SUBARU RALLY SUCCESSES - PRODRIVE
Marlboro Media Guide '94 states the following, (for vast
amounts of other information go to the Website)
A relative newcomer to international motorsport, Subaru has
worked closely with Prodrive, the Banbury firm run by the former co-driver, David
Richards, since 1990.
With more than 100 employees, Prodrive has full
responsibility for all technical developments under its engineering director, David
Lapworth. It won the 1987 Tour of Corsica for BMW and also enjoyed success with Austin
Rover and Porsche in the 1 980s.
Subaru became seriously involved in rallying in the early 1
980s with the New Zealand driver, "Possum" Bourne, and rugged, underpowered,
four-wheel drive cars such as the Leone and the RX Turbo, which were often competitive in
the new Group A category. It has now become one of the top World Championship teams and
scored its first outright victory on a World Championship on the 1993 Rally of New Zealand
.
David Richards
Managing Director - Prodrive
Subaru Impreza 555
Engine: 1 994cc, flat 4,16 valves, four-cam, STI sequential injection with IHI turbo.
Transmission: 6-speed, semi-automatic Prodrive gearbox with four-wheel drive and Prodrive
mechanical/hydraulic centre differential.
Suspension: McPherson strut front and rear.
Weight: 1200 kilogrammes.
Tyres: Pirelli.
Prodrive Ltd., Acorn Way,
Banbury, Oxon OX16 7XS Britain
(tel: 44 295 273355, fax: 271188).
How the points work
The World Rally Championship is open to Group A, Group N and Formula
2 cars, with the quickest cars generally running in Group A.
GROUP A cars are heavily modlfied, but based on production cars. The
manufacturer must make at least 2500 examples of the road car in 12 months before it can
be used in competition, and the standard version must be a four seater - assuming the
engine is larger than one litre.The rally car must be broadly slmilar to its road
counterpart. The steel bodyshell must be retained, along with major engine components,
such as the cylinder block, the cylinder head, and the turbo. Turbochargers must be fitted
with a 38 millimetre air restrictor.
All suspension parts may be changed, but they must work in the same
way as the original sus- pension: the mounting points on the bodyshell may be moved, but
only within strict limits. The transmission must be generally similar to the standard
cars: it isn't permited to turn a two- wheel drive into a four-wheel drive car. However,
manufacturers can use substitute gearboxes and differentials by specifying them in
advance. In the same way, they can replace the entire braking system.
GROUP N cars are much more standard than Group A cars, and are
sometimes known as the "showroom class". They must be made in the same quantity
as Group A cars, but they must retain all the standard seats and interior trim. Full
safety and rally equipment can be fitted, as in Group A, which includes roll cages, fire
extinguishers, sumpguards, and extra lights, but the only performance modifications are
replacement springs and shock absorbers, competition tyres, and harder-wearing brake pads.
Turbo Group N cars must also be fitted with a 36 millimetre air restrictor.
TOUR CAR CUP cars - commonly known as "FORMULA 2" cars -
are full Group A machines, but less sophisticated and therefore cheaper than the most
competitive Group A cars. They have the same freedom in performance modifications, but
they can only be front-wheel drive, and they must have engines of a maximum of two litres,
without super or turbocharging. - |
PRODRIVE
