While news about F1 are the most important today WMSC also decided to introduce a 1600cc turbo spec engine for WRC and WTCC from 2011. IMHO it's a great news for both series and can help them (especially WRC) to survive. Any other opinions?

Is it that great? In rally the biggest cost seems to be all the stuff that breaks.

Manufacturers cant be that impressed but I guess racing teams will do just fine.

Will Subaru return to WRC?

Concerning WRC, IMHO the best part is that we have something certain now. AFAIK the most expensive part of the WRC car is the transmission and there was no word about it in WMSC decision. If they make it spec the the costs will reduced heavily.

The WRC and touring car racing are dead.
They died with Group N and the ITC.


Spec crap is just spec crap, and no good ever comes out of it.

I'm happy to hear this news. Hopefully we will get some teams back and for God's sake please let anyone that bids for it show it in the US. I don't care if it is 250 grand. DO IT!!!!!!!!!

I wonder if Subaru wants to be in a spec-engine series.

Subaru is known for their boxer-engines, and.. well.. why do they want their cars to have a different engine?

Horror! Idiotic measure.

It's not spec at all.

It's a fixed engine size.


I suppose with the new emissions rules, all Euro makers want to sell small car with 1.4-1.6L turbo petrol engines instead of 2.0L N/A... hence they want to race the same.



I suppose any car should be homologated for WRC? So that it's a battle of Evo and Sti for 9th with the works Audi RS4 quattros from P5-P8 and the works Nissan GTRs from P1-4!?

They are allowed.

Gearboxes must be X dollars... there is the Xtrac, Sadev etc options.


If Subaru return, then can build their own gearbox and transmission suitable for boxer, provided they are able to sell it to other teams running Scoobys for X dollars.

It's better than the 2.0 NA S2000 engines that produce no where near enough torque to be a rally engine. But spec engines are something I've never, ever been for. Spec turbos and gearboxes perhaps but not the loud bit itself.

I think this is a big mistake. I can't see it taking off at all.

What about the old RWD Escorts? Weren't they NA 2l or so? Agree on spec engines being bad though, especially as small capacity turbo engines really are road relevant. I think it's a good move overall. Now if only the BTCC would fall in line with these rules and do away with the forced FWD too.

Have they adopted it as well? I thought they still had some BMWs this year.

The new BTCC rules are for next year I believe.

Loeb out of Polish Rally?

Now that Grönholm isn't there someone has to find the rocks