IRC Intercontinental Rally Challenge

Eight major manufacturers/teams have registered for the 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge season: Abarth, Honda, M-Sport, Peugeot, Proton, Ralliart, Škoda and Subaru.

ABARTH

Official Website: www.abarth.it

Abarth is an established bespoke manufacturer with its roots in history as the performance arm of Fiat. With its origins firmly anchored in competition, it was only logical that Abarth should be chosen to continue the Fiat Group’s impressive legacy in rallying. The Italian company was one of the first to join the IRC, winning the pilot series in 2006 with Giandomenico Basso and the innovative Grande Punto Super 2000. The team has been a front-runner in the IRC ever since, with a factory two-car entry run from Abarth’s iconic workshops in Turin.

HONDA

Official Website: www.jasmotorsport.com

Honda’s renowned engineering pedigree has given the Japanese firm plenty of success on the race track in every category, thanks to ground-breaking innovations that have changed the face of the sport. In recent years, Honda has turned its attention to rallying with the Civic Type R. Its variable valve-timing V-tec technology allows the Honda to exploit the maximum power from its engine, with the car being developed and built by renowned preparation firm JAS Motorsport in Italy. The Civic has been built with the new R3 regulations in mind, designed by world motor sport’s governing body as a blueprint for the future of rallying.

M-SPORT

Official Website: www.m-sport.co.uk

M-Sport has been the mastermind behind Ford’s World Rally Championship campaign since 1997. Run by former driver Malcolm Wilson from a state-of-the-art factory in Cumbria, northwest England, M-Sport and Ford are intrinsically linked and worked in tandem on the development of the Fiesta S2000, M-Sport’s latest generation rally car that will form the basis of its IRC assault in 2010. M-Sport has also developed a lower-specification Fiesta conforming to the R2 regulations. It will be used by drivers contesting the IRC 2WD Cup.

PEUGEOT

Official Website: www.peugeot.com

Peugeot is another manufacturer with an illustrious past in rallying and it has also enjoyed plenty of success on the IRC, claiming drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles since joining the series at its inception. The company is represented through a series of national teams running the 207 S2000, which has been developed by Peugeot Sport in France into a winner. The company is also active in the IRC 2WD Cup, thanks to the 207 RC Rallye.

PROTON

Official Website: www.proton.com

Since producing its first car in 1985 Proton has risen through the ranks of automotive manufacturing and has now exported cars to the UK, Western Europe, The Middle East, China, South East Asia, and Australasia. The company also has a strong tradition of motorsport, having won the Production Car World Rally Championship title in 2002 with the Proton PERT. Proton has been the owner of Group Lotus since 1997: an iconic name from the past in motor racing, and the Malaysian manufacturer now enters the IRC with the acclaimed Satria S2000 car.

RALLIART

Official Website: www.ralliart.com

The Japanese company has been an iconic figure in world rallying for many years, associated with some of the biggest stars that the sport has ever seen. The Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is one of the world’s most popular rally cars, and living proof of the ongoing technology transfer between road and rally cars.

ŠKODA

Official Website: new.skoda-auto.com

Czech manufacturer Škoda, which recently celebrated its centenary, has a long tradition of motorsport, both on the race circuit and the rally stage. The rally team has finished on the podium of some of the world’s toughest events, such as the epic Safari Rally. Škoda’s new Super 2000 Fabia contains the latest technology the category has to offer, making its competitive debut on the 2009 Monte Carlo Rally.

SUBARU

Official Website: www.subaru-msm.com/global/

Subaru is one of the most iconic manufacturers in rallying, having been present at the forefront of the sport since the early 1990s. The company made its name thanks to titles for drivers such as Colin McRae (1995) and Petter Solberg (2003). The Impreza Group N car is a familiar sight on all of the world’s rally championships, having proved both its performance and reliability at the highest level.