The largest Civic Type R club forum

[Sam_EP3]

Another major manufacturer has pulled out of motorsport, seeing as rallying and the success of the Impreza made the brand what it is today, its a very sad day for motorsport fans!

http://www.pistonheads.com/motorsport/d ... ryId=19125

[Tec]

With Suzuki and Subaru gone, more could well follow. Looks like WRC 2009 could be game over. Citroen has finance issues as does everyone else.

Might as well cut the losses and abort.

[sn:afu]

According to the yaho business, 2009 is going to be the hardest year for car manufactuers the head of Fiat came out and said he expects there to be only 6 major manufacturers left and to expect another 24% decrease in sales.

So it seems, everyone is cutting un-necessary spending in an attempt to remain aflot - Honda from F1 and now Subaru from WRC :badrazz:

[Papillon]

What's interesting is that it's the most profitable companies that are pulling the plug first.

[unabashed]

What's interesting is that it's the most profitable companies that are pulling the plug first.

maybe that's why the're so profitable?

[Papillon]

What's interesting is that it's the most profitable companies that are pulling the plug first.

maybe that's why the're so profitable?

Yep. Same thoughts as me.

[Allyham]

Doh!

[Mark83]

With GM and Citroen in financial trouble, how much longer will WRC continue as we know it.

[EvoStu]

With GM and Citroen in financial trouble, how much longer will WRC continue as we know it.

Not much longer. Seeing as though that only leaves 2 manufacturers left in it.

Pointless. Shut it down for a year or 2.

EvoStu.

[dandemoraliser]

couldn't believe this mental the way of the world at the moment..........

[Russ*CTR*]

Does this mean next year cars will decrease even more than this year...?? If so ....Triumph Dolomite... here i cometh :thumbup:

[Ali]

At this rate, we'll all be able to turn up at a WRC event in our road cars and have a go for a small fee!!!

This has been rumoured about but I still can't believe it happened! Worth remembering that Subaru are now owned by Toyota who it's rumoured have decided to rebrand them as a sub Lexus luxury brand. Scooby forum members have been told by sales staff that the STi and WRX will likely be dropped in the near future as wel and the lack of WRC involvement would certainly point to that likelyhood. A sad time indeed. I can't see Mitsubishi continuing with the expense of Evo development if that's the case and that's two more Japanese performance icons going the way of the dodo.

[Ved]

Didn't see this one coming. Big shame and the WRC is going to be very very VERY dull next year.

Subaru pulls out of the WRC
Subaru has announced its decision to withdraw from the 2009 World Rally Championship.

Prodrive, the company which runs the team on behalf of Subaru, broke the news at 0900hrs this morning. It said the decision was sudden and had been made in response to the economic downturn currently affecting the automotive industry.
Yesterday Suzuki confirmed it would not be back in 2009 for similar reasons.
The Subaru World Rally Team was established in 1989, when the Japanese manufacturer teamed up with British based motor sport specialists Prodrive. Since then the team has won six World Rally Championship titles - most recently the drivers’ title with Petter Solberg in 2003. In recent years, however, the team has struggled to find its previous rally winning form. It last won a rally on the stages in Mexico 2005.
“This is not only sad news for Subaru and the team, but also for millions of rallying fans around the world,” said Prodrive chairman David Richards.
“Subaru’s departure from the World Rally Championship is a great loss as it is one of the sport’s icons. The Subaru World Rally Team has created true champions such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns and its absence will be felt by many the world over. Although this decision closes a significant chapter in Prodrive’s history, our focus now turns to the future.”
While the Subaru World Rally Team historically represented a significant part of Prodrive’s business, today it accounts for no more than 20 per cent of turnover. Prodrive says it will look to redeploy as many of the rally team as possible in other areas of its business operations.
There is no news yet from Subaru about how the decision will affect Subaru’s driver Petter Solberg/Phil Mills and Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot, or whether the company plans to return to the sport in the future.
Prodrive, however, is already lining up its own rally return saying “2010 will see the introduction of new World Rally Championship technical regulations, which provide Prodrive with an opportunity to prepare for re-entering the championship with a new team and build on its 24 years of World Rally Championship experience and success.”
Prodrive also pledged to support its own customer rally teams for 2009 and beyond. Over the past 15 years, Prodrive has sold close to 500 rally cars to more than 400 private competitors and independent rally teams in 47 countries.

[Ali]

This will kill WRC. Can you imagine an F1 with only Ferrari and McLaren? I've read, as you probably have, numerous rumours about Subaru killing off the STi altogether and concentrating on their upmarket cars instead. I had a nasty feeling a merger with Toyota would mean an end to the fun. Still, the Impreza coupe project still seems to have a green light. There's a little bit of hope still there.

Looking on the bright side, maybe they'll come back in 2010 and not use the minging blue and gold colour scheme

[Tec]

Does this mean next year cars will decrease even more than this year...?? If so ....Triumph Dolomite... here i cometh :thumbup:

What TV company will bother showing events where old Mk2 Sierras compete with a 1950s Mini barring Motors TV? If no one big is in the event, it will die a death in the TV Schedules.

[J]

[quote="Ali"]At this rate, we'll all be able to turn up at a WRC event in our road cars and have a go for a small fee!!!

quote]

The way it should be

[Nick]

Didn't Pap already lock this subject further down :scratch:

[civictyper2004]

Read this earlier, WRC will be rubbish in 09 then

[dandemoraliser]

Didn't Pap already lock this subject further down :scratch:

merged.

[Ved]

With GM and Citroen in financial trouble, how much longer will WRC continue as we know it.

Not much longer. Seeing as though that only leaves 2 manufacturers left in it.

Pointless. Shut it down for a year or 2.

EvoStu.

Yup and this has to happen. It's a joke as it is with only one manufacturer able to put out a AWD car to customers. 2010 should see simpler rules, less costs and hopefully more manufacturers to give it some competition.

Sucks for Subaru owners though