suzuki swifts

[RICKY_BOBBY]

just wondering what peoples thoughts on the one make swift class for next year is. im an optimist so i hope it takes of with the success of the nova challenge or stock hatch but if everything has to be done through one supplier/preparation company this might put people of. eg me!
hopefully someone can shed a bit more light on whats happening asap as per usual those in the know are being a bit quiet which doesnt help peoples plans

cheers

[rallycrosscraig]

if it works with the new class then its great and it will look very professional.


when stock hatch was introduced (was that 2000?) it quickly became very popular, by the 2nd or 3rd season there was sometimes 50 to 60 cars entered in the class, great fun but imagine that now?

It was cheap to get started and easy to get people to come and try Rallycross.

This new series will raise the game but its not going to be budget motorsport so I cant see many people jumping in ( i hope they do), what do other people reckon?

[Hickey]

I think that the "arrive and drive" could be a very popular way of getting people into rallycross on an ad hoc basis - much like the RX150s have seen Mark Higgins, Kris Meeke and others giving it a go. Hopefully they will get the bug and stick around.

The issue with that is that we will see the champioinship suffer from inconsistent numbers of entries for each round, and that won't look great to the casual spectator.

Fingers crossed it will work out though - if we can get double figure entries (like the RX150s), it should provide a good couple of heats and a close final. Can't say fairer than that.

[sihorton]

I think it's a great idea for a series.

At the end of the day yes it is quite a bit of money, but when you look at the clio cup / ginetta's / legends etc and how popular they are and the size of the grids they attract, then there is definatelly potential for a 1 make class in rallycross.

I know these are also popular in the budget rally championships too, and also a great step forward toward a div1a class in the uk.

The other alternative to the swifts i would have liked to have seen would have been a class for Group N 4wd machines (scooby / evo's etc). I think this would have probubly been able to pull some ex-stage rally drivers into the sport with the machinery they already have and would have allowed another step up towards the supercar class from stocks / mods. I'm also sure this would have been very popular with the crowds.

Si

[schanche]

When a new Rallycross class is brought into place there is always an element of risk no doubd't untold amount of research has been done regarding practicality,cost,and avalibility of cars for the new one off series.I must admit i was a bit dubious when i first heard this? the choice of Suzuki I thought was very strange? I too imagined a cheap 4 wheel drive class would have been a good choice,Mitsubushi and Subarus in a joint class would prove a good spectacle and a good stepping stone up to Div 1.
But with Mr Gwynne involved I think maybe we could be on to a winner and with rent a cars and maybe a celebrity car at events similar to the Nova Challenge then maybe the future could be bright!
Would like to see one built to Div 1a spec maybe get Julian Godfrey onboard vast experiance in the class close ties with Dorans and competes in europe on a regular basis what a great advert for the Swift and the new class!..

Would like to see the winner from each round receave a days testing in Div 1 car and the overall class winner at the end of the year have drive at an event in Div 1 maybe the GP

So only time will tell but overall things look good

[RICKY_BOBBY]

i have only read brief comments on the swift class has anyone seen any costs. having done both i guess its going to come up somewhere between supermod and stock hatch budgets

[MESHGA]

Like i said on the other thread ! somewhere between 12 and 14 k or a bit more!
Rumour has it this was was destined for juniors but MSA havent approved the car at mo so rollinging out as this so who knows this could change????????
IMHO most drivers like to build their own car so you "know how they tick" when they need fixing on race day! and if you are handy a car car be made ready for racing at a fraction of the cost of buying from a "supplier" theres also the issue of parts supply? do you have to buy from builder?
Only a thought.

[leonidas]

I looked at the Swift Cup series in the BRC and it looked reasonable value - mainly because the Swift was homologated for several years and it was a chance to try some top rallies for sensible money.

However the Swift is not a massively powerful car - there are probably properly sorted stock hatches that will be quicker. If I was going spend that sort of money on rallycross I'd be looking for something a bit more exciting like a cheap 4wd class.

I appreciate you will be able to convert Swift rally cars to rallycross and back again but how much will this cost in cash and time? Will people bother?

[richorton]

Originally Posted by MESHGA

Like i said on the other thread ! somewhere between 12 and 14 k or a bit more!
Rumour has it this was was destined for juniors but MSA havent approved the car at mo so rollinging out as this so who knows this could change????????
IMHO most drivers like to build their own car so you "know how they tick" when they need fixing on race day! and if you are handy a car car be made ready for racing at a fraction of the cost of buying from a "supplier" theres also the issue of parts supply? do you have to buy from builder?
Only a thought.

Hi folk
12/14k is a lot of money for really is a stockhatch car .i know if i had 12/14k i build a super mod .i dont like the idea where as someone builds the cars as somefolk out here can build some really good cars them selfs .there cant be many suzuki swiffs left that are anygood as they are rot boxes
who came up with the idea of the swiff ? why not something more modden like the c2 or fiesta or civic ?

[MESHGA]

Originally Posted by richorton

Hi folk
12/14k is a lot of money for really is a stockhatch car .i know if i had 12/14k i build a super mod .i dont like the idea where as someone builds the cars as somefolk out here can build some really good cars them selfs .there cant be many suzuki swiffs left that are anygood as they are rot boxes
who came up with the idea of the swiff ? why not something more modden like the c2 or fiesta or civic ?

new shape swift rich!!!

[richorton]

Originally Posted by MESHGA

new shape swift rich!!!

sorry folk just seen the new shape swift

[MESHGA]

Originally Posted by richorton

sorry folk just seen the new shape swift

hehe !! Rich would of been good to see the over 60s racing at 35 mph

On a more serious note! the thing about racing to me and i know its so for most of us who havent got 000000's in the bank to get the "boys to build me a car" right up to our last euro champ(Will G) building the car is as much fun as racing it!

[bucko]

not getting into any arguments here thought the minicross where introducing the BMW mini although for the open why did they not and join forces !! and use the MDA with there experience !! and use the new shape mini !!

[MESHGA]

Originally Posted by bucko

not getting into any arguments here thought the minicross where introducing the BMW mini although for the open why did they not and join forces !! and use the MDA with there experience !! and use the new shape mini !!

It would of been a very good idea Paul As they have been out some time now ! recon 1 could be built fairly cheaply against the swift!and you have that following just because its a mini! even if its a BMW!

[StockHatch782]

I don't personally agree with the idea of the 4wd class. I've always thought rallycross needed an intermediate between stock hatch and supermod, and I think this is it. By introducing a 4wd class, the class structure in terms of budget would go: Stock hatch (2wd), Subarus/Evos (4wd), Supermod (2wd), Supercar (4wd), which doesn't seem to be a very logical class structure. Ideally, I suppose, there would be the Swift class AND a budget 4wd class, but the BTRDA supercar class wasn't exactly oversubscribed, was it?

I'll reserve judgement on the actual Swifts until I see them, but it sounds like a great idea to me and I really hope it takes off.

[leonidas]

Take the point about inconsistency in classes but isn't this just an expensive form of stock hatch? Or are they going to go to full Div 1a regs - in which case you'll be talking nearer £25k than £14k... and then if you have to buy everything from one supplier...

On the other hand you could go on autotrader or ebay and pick from a selection of evo 4s at less than £4k. Do a bit of prep work yourself and you could have a decent 4wd car on the grid for around £5k. And you don't have to go back to the same parts supplier when you break it...

I suppose its horses for courses but I would have thought the evo would be the better value!

[StockHatch782]

I see what you're saying, Leonidas, but it would be basically a step backwards into older machinery, wouldn't it? With the Swifts you're getting an updated version of stock hatch at a financial step roughly equivalent to a class up in rallying. You could build a supermod for less than 14k if you wanted but it wouldn't be a front-running car; an Evo or similar in wouldn't be cheap to run either.

[richorton]

Originally Posted by StockHatch782

I see what you're saying, Leonidas, but it would be basically a step backwards into older machinery, wouldn't it? With the Swifts you're getting an updated version of stock hatch at a financial step roughly equivalent to a class up in rallying. You could build a supermod for less than 14k if you wanted but it wouldn't be a front-running car; an Evo or similar in wouldn't be cheap to run either.

hi folks
dave you drove in stockhatch ,if you had 12/14k would you not build something faster than a stockhatch ? you ve also got to remember if these swifts dont take off then your stuck with a car thats cost you 12/14k and then if you want to convert it back to a rallycar to try and sell it even more money .its ok if you ve got a never endin wallet and need to get rid of some money but most folk dont ,i had some spare ten min this afternoon and found a 56 plate swift at 5000k ,so where does the 7/9k go on buildin it .i think someone is really rubbin there hands together if there selling them at 12/14k

[MESHGA]

hopefully theres a "BUY BACK" deal?

[leonidas]

For me the Swift cup worked in the BRC for two reasons... firstly it gave young drivers a ladder to compete on equal terms and get noticed by a future Suzuki WRC team... second it gave the clubman driver the chance to have a car they could take on the WRC or Euro circuit. So people were prepared to pay a premium for a fairly slow model.

Will it work in rallycross? The problem is that there is no chance this will lead to a ladder for younger rallycross drivers as Suzuki aren't going to get into rallycross. Second it is not a car you can take to major European events - if it is stock then it won't be competitive in the ERC (Div. 1a).

Obviously I hope there are people prepared to back the class but personally I can't see that there is a market...

[bucko]

i think the idea is great but to expensive in this climate rich boys and there toys !! to big a jump from the costs of running a stock hatch to a awift ,you could prob run a modified for that budget too

[StockHatch782]

Originally Posted by bucko

you could prob run a modified for that budget too

A nice thought, but if you compare like for like and look at the cost of a potentially class-winning car, then you can't.

Ric, if I had 14k and wanted to prove myself against equal machinery, I would definitely think about the Swifts, especially if I wanted to do rallying as well. (Just checked the bank account, and I don't have quite enough...!) Considering what some of the top stock hatches cost to build, I don't think it's really that expensive for a modern car. Anyway, I'm going to wait and see what it's like before I make a judgement either way.

[baldtom]

It will be good to see how Andrew Jordan goes in the new Swift on Bank Holiday Monday against the likes of Tony Lynch etc....... we will see if the new swift is going to be quicker than a well sorted stock hatch....

[Hickey]

He's also entered in the BTRDA Supermods (unless that's a mistake) so maybe they are using the event to fully gauge where the Swift fits in!

I hope it's a success next year, maybe even attracting some rallying guys to chance their arm in a rallycross car. I also hope that some of them are developed into a Div 1A car, surely it is feasable (especially with Godfrey's experience at the Doran's disposal)

Looking forward to Monday now!

[BertMk2]

Kevin Proctor ran a rally swift in supermods for one event didn't he? I seem to remember that he got on quite well in it, it certainly wasn't trailing behind the rest.

I guess the choice of model is limited to something that already has suitable competition parts available - so it'd need to be either a Fiesta, 206 or Swift as they all have a ready supply of parts available from the rally community.