2000"-class (Anyone know anything more about this?).

I'm still holding my fingers crossed for a full-out WRC-car, though, considering they're doing major revisions to how the rallys are done, cutting costs everywhere.

Edit: Article at WRC.com, more info there.

 

[Tourettes Guy]

I missed this car, it's a hell of a lot better than the 307...

 

[Dave A]

Not keen on the front, it reminds me of a grouper fish. Overall the car looks cool, but it's definitely not WRC spec.

 

[VTRacing]

This is a concept car to be shown at Geneva, known as the 207 RCup. Fully functional, it boasts a two-litre four (No word on turbo) providing 280hp at 8500rpm, to all four wheels via a sequential transmission. Numbers hint that this car is designed for new low-cost "Super 2000"-class (Anyone know anything more about this?).

I'm still holding my fingers crossed for a full-out WRC-car, though, considering they're doing major revisions to how the rallys are done, cutting costs everywhere.

Edit: Article at WRC.com, more info there.

There will never be a World Rally Car (ie turbocharged etc.) version of either of these cars.

The truth is that WRC regulations have changed. World Rally Cars as they are now will be phased out over the next few years, and in their place will be Super 2000. Super 2000 will normally aspirated 2 litre, 4-wheel-drive cars running a control Sadev 6-speed sequential transmission and diff package. Minimum weights will be lower.

Both this Peugeot and the Suzuki in the other thread are going to be built to S2000 regs.

The upside is that more manufacturers are interested in Super 2000 than in building current-type WRCars because just about every manufacturer has a small 4-cylinder car that they could build easily into a contender. Certainly more than are currently interested in turbocharged models.

Rumour has it that Fiat are already testing a Punto version. Ford with the Fiesta. The Peugeot and Suzuki here in these threads. VW are also interested, including Audi and Skoda.

The hope is that up to 10 manufacturers will get involved. The cars will be relatively cheap to build, will rev to 8500 rpm and sound great. They are looking for S2000 cars to match (and hopefully exceed) the performance of current Group N models from Subaru and Mitsubishi.

 

[Jay]

I don't like the sound of all that .

 

[Freddie]

I do like the sound of it, however. More cars = more fun. Or at least more drivers, and that some drivers who missed out on seats might get another chance.👍

I'm all for it.

 

[Poverty]

Theyre making WRC cars too slow. I want Gruppe B back.

 

[dkstz]

sweeeet 💡 That would be good, and all this talking about new regulations and S2000 divisions is a bit confusing. It's still to early to talk about that, especially until next year... the calendar for 2007 is terrible. But it's a season that will preceed some changes in the WRC.
I guess rally will change a lot from now on with all those things... Just hope that rally doesn't become less interesting with so many people around it.

But what about the Impreza and the Lancer, taht are turbocharged from the factory? Will they have to "de-tune" the car to meet the new regulations?

 

[Poverty]

If imprezas and evo's have to be detuned I sure as hell will never watch any rallying again. I can only see subaru and mitsu wanting to start their own organisation except that both manufacturers arent exactly rich.

 

[Appie]

want to sse that coming:tup:

 

[Jay]

But what about the Impreza and the Lancer, taht are turbocharged from the factory? Will they have to "de-tune" the car to meet the new regulations?

These are the sort of things that are worrying me, If they are forced to go NA tuned that will greatly disappoint me.

 

[red70mach1]

These days it not entirely impossible to make 300 plus horsepower in NA Tune of 2.0 liter four cylinder. If ist going to happen I'll it. Give the manufacturers a challenge of rule set in this box and not get out of it.

 

[Jay]

These days it not entirely impossible to make 300 plus horsepower in NA Tune of 2.0 liter four cylinder.

Yeah, not impossible at all, I have no doubt what so ever they could make a 300hp+ 2.0L N/A tuned engine, but the engines will loose much of the torque they got with the 300hp turbocharged engines and then they're probably going to sound like those BTCC 2.0L cars so the awesome sound (imo) will be lost also.

 

[Threshold]

That car is awesome. Sometimes I wonder why companies don't bring their cars to the US. First it was the R34, and now this.

 

[Danny]

Theyre making WRC cars too slow. I want Gruppe B back.

Okay. And let's put chainsaw wielding maniacs at random intervals along each stage too.

 

[SRV2LOW4ME]

I hope we do get a chance to see this in the WRC. I was in love with the 206, and unfortuantly, the 307 doesn't compare. I'm not a huge fan of this cars front end, but the overall design is amazing, and the wide body stance makes it look even meaner. They have a winner here in my opinion. 👍

 

[Ram-Rod]

It looks like we've got some more competition.

 

[Tedehur]

These are the sort of things that are worrying me, If they are forced to go NA tuned that will greatly disappoint me.

Why would anyone be disappointed ?
Mitsubishi official cars didn't perform well at all over the past years, while this year both Gigi Galli and Daniel Carlsson do pretty well in the same Lancers. And their teams are far from having the budget the official team had !
IMO, it has nothing to do with the car specifications. There are many teams skilled and motivated enough to do a great job on their cars, whatever the specifications can be.
They just need a better media coverage : how many people do think that WRC rallies feature only a dozen cars (the ones they can see on TV), while there are over 60 cars if you include the JWRC and PWRC ?

Cheaper specs (2000cc NA) will enable much more teams to enter the championship and perform well, so I would like the fact that the WRC specs disappear to be replaced by lower specs.

 

[VTRacing]

Cheaper specs (2000cc NA) will enable much more teams to enter the championship and perform well, so I would like the fact that the WRC specs disappear to be replaced by lower specs.

Bingo.

That's the reasoning behind the changes, and hopefully they will encourage more manufacturers to enter (or re-enter) the sport. Plus, the cars will rely more on driver ability as opposed to the active diff map thought up by the engineers.

Those who lament the loss of Group B, who feel that WRCars are too sanitised, are often unaware of the fact that a current WRCar is faster on a stage than the 600hp monsters. Advances in tyre and differential technology far outweigh the supposed loss of horsepower.

Given that fact, and in the wake of the death of a World Championship competitor, I think it is quite reasonable to look at ways of keeping speeds in check.

 

[Tedehur]

Bingo.

That's the reasoning behind the changes, and hopefully they will encourage more manufacturers to enter (or re-enter) the sport. Plus, the cars will rely more on driver ability as opposed to the active diff map thought up by the engineers.

Those who lament the loss of Group B, who feel that WRCars are too sanitised, are often unaware of the fact that a current WRCar is faster on a stage than the 600hp monsters. Advances in tyre and differential technology far outweigh the supposed loss of horsepower.

Given that fact, and in the wake of the death of a World Championship competitor, I think it is quite reasonable to look at ways of keeping speeds in check.

Yep.
Toivonen's death in 1986 resulted in Group-B cars being banned, perhaps Beef's death (and Markko's decision to quit rally driving) will (unfortunately) result in WRC specs to be modified toward a more interesting Super 2000 category.

 

[Jay]

Why would anyone be disappointed ?

I enjoy the sound of the turbo cars, I don't care how well Mitsubishi did I enjoy watching and listening to them, sure I would like to see N/A tuned cars also but I will be disappointed if the turbos are gone.

 

[VTRacing]

Trust me, the new World Rally Cars will sound good.

Different, obviously, but depending on your outlook they may even sound better. Anyone who has heard a Super1600 in full flight will know what I mean.