McCann's Imprezza at Lydden

[Robin Plummer]

Is it me or was the Imprezza running to WRC spec without Anti Lag and therfore only had about 300bhp? Because it was as quiet as a Group N car and seemed to perform like a car with about half the power of it's rivals!

It wasnt worth the effort taking it out!

[Peter S]

The car has sounded like that at Knockhill and Blyton. Its sounds more Group N spec at the minute - although people say McCann is just using the year to develop the chassis before next year. I am also under the impression that the engine is in "safe" mode while he learns the car as his intentions are fully built around 2004.

[BertMk2]

It didn't sound too good did it? Scoobies normally sound pretty good, especially the WRC cars with all the cracking and banging from the anti-lag. I hope that it is running 'safe' and that next year will see a step forward in power and performance.

[chunder]

Think you will find that Kevin is running that thing on a fairly tight budget. If you remember Jan Willy Nordgaard at Croft last year. His car was running a higher spec and he was not really on the pace with it. And he was running WRC spec.
Van Mechelen in Belgium seems to run pretty quick. I wonder what spec he is using?
Kevin is running Autosportif gear though, the same as Nordgaard. So I think that next year you might see a better turn of speed from the lad. Nice to see anotehr shape though, bet he would be a lot quicker in the wet aswell!!

[Peter S]

Van Mechelen in Belgium is slightly down on power compared to his european rivals. Maybe about 100bhp. Although it doesnt show much as he is a superb driver.

Van Mechelens car generates around 400 bhp but is a lot more torquer due to the FIA regs. The engine is built by Jos Boon racing and the shell is from Prodrive. It has a 4-speed gearbox with fly by wire systeem. Later sequential and weighs in at 1110kg (FIA limit) and uses a proflex suspension.

Nordgaards is a lot different to McCanns. McCann seems to be using a lot more rally stuff in the Subaru than Nordgaard did. McCann wasnt that bad at Blyton.....maybe it is a combined lack of track knowledge and confidence in the supercar. It should have another 100bhp for next year.

[BertMk2]

Looking at Mcanns car in the paddock it does seem to be pretty much a WRC car with the co-drivers seat removed - it's very much a rally car modified for rallycross not an out and out rallycross car.

Good to hear it'll have more power next year though (it'll need it!)

(Edited for boneheaded typos)

[Peter S]

theres one of my nice pics of van mechelen from erc a couple of weeks ago in holland

[Grunt]

Lo,....my first post

I think you might find that he is running next years 45mm restrictors already (a m8 told me this, so he may be wrong?), if so, how scary is the difference between this and the 'proper' supercars?

also, again i might be wrong but i dont think we have anti-lag as such in rallycross as they have in rallying, after all the aim of anti-lag is to keep the turbo spinning when you lift off the throttle hence the pop and bang (overfueling) you hear in the forests but not at the tracks.


hope someone can clarify this for me

Grunt
:confused:

[Peter S]

Yes McCann is running the restictor already. But the engine isnt to its intended spec. You cant define the current british cars as proper supercars until the run to European regulations.

And as for anti lag then all the cars use it in Europe. Take a listen to Pailler,Hansen and Eklund and you will here it kicking in. It is more noticeable on the car with the restrictors as there is less bhp and more torque. It just that in Britain we are still a bit behind so at the GP you will see the likes of Eklund etc underlining the WRC technology. Hansens Citroen uses the full Citroen WRC technology. Listen to John Cross's Focus - full fia regs - that runs lots of it - hence the popoping banging and the flame from the overrun!

[chunder]

Can anyone remember Eklunds old Impreza, that used to run a shed load of anti lag, made a right racket on the start line.
There isn't really any need to run anti lag on unlimited engines as the turbo lag is pretty hard to get rid of when you are running those kinds of boost pressures.
Peugeot did run a very rudimentary anti-lag system in the Group B days, and the original Quattro Sport ran a very simple shotgun blast type anti lag thing.
Surprised a few more guys don't use it as it is pretty cheap now.

[Grunt]

Originally posted by chunder
Can anyone remember Eklunds old Impreza, that used to run a shed load of anti lag, made a right racket on the start line.
There isn't really any need to run anti lag on unlimited engines as the turbo lag is pretty hard to get rid of when you are running those kinds of boost pressures.
Peugeot did run a very rudimentary anti-lag system in the Group B days, and the original Quattro Sport ran a very simple shotgun blast type anti lag thing.
Surprised a few more guys don't use it as it is pretty cheap now.

OOOOOOOH YES!!!! what that thing of Eklunds sounded like a Firework display in a fuel station LOL

[Peter S]

Yeap.....eklunds nickname in europe was "Smokey Per....bang..bang" - The Subaru was one awesome car with the flame spitting from the side of it. In the 1994 Erc round, the thing caught fire and spent finished the B final with shed loads of smoke coming out of it. So much that u could not see across the other side of the track.

John Welchs Opel Astra used to generate a lot of frame on the turbo overrun......that popped and banged a lot. As did Krtistoffersons Audi S2

[chunder]

Pete, can you remember Welch at Cadwell years ago when the turbo heat melted the door off!
Best one for flame was Alamaki, every time he backed off. Pat's RS does pretty well aswell.
I remember beinf stodd next to Sven Lestander's Quattro on the rollers at Lydden in 89. He had put a new engine overnight and was running it in. He beckoned me over and told me what he was doing. He went through the gears in it and I remember going round the back and watching 3 foot flames spitting from the back as he did his stuff. Bloody wonderful!!
Welch's old Xtrac was pretty flamey too, remember how it used to smoke so much!!

[Peter S]

...yes...i was there. he was leading as well. 1990 and he neded to beat palmer to stay in the championship hunt. Oh man he jumped out the car very quick didnt he. He drove with bottom of the door on fire for a lap and a half then obviously the fumes got to much! That was also Dorans first event with the RS200 i think.

oh and the Escort.....LOL!! that was welchs trademark. No matter which event it was plumbes of black smoke came out of it every stage. Even when he gave the car to Johnathon Palmer he expired in a cloud of smoke as well in 1987 British rallycross gp! I remember at Croft 1986 in the British championship....i thought it was going to burst into flames.

Alamakis popped and banged more when he had the Lancia Delta S4...wow i saw that for the first time at 1987 internations cup at Croft. Well spectacular. Especially when he and Arnesson did battle in one race. It sounded and look like the bonnet was going to fly off as it did nothing but vibrate due to power!.

[Barrie]

The Iversens RS200's used to produce huge flames, one of my favourite rallycross races was J A Iversen and Olle Arnesson battle in the B final of the 92 Gp at Brands, what a show of brutal horsepower, flames and noise, neither backed off at all. Eklund's Impreza, Alamaki's S4, amazing cars.

[chunder]

Matti's S4 was cool because of the compressor and the supercharger. Used to make a rihgt racket.
And I rememebr Iversens RS aswell. The exhaust on that thing wsa huge, was like a huge boiler about two feet wide. If you looked close enough uyou could just see this huge orange glow inside it, very weird.
Think all the Xtracs used to smoke like Welch's. Remember John SMith and Squibby (same car) used to aswell.
But my vote for best turbo noise goes to a guy called Bert Brodin. Ran a black S1 E2 Quattro. The wastegate noise was so loud. I remember the fogged out GP at Brands and he was the only car you didn't need to see to know it was him!!

[Barrie]

Bert Brodin had Sven Lestanders old car didn't he.

[Barrie]

I was at that 89 GP in the fog, the entry that day was amazing, possibly one of the best ever entries, all the top drivers were there, bloody shame. Schanche drove right through the druids sand trap not backing off at all, that was worth the trip alone.

[Peter S]

....i was sitting in the grand stand at the top of paddock hill that day (tumbledown)....couldnt see across the circuit never mind druids! lol. Yeap it was gutting that it was left down to two timed laps. Mr Palmer in RS200 was pretty confident of causing an upset that day as well in the works Ford car - as was Tiff in the might Metro. Needell produced some decent over taking monevures along the Knife edge in the 88 GP....still the best rallycross event ever. Gollops win was magical.

Yeap Brodins audi was the old Lastender car. DO u remember when he destroyed it in Norway after Tommy Rustad sent Andreas Nerby (Metro 6R4) into and then smacked into the Audi causing both hit barriers and roll over and over and nearly wiped some photgrpahers. 1989 or 1990 that was.

[Barrie]

Huge accident wasn;t it, you look closely though, sure Arnesson caused that, he was on the outside kept the power on and promptly speered Rustad in the side causing the bunching.

[Peter S]

that first corner at Norway is always a nightmare. Everyone leans on each other all the time! Remember in 86 when Alamaki got stuffed into the outside barrier and rolled his flying bannana! (Porsche!) (wasnt arnesson involved in that as well??)