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twotoes
12-17-2008, 01:41 AM
Hope this hasnt already been posted. This fucking sucks dude! First Honda pulls out of F1 and now this shit! wtf?


Subaru to withdraw from World Rally Championship

16 December 2008

Subaru has announced its decision to withdraw from the 2009 World Rally Championship

This sudden decision was in response to the widespread economic downturn that is affecting the entire automotive industry, and follows Suzuki’s withdrawal announced yesterday.

After 20 years in the sport, during which time the Prodrive-run Subaru World Rally Team has won six World Rally Championship titles, this is not only sad news for Subaru and the team, but also for millions of rallying fans around the world. Thanks to its highly successful World Rally Championship programme, Subaru has developed into one of the world’s most widely recognised and evocative automotive brands.

Prodrive chairman, David Richards, said: “Subaru’s departure from the World Rally Championship is a great loss as it is one of the sport’s icons. The Subaru World Rally Team has created true champions such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns and its absence will be felt by many the world over. Although this decision closes a significant chapter in Prodrive’s history, our focus now turns to the future.”

For many, Prodrive and Subaru are synonymous, given the long-standing and close association between the two companies. However, while the Subaru World Rally Team historically represented a significant part of Prodrive’s business, today it accounts for no more than 20 per cent of the company’s turnover.

Prodrive will look to redeploy as many of the rally team as possible in other areas of its business operations, which have grown to span advanced engineering and manufacturing for the automotive, defence, marine and aerospace industries, in addition to other motorsport programmes.

Despite the current economic downturn, Prodrive’s automotive engineering business remains buoyant as it works with vehicle manufacturers to accelerate the development of next generation fuel-efficient vehicles and alternative fuel technologies.

Together with Subaru, Prodrive’s commitment to its customer rally teams will also continue unabated for 2009 and beyond. Over the past 15 years, Prodrive has sold close to 500 rally cars to more than 400 private competitors and independent rally teams in 47 countries. During this time, Prodrive’s customers have won five consecutive Production World Rally Championships and countless international rallies. In 2008, Prodrive-supported customer teams have claimed eight rally championship titles around the world.

Looking ahead, 2010 will see the introduction of new World Rally Championship technical regulations, which provide Prodrive with an opportunity to prepare for re-entering the championship with a new team and build on its 24 years of World Rally Championship experience and success.

blitzsti22
12-17-2008, 01:44 AM
i love subaru and watching them tear it up

S13_Nightkid
12-17-2008, 01:47 AM
damn. subys name was built on rally...

alindeman1989
12-17-2008, 01:48 AM
there is no rally now!!!!!!!!

C. Senor
12-17-2008, 01:53 AM
that sucks. subaru was the reason i started watching rally. that sucks to read though.

twotoes
12-17-2008, 01:54 AM
Personally I love the BP Ford rally team but omg suzuki and subaru not in rally? WTF! thats like not having domestic cars in nascar.

HyperTek
12-17-2008, 02:18 AM
rumors are prodrive is one of the interested parties that may purchase the honda f1 team

Andrew @ 240sxMotoring
12-17-2008, 07:34 AM
WRC without Subaru is like peanut butter with no jelly! :(

KA-T_240
12-17-2008, 09:24 AM
^Word!!!!!

FAI is stupid to have made the changes they did for the 2010 season. Subaru now does not have a car that can compete in the series unless they completely design a new production car to meet the new rules.

I at least hope that RallyAmerica will continue. Not to sure how there rules/regs. are connected WRC.

slider2828
12-17-2008, 09:25 AM
Damn it I wanted to see suzuki too

DOOK
12-17-2008, 09:32 AM
it's all marketing... they don't want to look like the big 3 american companies sending CEOs in fleets of private jets to beg for bailout... that image is going to change things in the automotive industry quite a bit.

racepar1
12-17-2008, 12:49 PM
This sucks, racing is ghey this year. Fuk even AUDI is out of ALMS, bullshit.

Pblesh85
12-17-2008, 06:36 PM
Subaru & WRC, that is why I bought my subbies(03 wrx, 04 sti, 06 wagon wrx). I will have to buy another sti before the car changes too far from its roots. Im sure they will not get out of wrc for too long.

I hate the new sti, its starting to turn into a economy soccer mom POS. Its funny every time they change the sti I hate it at first, then it starts to grow on me. I just got used to the new front end and now this wagon monstrosity crap...

Oh well, im just rambling... I miss my cars :cry:

Matej
12-17-2008, 06:40 PM
Hopefully the Big Three will pull out of Nascar to save money, it's not like it helps them sell any cars since they all look the same, and nothing like any of the production models. But we know that won't happen. At least WRC helped Subaru sell cars.

Om1kron
12-17-2008, 09:39 PM
awaits mitsubishi's announcement...

!Zar!
12-17-2008, 11:54 PM
^Word!!!!!

FAI is stupid to have made the changes they did for the 2010 season. Subaru now does not have a car that can compete in the series unless they completely design a new production car to meet the new rules.

I at least hope that RallyAmerica will continue. Not to sure how there rules/regs. are connected WRC.

What might this be? I thought the only major design thing was that the car had to be a hatchback. Which is why Subaru designed the sti the way they did.

But I haven't been focusing on all the rules and what not.

Elaborate?

93nissan
12-18-2008, 12:22 AM
That really blows. Subaru has always been the name for rally. They have done so much.

Matej
12-18-2008, 12:25 AM
All rally cars have to be hatchbacks now? That's stupid.
I love hatchbacks, they're my favorite type of cars, but at the same time I hate how every motorsport is slowly moving toward making all the vehicles the same. I'd rather see diversity.

ESmorz
12-18-2008, 12:28 AM
all rally cars have to be hatchbacks now? That's stupid.
I love hatchbacks, they're my favorite type of cars, but at the same time i hate how every motorsport is slowly moving toward making all the vehicles the same. I'd rather see diversity.

Conform Bitch! Conform!

!Zar!
12-18-2008, 12:33 AM
But the new sti is a hatchback...

I don't see the problem.

Gnnr
12-18-2008, 01:48 AM
This sucks, racing is ghey this year. Fuk even AUDI is out of ALMS, bullshit.

Porsche pulled out of P2 in ALMS too.

BustedS13
12-18-2008, 02:06 AM
now if only subaru would pull out of existence.

fliprayzin240sx
12-18-2008, 05:41 AM
awaits mitsubishi's announcement...

Thats the first thing that popped in my head. So who's left thats gonna stick around or should stick around???
:confused:

IIIXziuR
12-18-2008, 05:58 AM
Blame it on the economy!

Andrew @ 240sxMotoring
12-18-2008, 07:04 AM
awaits mitsubishi's announcement...

There's no way they're coming back to WRC. First they need a budget!