By: Dave Abrahams
Wolfsburg, Germany - From next year, World Rally Championship cars are going to be even more spectacular - more powerful, lighter and more agile.
This rendering, which Volkswagen admits is still speculative, is the first we've seen of a 2017-spec WRC car. The Wolfsburg skunk works have been busy on this project ever since the FIA released the new regulations for rallying's premier league in mid-2015, and they make very interesting reading.
The 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol format is retained, as is the boost limit of 2.5 bars - but the intake restrictor plate has been opened up from 33mm to 36mm, the same size as those used in World Touring Car engines.
Volkswagen Motorsport boss Jost Capito says that'll give the Polo R WRC about 45kW extra - up to about 280kW. Minimum weight has been reduced by 25kg, from 1200kg to 1175kg, and the cars are now allowed to use an electronic centre differential.
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But the big news is the aerodynamics package: minimum length has been slightly increased to 3900mm, and the cars are allowed an extra 60mm overhang in front, as well as 30mm at the rear.
The allowable size of the fixed rear wing has been radically increased, as has the width of the front splitter and sills (by 50mm!) which will not only look more dramatic, but also give the manufacturers more freedom to experiment with the car’s aerodynamics, adding significantly to downforce and enabling even more spectacular cornering.
Which is why Capito says the shape of the 2017 VW Polo R WRC is likely to change significantly between now and its first outing at the Rally Monte Carlo in January 2017.
What is certain, however, is that it will be a lot faster the current car, and considerably more of a handful to control - and that, according to multiple WRC champion and defending title-holder Sebastien Ogier, is the way rally drivers like it.