Super 2000

Super 2000
Motor racing formula
CategoryTouring cars
Rally cars
Country or regionInternational
ChampionshipsVarious
Inaugural season2000
StatusActive
Avci Yagiz and Gücenmez Bahadir (Turkey), with Mini Cooper S2000 1.6T LX61 BWO Toksport class RC2 in Rallye Bulgaria 2014

Super 2000 is an FIA powertrain specification used in the World Rally Championship, the British Touring Car Championship, the World Touring Car Championship, and other touring car championships. The engines were originally 2 L naturally aspirated, and later 1.6 L turbocharged units were allowed producing approximately 280 bhp.

The goal of the Super 2000 classification is to allow more manufacturers and privateers to race by reducing the cost of a competitive car.

In order to cut costs and shorten development time, the Super 2000 rally cars originally used a common control gearbox and drivetrain made by the French company, Sadev. The FIA has since announced that Xtrac[1] and Ricardo Consulting Engineers will be allowed to also manufacture S2000 gearboxes to FIA specification. This is to further cut costs by introducing competition into gearbox supply.

These new rules allowed Ford to build from scratch their S2000 Fiesta vehicles in Australia, in as little as 14 weeks, starting out with a Super 1600 chassis and rollcage.

Specifications

Until 2011, FIA specifications for Super 2000 cars were as follows:[2][3]

  • Derived from production model, of which at least 2500 have been produced in the past year
  • Maximum of 2 litre (2000 cc) displacement
  • 8500 rpm maximum
  • All wheel drive is permitted in rally cars, but not in touring cars.
  • 6-speed sequential gearbox (Control specification), or 5-speed MT gearbox retaining original gear ratios.
  • Front and rear MacPherson suspension
  • No electronic driver aids

In 2011 the specifications were revised, allowing 1600 cc turbocharged engines, and the use of 2000 cc normally-aspirated engines rapidly stopped as a result.[4] These 1600 cc turbo engines fully replaced the 2 litre engines.

For the 2014 WTCC season, the TC1 regulations were introduced for touring cars. For the engine this included a larger air intake restrictor allowing power outputs of 380 bhp and more.[5]

Models

Rally cars

Manufacturer Car Debut Image
Italy Fiat Fiat Grande Punto Abarth S2000 2006
United Kingdom Ford Ford Fiesta S2000 2009
United Kingdom Mini Mini John Cooper Works S2000 2011
France Peugeot Peugeot 207 S2000 2007
Czech Republic Škoda Škoda Fabia S2000 2009

New regulations for the FIA World Rally Car were introduced in 2011. WRC cars would use the Super 2000 specification, and be powered by a 1600 cc turbo engine instead of the 2000 cc used previously. The WRC car would thus be based on the current 2011 model Super 2000 cars fitted with a supplementary kit for rallying.[6] The kit must be able to be fitted or removed within a defined time limit.[6][7]

Notes:

A From 2012 the Regional Rally Car (commonly known as RRC) class was introduced. These cars became fitted with a 1.6 turbocharged engines similar to those used in the WRC cars, and with a smaller restrictor diameter of 30mm instead of 33mm. And with a body kit that also had to comply to the Super 2000 regulations.[8]

Touring cars

The following cars were built under the TC1 (2014–2017) regulations:

The following cars were built under the TC2 Turbo (2011–2013) regulations:

Series

Super 2000 spec cars have run in:

Rally Competitions:

Touring Car competitions:

South Africa was the first country in the world to run Super 2000 cars in rallying. Toyota South Africa and Volkswagen South Africa each built 2 cars to compete in the South African Rally Championship in 2005.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Xtrac 532 S2000 gearbox press release" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  2. ^ "FIA Appendix J Article 263 Specific Regulations for Modified Production Cars on Circuits (Super-2000)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-08. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  3. ^ "FIA Appendix J Article 254A Specific Regulations for Super 2000 – Rallies" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-08. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  4. ^ "Touring Car Times - when is a touring car not a touring car". 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  5. ^ "TouringCarTimes - Details on new 2014 sporting and technical regulations". 2013-07-02. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  6. ^ a b "WRC: Stay of execution for WRC cars., motorsport news, results, features, teams, drivers, updates". www.crash.net. Archived from the original on 2008-03-29.
  7. ^ "maps out the future of the WRC". Wrc.com. Archived from the original on 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  8. ^ "Ford Fiesta RRC". Archived from the original on 2012-11-14. Retrieved 2012-10-17.
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