Subaru dropping out of WRC?

[Dynamic Entry]

Man this thread made me feel like the world was coming to an end....

but then, wouldn't motor enthusiasts have felt this way in the 80's when emissions restrictions killed the muscle car and the carbs they knew and loved were being put to death

maybe there will be another upside to the automotive world one day, I hope so

but the last few years have concreted my view that new cars suck

and I am legitimately afraid of being legislated out of enjoying driving.......

I am going to go join the Evolution

[James614]

If they want to make Rallying cheaper, why can't they go back to the gold old days of being limited to regular production hardware? Make the homogalation (no idea how it's spelled) requirement 2,000 vehicles or something to keep the prices out of the stratosphere.

Spec racing is fucking boring. Racing is exciting when A) you can buy a mildly sedated version of the race car and B) your favorite manufacturer kicking ass has at least something to do with their design & engineering merits.

NASCAR would do good to field a FWD series of Impalas, Taurus's, Camrys and Avengers with 3.5L V6s and automatic transmissions (real grills and lights, too!). Require them to weigh at least as much as the production models, maybe then we'll seen a mid-size sedan that weighs less than 4000lbs again someday. The manufacturer with the highest average fuel economy through the series can get a credit towards their CAFE rating


Meh, I'm wierd.

[kimokalihi]

I like your idea but do you realize how boring nascar is at 200mph...think about how lame it would be at 120mph.

[James614]

With Ford's Eco-Boost V6s, and GM's direct-injection turbo V6s, just race fuel and an ECU tune could probably put out over 500hp (a few other changes would probably be needed for durability/proper breathing). That would keep speeds high enough to be interesting.

The rest of the entertainment would come from watching them fight with getting 500hp to hook up through the front wheels, and seeing who has the best transmission swap pit strategy

Lots more fun (to me, at least) than watching them keep a perfect line at 200mph for 400 laps, hoping that each bump results in a massive wreck.