Log in

View Full Version : WRC Classics: 1997 and 1999 France & Spain. FWD beats 4WD *Video and pics*



EJ25RUN
07-17-2009, 05:46 PM
http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq16/EJ25RUN/306-10.jpg?t=1247865296

1997 WRC Round 5: Rallye de España VIDEO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ7KKD2CCMc&NR=1)

Rally Notes-
Liatti vs Makkinen battle
306 F2 Class Battle


1997 WRC Round 5: Rallye de France VIDEO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4ZpJTL-N6Q)

Rally Notes -
Tommi Makinen's incredible 100 mph crash into a cow.
One of Colin McRae's greatest ever drives in the Impreza
Peugeot's 306 Maxi scares the competition on tarmac.


1999 WRC Round 5: Rallye de España VIDEO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiszgjuQS88)

Rally Notes -
The 4wds: Peugeot 206, Subaru Impreza, Ford Focus, Mitsu Evo VI, and Mitsu Carisma GT
The Fwds: F2 spec Citroen Xsara Kit Car (ex 306 Maxi)

1999 WRC Round 5: Rallye de France VIDEO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soUuGFDdJh8)

Rally Notes -
4WD Names: Colin McRae, Richard Burns, Carlos Sainz, Tommi Makinen, Didier Auriol, Juha Kankkunen, Gilles Panizzi.
Fwd names: Philippe Bugaalski.


Back in the mid 90's, the FIA wanted to create a class that would go below the WRC car. They created what was called Formula 2 (Kit Car). The class existed between 1995 and 2000 and in order to compete, the manufacture had to create a vehicle that was FWD, Naturally Aspirated, and built on an existing production platform.

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq16/EJ25RUN/306maxi08wi9.jpg?t=1247865249http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq16/EJ25RUN/306maxi01xq6.jpg?t=1247865350

In order to promote its 306 road cars, Peugeot sport created the 306 Maxi.
While most of the Kit cars were no match for the WRC cars of the time, the Peugeot was incredibly close. In fact, in 1996, 1997, and 1998, the Pug took many stage wins on tarmac rallies and finished on the podium on numerous occasions. It was so fast that the WRC runners began to argue its better power-weight ratio even though they had a traction advantage.

Rally-info quotes.

It didn't take long for Peugeot to create a car to the new F2 Kit Car rules based on the promising 306 S16. By the French Championship Rallye Alsace-Vogues 1995 the new 306 Maxi debuted and everybody just loved it. It was so wide that a stage had to be shortened because the 306 Maxi was wider than a bridge near the stage finish! And it was screaming like mad - but a lovely, dark noise - because the 306 Maxi engine was designed in line with the 406 STW touring car engine. But other than the touring car, no maximum rev rules applied to the 306 Maxi rally car and Peugeot Sport duely managed to let the thing rev beyond 10,000rpm without demolishing its reliability - which makes the claimed figure of near WRCar like 300BHP quite believable.

The most shocking case probably was the 1998 Tour de Corse, when Francois Delecour came 2nd, only a matter of seconds behind Colin McRae's Subaru Impreza WRC but in turn i.e. over 16 minutes ahead of Martin Rowe's F2 Renault Mégane or over 17 minutes ahead of Alister McRae's F2 Hyundai Coupé Kit Car! In fact Francois was beaten by Colin by only a few seconds, and that in mostly wet conditions and with a question mark over the legality of the tyres Subaru used.

In 1999, when Peugeot decided to create the 206 WRC car, the fwd 306 Maxi platform was then given to Citroen. Citroen sport then continued to run the new Xsara Kit Car (306 Maxi in disguise) against the WRC competition. To everyone's astonishment, the FWD Xsara was too fast for the 4wd competition in tarmac rallies. Philippe Bugalski won two events and even Peugeot Sport couldn't believe the cars success considering their 4wd 206.

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq16/EJ25RUN/espaacatalua1999citronxdc3.jpg?t=1247865644http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq16/EJ25RUN/espaacatalua1999citronxif3.jpg?t=1247865566

VooDooXII
07-17-2009, 07:40 PM
The Xsara was always one of my favorite rally cars and I'm always surprised to find out it was one of the few FWD cars.

I haven't followed rally racing in a while, and I think it's some of the most exciting type to watch.

Rally has lost some of its greats though...Mark Lovell, Colin McRae and Richard Burns, and what untimely deaths.

Elbow
07-18-2009, 07:01 AM
Awesome I never knew that Peugeot was a kit car classed car haha. Same with the Xsara, that Peugeot has always been one of my favorites though, I love the looks of it.

I really liked this time of rally racing, probably because it's when I was young and really started watching. Thanks for the videos and info! Great informative writeup as usual.

Edit: Watching the first video gotta love that NA sound! :goodjob:

JITB
07-19-2009, 01:21 PM
i remember watching these and thinking how brave and amazing that is for them to be doin so well with the fwd setup.

matthewAPM
07-19-2009, 08:22 PM
badass. cant wait to see WRC back on tv!

garagdoorman
07-19-2009, 08:31 PM
Amazing how close the crowd is with no safety fence. Nice vids

StraightSix
07-21-2009, 05:09 PM
Amazing how close the crowd is with no safety fence. Nice vids

You should see some of the vids from the "Killer Bs" era. European rally fans are freakin' insane. I recall seeing on video with a car approaching a crowd lined portion of the course and several people can be seen diving from the middle of the road back into the crowd as the car approaches.

Nice thread, EJ. I never knew the Xsara was FWD. I always figured if the car was a WRC car, then it was AWD.

josh green
07-21-2009, 08:25 PM
That Peugeot is something fierce! The sound it makes is also very sweet! I was unaware that that it was FWD as well. I for one am a FWD guy, so it makes me happy to see that the FWD is still a competitive chassis. Well, it was back then dont really know about now. Very few manufacturers have any sport model FWDs left. The cornering speed of that 306 maxi is just incredible though!

Formally...
07-22-2009, 09:58 AM
Cool vids. I miss the Sunday night WRC on Speed. Best form of motorsports for spectating.

EJ25RUN
07-22-2009, 07:07 PM
That Peugeot is something fierce! The sound it makes is also very sweet! I was unaware that that it was FWD as well. I for one am a FWD guy, so it makes me happy to see that the FWD is still a competitive chassis. Well, it was back then dont really know about now. Very few manufacturers have any sport model FWDs left. The cornering speed of that 306 maxi is just incredible though!

The WRC Xsara is 4wd. This particular car ran in the F2 class which was supposed to be significantly slower than the 4wd cars. On tarmac, this wasn't always the case.

Xsara Kit Car (F2 class Fwd) (http://www.rallye-info.com/carspecs.asp?car=73)

Xsara WRC (WRC Class 4wd) (http://www.rallye-info.com/carspecs.asp?car=28)

cjhutch
07-25-2009, 07:15 PM
I just started watching WRC not too long ago and I have a lot of catching up to do. So far my favorite is the Audi Ur Quattro. I would love to have one like this

http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/1985_Audi_Ur_Quattro_Coupe_Rally_Tribute_Front_1.j pg