Heading for 2008 appearanceMoving forth strongly in the preparations for the full-fledged entry in the 2008 World Rally Championship, Suzuki started test-driving the SX4 WRC in Europe last April.
The machine was driven extensively over rough gravel courses in southern
France, testing its durability in road-surface conditions that are even tougher than the WRC events themselves.
Although a few mechanical troubles and machine damages were discovered, the team reports that 'they were all within what was expected; overall, we did not encounter any serious setbacks.'
Despite the extreme roughness of the courses strewn with sharp rocks, the car has been highly controllable and is consistently setting a quick pace. The SX4 WRC is a fine example of Suzuki's basic car-building philosophy, the 'driver-friendly design concept' which aims to ensure that even high-performance cars are, in many ways, quite easy to drive.
This basic development concept has already been well-utilised in Suzuki's Super 1600 machines entered in the Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC; renamed the JRC 'Junior Rally Championship' in 2007) – it was actually the Super 1600 cars' winning of the 2004 JWRC Drivers' Championship that firmly established the basic direction of
Suzuki's rally machine development.
Successful running on the ever-shifting rally course surfaces with quickly changing weather conditions requires machines that are truly driver-friendly and highly controllable in a wide range of situations – in other words, machines that can consistently deliver quick pace.
The development of the SX4 WRC is continuing apace, with the goal of fully translating into rally advantages the fine driving qualities of the production SX4, a base vehicle highly recognised for its strong body rigidity, superb handling performance and excellent running stability.
More tests are scheduled, most of them over courses in southern Europe which will more closely resemble the conditions the team will encounter in actual rally action. Tests over tarmac will also begin soon.
Everyone involved in the
SX4 WRC programme awaits its 2008 World rally Championship debut with great expectations.
Source Suzuki
