Prodrive Built WRC Spec Golf

[tbtstt]

Interesting little article on Autosport concerning a Golf that Prodrive have just finished building:

http://m.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116201

Car has apparently been built to match World Rally Car regulations, but with a 2.0L engine instead of 1.6L. The closing lines of the article mention the possibility of converting the car for use in rallycross.

[BertMk2]

Nice car - but the question is why?

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Nice car - but the question is why?

That had crossed my mind! According to the article "it has been built for a bespoke market"; a single customer with pots of cash, or in anticipation of something else?

The rallycross line is what caught my eye though, so I thought I'd throw the link up here and see if anyone had more info!

[BertMk2]

If it was aimed at Rallycross why go to the bother of building a rally version? Converting a rally car to rallycross spec is doable (as they did with the MINI) but surely if you're aiming at Rallycross you're better off building a rallycross car from the ground up. But like you say the "bespoke market" comment is intriguing - surely they must have a customer (or customers) with the money down otherwise it's rather an odd punt in the dark to take.

[Alex Langheck]

It's probably just a 'private project' like, the TMR GT-86 4WD for Akio Toyoda.
If Prodrive want to get back into WRC, then there is now a R-GT Cup; an Aston-Martin Vantage V8 GT3 comes to mind......

[FIRE]

For what series?

I have the impression Prodrive has lost it's way after the Mini WRC and Aston Martin LMP1 failures.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by FIRE

For what series?

I have the impression Prodrive has lost it's way after the Mini WRC and Aston Martin LMP1 failures.

I don't know - the Aston Martin Vantage hasn't done too badly in GT3 and GT4 spec (although the 'balance of power' settings may have had a hand in that?). I think it's more that they've not had the big money 'works' motorsport programs - the MINI effort always looked a bit half arsed from the start.

Having said all that - that Golf is still an odd car, even as a private project. 2 litre means it's not eligible for the WRC, it doesn't make sense to run it in any domestic series - it's got to be cheaper to buy an off the shelf WRC car (Focus, Impreza, C4, Xsara, Fabia) than developing a car from nothing. If it's aimed at rallycross why bother with building to WRC legality (apart from engine) - why not just build a rallycross car?

[FIRE]

And why VW? They are already in rally.

[tbtstt]

I have read a few comments on Facebook suggesting China or one of the Asian rally Championships.

Or perhaps Prodrive are looking at Rally America? Fairly sure the Golf would be eligible for that.

[leonidas]

Seems a bit of an expensive toy for the BTRDA!

Not really sure where else you could run it. Are there any full national championships left that allow cars that have never been homologated in class?

[USRallycross]

I don't think it is meant for Rally America. No-one over here would have the budget to run it! Outside of Subaru there is very little money in US rally - and even Subaru don't get much to run Higgins - Antoine L'Estage who is a great talent lost his Rockstar deal and Ken only does a few rounds.

Below those three there is lots of talent (Van Way, Roberts, etc.) but not budgets to run factory cars. These guys funds out of their own pockets.

Problem with US is travel costs alone take so much of the budget.

Not sure if you can get our TV footage over there but we recorded some really good shows for NBC Sports this year.


Mark

[RobScott]

maybe its for a guy who wants to do clubman events in a WRC car... seems to be a few of them about at the moment

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by USRallycross

Not sure if you can get our TV footage over there but we recorded some really good shows for NBC Sports this year.

Unfortunately not: although its far from the biggest National rally Championship, I have rather enjoyed following it the last few years. Just a shame there is so little in the way of coverage available, most of the footage I have seen has been via the Subaru "Launch Control" series.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by RobScott

maybe its for a guy who wants to do clubman events in a WRC car... seems to be a few of them about at the moment

They certainly give you a wake up call when they come flying past you on a stage! Personally I don't mind the WRC's being out there on clubbie events - I quite like seeing them in action (same goes for the 6R4's, 306 Maxis, F2 Kit cars, Super 1600's etc etc). We've caught and passed a WRC on a stage (ok so they only had 3 wheels but what the heck!), we've beaten a 306 Maxi (they made a navigational error and got a stage maximum). They're there to be shot at - they're expected to win so it's great for us when we can give them a fright.

The Golf though remains something of a puzzler - I haven't been able to dig up any further information about it or think of a decent reason for it to exist.

[rdjones]

I have just been reading another forum where there is a thread about this and someone has said that he has heard tjat Alistair McRae is involved in this project.

I have to say it is a bit of strange one, guess all will be revealed shortly.

[rx-guru]

Quote: «While the Golf is a rally car in its current specification, Gaw said a rallycross version could be a possibility.

"That's definitely possible," he said. "And it would only take a few modifications to do that."»

Looks to me like a Rallycross project covered with a red herring...

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by rx-guru

Quote: «While the Golf is a rally car in its current specification, Gaw said a rallycross version could be a possibility.

"That's definitely possible," he said. "And it would only take a few modifications to do that."»

Looks to me like a Rallycross project covered with a red herring...

That's an expensive herring! Why bother with the cloak and dagger stuff? Why not just say "we're building a rallycross car"?

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

That's an expensive herring! Why bother with the cloak and dagger stuff? Why not just say "we're building a rallycross car"?

Prodrive!
(Which, without this explanation would have been a one word answer!)

[rx-guru]

According to American Bill Wood (Tech House & Speed web radio) the Golf is for Chris Atkinson, to be used in rallying in China. Bill had a talk with Tanner Foust about the car the other day, as he was told it would be a car for Foust, to be used in US stage rallying. Foust denied and claimed he has currently no rally plans himself.

[Livewireshock]

Ok, here is a full explanation for this project. This is exclusively for China and more exactly for the FAW-Volkswagen Rally Team. There will be 3 cars built initially but possibly more could be built in the future for use in China. They are built to make the most of the Chinese Rally Championship's domestic rules and regulations and thus will make it unsuitable for most other championships in it's current form.

Why a Golf and not a Polo like the WRC team? Well, actually because there are two separate joint-venture companies involved with Volkswagen in China, FAW-Volkswagen and Shanghai Volkswagen, the former makes the Golf and the latter makes the Polo.

Chris Atkinson is one of the foreign drivers contracted to the team, with a selection of Chinese drivers (including the team principal, Chen De An) and one-off international drivers. In the past, the team has made 4WD and 2WD Chinese versions of the Golf and the team has been one of the dominant teams in 2014. The new Prodrive built cars will be used in 2015 to take things to a higher level.


This is a picture of the current Chinese built car at the Zhangye International Rally in July this year.

[FIRE]

What other cars are used in this series?

[rx-guru]

Saw that FAW-Volkswagen in the past homologated cars with FIA (the last was the Polo 1.6 A5669 I think). Are they going to homologate the Golf?

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by FIRE

What other cars are used in this series?

Mark Higgins recently ran a round of the Championship (which I believe he won) in a Group N Impreza.

From the post Higgins made about the competition in that round running a WRC-spec Golf seems like taking a gun to a knife-fight...

[Livewireshock]

Originally Posted by FIRE

What other cars are used in this series?

Sorry for the late reply, I was busy working at home so I can leave for China again next week. As for your question, there are only 5 to 6 rallies in the whole entire country (no provincial or club level events), with about the same with rallysprints. So with that, you will about 120-130 cars entered for each round from a wide variety of manufacturers.

The big teams are FAW-Volkswagen with Chris Atkinson as the lead driver running in the Golf. Subaru running with Mark Higgins in the lead car. Skoda in the Fabia, with Niall McShea as the lead driver. Sou'east is a joint venture with Mitsubishi, so run CRC spec Evo's with Patrick Sandell/Jari Ketomaa and a few others who drive for them from time to time.

Other minor teams are Lotus (actually rebadged Protons), Ford, BYD (with 1.8T electric hybrid) plus Chinese local brands such as JAC, Lijiang and many more that you would never have heard of.

Naturally there are quite a few Chinese drivers who vary greatly in skill and ability. It is a large gentleman's club with many businessmen running. They have little chance to race outside of China, so have limited chances to develop up and coming talents but some of them are good.

One interesting driver is Han Han, who has competed in PWRC in 2009 at selected rounds. He is Justin Beiber-like famous, with many girls stalking him and will even hide out in his hotel. His co-driver acts more like a bodyguard at times as he quickly arrives and disappears from the Service Park. What is he famous for? He is a novellist who has written many top selling teenage books and one of the biggest bloggers & weibo writers (Chinese Twitter). Despite all of this, he can drive well and has won several events and titles but has taken most of this year off to direct a movie.

[Livewireshock]

Originally Posted by rx-guru

Saw that FAW-Volkswagen in the past homologated cars with FIA (the last was the Polo 1.6 A5669 I think). Are they going to homologate the Golf?

The rules are only for Chinese domestic competition, so homologation will only be with the FASC (Federation of Automobile Sports China) and not with the FIA. The CRC rules, according to the Team Principal, Chen De An, are a much faster car than an R5.