RE: NZ rallye report (no audi content)

["Dave Eaton" <Dave.Eaton@clear.net.nz>]

ahh scott,


as i didn't mention any listers names in my post except for the quip: "the
'wrc' cars are night and day from the old group 'a' cars (note the
distinction, at least 1 lister keeps getting this mixed up - in the
'suspension debate')" - i'm puzzled why you would think that this referred
to you?

i am also very pleased to see that you are the crew chief for a rally car.
however i find it hard to understand your confusion about the differences
between 'wrc' and group 'a'.  mind you, you probably haven't seen a "wrc"
car, and are therefore in the dark (again).  what are the differences you
ask?  you could start with a "free" transmission per year.  go on to engine
locations, rear suspension pickup points, cooling and aerodynamics etc. etc.
perhaps it is enough to accept that all the top-line teams (bar one, see
below) now run to the "wrc" rules, and not the group "a" rules.  out with
the old, in with the new.

why has mitsibushi stuck with a group "a" car, while everyone else has a
'wrc' car?  they are clearly focused on group 'n', and are using group 'a'
to sell cars.  but perhaps i should quote mre chief engineer bernard
lindauer "it's starting to be so close in the world championship that we
need something different now.  we are pushing more and more to have a
different car. the various options that are available to us - which way the
engine will be and all that - are stopping us from doing too much
development on the driveline for the moment....i'm hoping for 2000 that we
will have a wrc car, but it's not decided yet.  i have tried to highlight in
japan that, very soon, we will be at the end of this car" (rce, vol8)

also , i fail to understand what you mean by "actives aren't competitive".
the focus was running active front and centre and a plate in the rear.  it
was certainly competitive with that gear.  there is no front running team
without an active centre & front now that toyota has abandoned their centre
clutch.  and with the new-for-finland evo seat and focus, afaik, all top
cars will now also be running active rear's.

with regard to the bollocks about wishbones and struts, i know that you're
struggling with this scott but perhaps you should just accept that some much
more qualified people than you or i have decided that their rally car (upon
which their company is pinning it's motorsport reputation, and scott, not
just their internet business reputation) is better off without wishbones.
in this group we must put *all* the designers for the top-line rally cars.
poor misguided souls, if only they could have the pleasure of talking to
you...

your insistance in calling struts  not "state-of-the-art" is, of course,
disengenious and (again) wrong.  by definition, you could expect anything in
a top-flight rally car to be "state-of-the-art".  using ford again as an
example, if you're purchasing your xtrac gearbox for over $250k usd, and are
paying your driver $us6m, then you could expect the highest possible tech.
fwiw, a used focus, with spares package (1 y.o.) could be yours for around
$1m usd.

struts no good on a curcuit?  check out the latest le mans results before
you push that load of coblers.

as always, fondest regards,
dave
'95 rs2
'90 ur-q
'88 mb 2.3-16

-----Original Message-----
From: QSHIPQ@aol.com [mailto:QSHIPQ@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 27 July 1999 06:07
To: Dave.Eaton@clear.net.nz
Cc: audi-s-cars@lists.emailsol.com; quattro@audifans.com
Subject: RE: NZ rallye report


A good report, a couple of targeted shots so excepted, it sure would have
been better without that ordinance.  Two thoughts come to mind over them:

1)  Given the groupe 'A" and the WRC comment, what exactly is "night and
day"
difference in suspensions, if by your own interview (and contradicting your
own former posts), actives aren't competitive, and wishbones aren't used?

2)  It appears you forgot to ask whether given the choice, the team and/or
the driver would prefer the wishbones based on performance.  Your interview
gave my exact posted points on the "compromises" they accepted (and most
Group A, N, B as well) in using the strut arrangements.  As crew chief with
24 different springs and struts in our Groupe A S2 service arsenal, I can
say, "hello", many BTDT.  Thanks for that unintended acceleration.

Sticking to the facts would have left a fine post in your wake Dave.  I'll
try to do that with my Maine SCCA Rallye report after this weekend.

Scott Justusson
QSHIPQ@aol.com
'87 5ktqwRS2-10vt
'84 UrqRS2 -20vt
'87 4Runner turbo