Toyota Reveals New WRC Challenger

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - RIS - (Courtesy RaceAccess)- Toyota today revealed the new Corolla World Rally Car which will spearhead the Company's bid for the World Championship next year.

The Corolla is the first Toyota specifically designed and developed for rallying and offers "unprecedented opportunities" for competitive success and marketing success according to Company officials.

The new car will make its World Championship debut on the Rally of Finland on 29th August, with former World Champion Didier Auriol at the wheel. Although the car will not be eligible for Championship points, having not contested the first half of the season it will appear in all the remaining events of the season as a development exercise for a full assault in 1998.

A compact, four wheel drive hatchback, the Corolla exploits to the full the new World Rally Car regulations intended to make it easier to produce a competitive car for the World series, while setting strict performance limits. World Rally Cars must be derived from mass production saloons made in quantities of at least 25,000 per year (a figure surpassed by the Corolla in a matter of days). These models may then be converted to competition specification with state of the art four wheel drive transmission and with series production two litre engine, turbocharged and governed to 300 bhp by an inlet restrictor. In compliance with relevant regulations they are also fitted with catalytic converters.

"The new car has more potential than our old car - there's no question about that," says Toyota Team Europe President Ove Andersson. "We looked at the old car and improved on it. We have aimed to build a simple, straightforward car easy to service and maintain."

The Corolla is Toyota's best selling car, marketed in 152 countries and production of the standard road versions will begin in Europe in 1998.

Technical detail Design of the Corolla WRC began in early 1996 and the prototype first ran in January 1997.

While it borrows some components from the earlier Celica, it is effectively a completely new machine. It is shorter and has a narrower track than the old Celica (and is shorter than most of its rivals). It has very little overhang beyond the axle lines which makes it easier to drive, particularly on narrow roads.

Great attention has been paid to weight distribution and aerodynamics; the engine is mounted transversely and tilted towards the rear and weight is split 55%:45% front to rear with the crew on board. Wind tunnel work has concentrated on equalising downforce throughout the speed range and on maximising cooling through the tightly packed engine bay.

The transmission system features a new gearbox designed by X-Trac. This six speed unit operates sequentially and is actuated by a steering column mounted shift lever. It operates electronically shifting gears twice as fast as a convention H pattern "manual" shift.

The four wheel drive system will operate with almost any type of differential. The first car has a fixed centre differential with the torque split to the rear being controlled by a "hang-on" clutch as on the Celica. The front differential is electronically controlled.

Suspension is conventional McPherson strut all round with Ohlins dampers but the track width will be tailored to individual conditions.

The 2 litre transversely mounted engine is derived from that used on the Corolla with the same bore and stroke. The new rules allow significant improvements however, and changes to manifolding have improved the power band and torque.

Changes to rally formats have reduced time available for service - and extended distances between service points. So the ability to change components fast and rectify problems are a key to success. The Corolla has been designed to be "service friendly" early tests have shown components to be capable of replacement as quickly as on the Celica.

While the last five events of the season will be a test and development exercise for Toyota, the cars (two will be entered for each event) performance could influence the outcome of the Championship. Although they will not score Manufacturers points, the drivers will be eligible for points and if the cars place in the top six they will take Makes points away from others.

Early testing has been undertaken by Didier Auriol and Marlboro Team driver Freddy Loix. Auriol will lead the teams early outings this year while Loix should feature next year.