Unfortunately, yesterdays rumour that Subaru might pull the pin on its WRC endeavors was right on the money. Subaru’s parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, has now confirmed the fears of rally fans everywhere by announcing that, effective immediately, Subaru is out of the WRC.
Money is the big issue, with Subaru following in Suzuki’s footsteps - Suzuki dropped out of top level competition yesterday citing financial concerns. Prodrive, the company who has run the Subaru WRC team for over twenty years, will be looking for a new partner if it is to continue its WRC involvement next year and into the future.
This now leaves Citroen and Ford as the only manufacturers sporting factory teams in the WRC series. While there may no longer be a Subaru works team, the Japanese marque has confirmed its committment to support existing privateers fielding Subaru vehicles in P-WRC or the Group N category.
As understandable as it is, we’re shocked to learn that a company as iconic to WRC as Subaru has pulled up stumps. While success in recent years has been hard to come by, Subaru was once the dominant force in World Rally having won three driver’s titles and three manufacturer’s titles in its heyday. Hopefully this is not a permanent thing; the WRC just won’t be the same without a handful of manic blue WRXs tearing up the place. Check out the full press release below.
FHI to withdraw from FIA WRC after 2008 season
Tokyo, December 16, 2008 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the maker of Subaru automobiles, today announced the withdrawal from the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) at the end of the 2008 season.
FHI has participated in the WRC together with Prodrive, a motorsports and automotive engineering group in the UK, over the past 19 years to pursue its goal and philosophy in motor sports activities to enhance Subaru brand awareness by showing that Subaru vehicles offer safe, comfortable and pleasurable driving no matter the weather or road conditions, featuring Horizontally-Opposed engine and the Symmetrical All-Wheel drive system as its core technologies, and to transfer results of race-tested technical improvements into Subaru passenger vehicles.
Subaru has won three manufacturer’s championship titles and three driver’s championship titles in its history of rally racing. This has helped enhance the value of the Subaru brand as well as the sales expansion of Subaru vehicles all over the world.
FHI considers it has achieved its original target in WRC participation. However, while considering positioning the WRC activity in Subaru branding strategy towards the future, our business environment has been dramatically changed due to the quick deterioration of the global economy. In order to optimize the management resources and to strengthen further the Subaru brand, FHI decided to withdraw from WRC activities at the earliest timing.
As regards future involvement in rally activities, FHI will continue to support teams and drivers that participate in P-WRC or the Group N category.
President Mori commented that reaching this decision has been an extremely difficult task, not least with regards to the countless Subaru fans that for many years have cheered the legendary Subaru blue liveried Impreza World Rally Car; “We would like to express our sincere appreciation for our fans’ strong and loyal support worldwide. They will remain an invaluable treasure for us.”
Capitalizing on the priceless experience gained throughout the history in the WRC field, FHI will continue to offer Subaru customers products that integrate sheer excitement, safe, comfortable and reliable driving, respect of the global environment and peace of mind based on its philosophy of “Customer comes first.”
About Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the maker of Subaru automobiles, is a leading manufacturer in Japan with a long history of technological innovations that dates back to its origin as an aircraft company. While the automotive business is a main business pillar, FHI’s Aerospace, Industrial Products and Eco Technologies divisions offer a diverse range of products from general-purpose engines, power generators, and sanitation trucks to small airplanes, crucial components for passenger aircrafts, and wind-powered electricity generating systems. Recognized internationally for its AWD (all-wheel drive) technology and Horizontally-Opposed engines in Subaru, FHI is also spearheading the development of environmentally friendly products and is committed to contributing to global environmental preservation.
Loading ...
Comments
Click here to jump to Add Comment box
How do you get a picture next to your name?
Get a Gravatar. Click here to find out more.
As reported earlier, this devoted WRC fan is rumoured to be quitting an interest in WRC.
Sources can now reveal the devotee’s management is considering filing an ackshon against the manufacturer’s for apparent dilution of his interest in the sport. Negotiations may come to a head if an action proceeds as the interested and dis-interested parties will likely to meet in Paris this week to formulate a counter measure before irreversible and serious damage to his interest in the sport occurs.
It can be confirmed however that a return to a former passion for the devotee, of F1 has been ruled out as F1 is currently enduring a spate of similar interest cutting measures.
Hah, well said WVB! It’s a sad state of affairs at the moment.
The auto industry and the motor sport fraternity are both experiencing much hardship at the moment, and likely for some time to come.
Fingers crossed things get back on track as soon as possible.
The problem with the WRC is that (not so much the WRX and Evo) the cars bear almost no relationship to their road going counterparts. There was a time when the difference was little more than a role cage and different tyres. Now on most cases all they have in common is a boddyshell. with most of the road cars not having even having AWD. It’s taken the romance out of the WRC and made it too expensive.
To save the WRC they need to address this. The only restrictions on engine, transmittion, layout etc is that they have to put a minimum number of scimilarly speced cars on the road. The car must also start life as a regular production line vehicle and under go srictly limited modifications. If the production car is Front Wheel Drive then so is the rally car. The WRX would also have to run the same 2.5l engine that it uses in the real world.
This should significantly reduce the cost of competing as teams arn’t developing specific vehicles for the WRC so the cost of development is spread furthur and shared with the range of road going vehicles. Not to mention if a car gets stacked it can just be thrown away and anotherer one can be pinched off the production line and be quickly prepaired.
This may cause some of the existing manufacturers to get the shit eng of the stick but it would open toe field to some interesting new blood such as the upoming V6 AWD VW Sirocco, The upcoming Alfa MiTo GTA (which may or may not inherit AWD running gear from the rally spec Punto). It would also allow for paradime shifts to enter and change the sport, that’s how we got the origional Audi Quatro. We could also see some other innovations along the lines of the Lancia Stratos or Torana SLR 5000. This would produce a far more diverse and interesting field with different events radically favouring different cars.
Not to mention we’d get some great cars. Anyone remember the Celica GT4 in it’s last itteration? Magnificent car that went like buggary. Obveously we’re not talking about the base moddels here and these would be top shelf varients like the STI or Evo. But wouldn’t it be great.
Now why doesn’t the road going WRX look like the Rally version in the top photograph - with the flares the wings and things…?
If it came out wiht a bodykit like that I’d consider buying one to replace my O2 Impreza RS.. but ATM I’d most likely go for a EVO Lancer MR [with TC-SST]
BTW - Happy Birthday Steane
Thanks Wheelnut!
Gidge,
The WRX features a 2.0L in the Japanese Market.
“we’re shocked to learn that a company as iconic to WRC as Subaru has pulled up stumps.”
Yup Im shocked too that a company as integral to WRC as the Subaru team have pulled out.
The factory team will be very much missed from our screens during 2009. – an avid WRC fan.