SUBARU IN INTERNATIONAL RALLYING: 2005 – 3 WINS FOR A GROWING TEAM
Chris Atkinson in action on SS8 during leg two OMV ADAC Rally 2005.
Photos: SWRT.COM
SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM (SWRT) INTRODUCED ITS REVISED RALLY CAR – THE IMPREZA WRC2005 – FOR THE THIRD ROUND OF THE WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP (WRC) IN MEXICO. STILL, THE SEASON PROVED TO BE A CONTINUATION OF THE 2004 SEASON, WITH EVERYONE CHASING SÉBASTIEN LOEB/DANIEL ELENA.
SWRT TEAMS IN THE HUNT
Petter Solberg/Phil Mills started the WRC season by winning two of the first three rounds (Sweden and Mexico), but Loeb/Elena were on a roll from the 2004 season, winning the next six rounds – altogether, 10 of the 16 WRC events for 2005. During the remainder of SWRT’s roller-coaster year, Solberg/Mills finished on the podium six more times (with a 1st in Wales), placing 2nd in points for the second year in a row.
Joining Solberg/Mills on the team were Chris Atkinson/Glenn Macneall for all but the first round and Stéphane Sarrazin/Stéphane Prévot for selected events. It was Atkinson’s first full year in the WRC. By season’s end, Atkinson/Macneall ranked 4th in the number of stage wins and had one podium finish. Atkinson was the first Australian driver in the WRC.
Meanwhile, Sarrazin/Prévot were on board for tarmac events, in which they finished as high as 4th (Cyprus). Sarrazin was the first Formula 1 driver to make a full-time switch to the WRC.
THE IMPREZA WRC2005
Driven in competition in 14 of the 16 WRC rounds for 2005, the Subaru Impreza WRC2005 differed from its predecessors. In the third year of its rally car’s three-year development cycle, SWRT took advantage of the FIA governing body’s revised rules.
As a collaborative effort between Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. engineering and design teams, STi, and SWRT, the car featured engine and chassis improvements, wider track, and composite body panels. The wider track had the same effect as lowering the center of gravity. It improved weight transfer, which resulted in better handling.
New FIA rules allowed the body shell to be wider with more aggressive-appearing wheel arches than the WRC2004. Japanese designers styled the arches to balance the increased track with front and rear bodywork design.
The radiator and turbocharger intercooler mounting was revised, with the restyled bumper managing improved airflow through the cooling systems. The engine received upgrades that included a new IHI turbocharger, new water and fuel injection systems, a lighter flywheel, and other lightweight components. As a result, the engine delivered more power and torque along with better response.
As the season went on, the geometry of the rear suspension was revised to help improve speed.
2008 SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM
IMPREZA WRC2007 AND IMPREZA WRC2008
| At the start of the 2008 WRC season, SWRT campaigned the Impreza WRC2007, carried over from 2007. The all-new Impreza WRC2008 was introduced for the rally in Greece at the end of May 2008. |  |  | |
| WRC2007 | WRC2008 | ||
| DIMENSIONS | |||
| Overall length: | 4,425 mm (175.8 in) | 4,415 mm (173.8 in) | |
| Overall width: | 1,800 mm (70.9 in) | ||
| Overall height: | 1,390 mm (54.7 in) | 1,475 mm (58.1 in) | |
| Wheelbase: | 2,540 mm (100.0 in) | 2,635 mm (103.7 in) | |
| Fuel tank: | 80 liters (21.1 gal) | ||
| ENGINE | |||
| Configuration: | horizontally opposed 4-cylinder, DOHC, 16-valve, turbocharged | ||
| Displacement: | 1,997 cc (121.9 cu in) | 1,994 cc (121.7 cu in) | |
| Bore x stroke: | 92.0 mm x 75.0 mm (3.62 in x 2.95 in) | ||
| Engine management: | Subaru programmable electronic engine management system | ||
| Power: | 300 hp @ 5,500 rpm | ||
| Torque: | 434 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm | 480 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm | |
| Exhaust system: | catalytic converters | Subaru Anti-lag System + Catalytic Converter | |
| Turbocharger: | IHI, with WRC regulation 34 mm restrictor | ||
| Spark plugs: | DENSO | ||
| DRIVETRAIN | |||
| Configuration: | 4-wheel drive | ||
| Transmission: | 6-speed electro-hydraulic | ||
| Torque split front/rear: | 50/50 | ||
| Differentials: | front/center/rear | ||
| CHASSIS | |||
| Front suspension: | MacPherson strut | ||
| Rear suspension: | MacPherson strut with longitudinal and transverse link | MacPherson strut | |
| Brakes: | AP Racing 305 mm ventilated discs and 4-piston calipers front and rear (for asphalt use, front brakes are 366 mm ventilated discs with 6-piston calipers) | AP Racing ventilated discs and 6-piston calipers front and rear (for gravel, 310 mm; for tarmac, 378 mm) | |
| Steering: | power-assisted rack-and-pinion | ||
| Tires: | Pirelli | ||
| Shock absorbers: | Bos, fully adjustable | ||
| Wheels: | BBS (15-in gravel, 16-in snow, 18-in tarmac) | BBS forged aluminum (15-in gravel, 18-in tarmac) | |
| ONBOARD SYSTEMS | |||
| Data systems: | single integrated electronic control system for engine, transmission, and data-logging | ||
| Driver display: | LCD color monitor with 8 selectable data screens | ||
| Radio equipment: | Kenwood | ||
For the 2008 WRC schedule, see the Origins article in Drive Performance Version 5.1 at www.driveperformance.subaru.com.