Je m'attendais à tout, mais à ça?

Officially official: Subaru leaving World Rally Championship

Rally fans who were troubled by the rumors yesterday that Subaru was preparing to do the unthinkable and scrap its WRC team will be disappointed to learn that the speculation has proven to be true, as parent company Fuji Heavy Industries has announced it is pulling its participation effective immediately.



Not unlike its fellow Japanese automaker Honda, which has canceled its Formula One program, Fuji Heavy points to cost-cutting measures amidst the current global economic crisis as its reason for canceling its motorsport program. Still, it's a shocking move for the automaker that earned its reputation on the rally circuit, even if they haven't won a single stage since 2005. The move also means that Prodrive, the racing consultancy firm that has operated the Subaru WRC team for over 20 years, will need to find a new partner for next season and beyond as the WRC moves ahead with new regulations. But Prodrive may find the rally circuit a lonely place after Suzuki also canceled its participation, leaving Ford and Citroen as the only manufacturers fielding factory teams in the top level of rallying.

PRESS RELEASE

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."

Ça fais trois jours qu'on en parlait sur le msc.

http://www.montreal-subaru-club.com/mscforum/viewtopic.php?t=67789&start=0

Après la nouvelle WRX/Sti qui connait des débuts boiteux (c'est toujours mou et les moteurs sautent a gauche et a droite) ça nous est tombé dessus.

Je vais garder la mienne et vivre avec mes souvenirs.

Mais surtout, la STI n'aura plus sa raison d'être et peut-être Subaru va tirer la plug?

Non , la raison pourquoi Subaru c'est retiré même s'ils ne l'ont pas dit publiquement semble être la nouvelle reglementation de la FIA en WRC

Citation :

This is because of the fact that for 2010, WRC decided to move to a spec engine provided by - I believe - SKODA.

That in-line 4 is not compatible with the rest of the Suby drive train AND eliminates the value of differentiating Subaru's advanced flat 4 engine from the rest of the contestants. So Subaru withdrawing is logical and disastrous.

Europe always thinks they are so far ahead of the US. Now, they are on the road that killed American open wheel racing - they are making it a spec series. Actually matching the specification of lower ranks of rallying.

Suzuki aussi se retire.. les temps sont durs...

Apex a écrit:

Après la nouvelle WRX/Sti qui connait des débuts boiteux (c'est toujours mou et les moteurs sautent a gauche et a droite) ça nous est tombé dessus.

Ha ouin

Je pense que justement y'en ai sorti un autre hier sur le forum .......

http://www.montreal-subaru-club.com/mscforum/viewtopic.php?t=67928

2008 et + ... caca

Je viens de jeter un oeil sur votre forum, c'est tragique les 265 et STI...

et moi qui croyait que juste Mazda avait se probleme là.

http://www.montreal-subaru-club.com/mscforum/viewtopic.php?p=731909&highlight=#731909

guygeo a écrit:

Suzuki aussi se retire.. les temps sont durs...

Suzuki mettons que la première année était pas trop encourageante.

Il fermaient toujours le peloton en passant avec un moteur qui claquait