Nine-Year Itch: Hyundai to Return to WRC, Cancel U.S. Motorsports Programs [Paris Auto Show]

[FFTeam]

After Hyundai withdrew from the World Rally Championship in 2003, it set to work creating a long-term plan to establish an in-house WRC team in Europe and develop a new rally car. Nine years later, the company has finally announced it’s ready to return to the series with the debut of the WRC i20 at the Paris auto show. Hyundai no doubt hopes it will have better luck than it did with its Accent WRC car, which competed without much success from 2000 until Hyundai pulled out in ’03.

Hyundai hasn’t released specifics on its new WRC i20, but production-class regulations call for a turbocharged 1.6-liter, all-wheel drive, a sequential gearbox, and various aerodynamic enhancements. The interior will be stripped to the bare metal and fitted with a roll cage and other safety equipment. Power will be limited to around 300 hp, but torque figures could top 440 lb-ft. Like many WRC cars, it should hit 60 mph in about three seconds. So, not your run-of-the-mill Hyundai.

The i20 will be compete globally against cars such as the Ford Fiesta RS WRC, the Mini John Cooper Works WRC, and the Citroën DS3 WRC.

[FLYLOW]

We're back :)

[blank102]

Good!
Ford and Skoda aren't enough.
Now if Mitsubishi, Peugot, and Citroen would get back into it we'd have something!

[02fordsvt]

It's actually Ford, Citreon, VW with the addition of Hyundia now. I lost track of what Mini is doing but they may also be participating in the near future.

[cyberf]

WRC brands: Citroen, Ford and Mini. Now , welcome VW and Hyundai.

[dieselboy77]

They need Audi to bring back the quatro rally car

[Supernaut]

This is welcome news. I used to follow WRC religiously in the early 2000's. My favorite drivers were Colin McRae (r.i.p.) and Markko Martin racing in Foci. More manufacturers make it more interesting, with a bit of "cars are the stars" angle to it. Though I had no particular love for Hyundai or Skoda (I never even seen a Skoda in real life), it was sometimes fun to see the under dogs score a point here or there.

I was shocked in the post recession when I looked to see what WRC was up to and there were only 3 manufacturers left... and no Subaru?

I would like to see Toyota get back at it, and show they can do more than be a refrigerator on wheels.

[mjd4277]

It's good to see Hyundai get back in the game again.