Rally History Archive

Citroën's turbocharged, all-wheel-drive Xsara WRC won manufacturers' titles in 2003–05 and carried Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena to the 2004–06 drivers' and co-drivers' championships; their 2006 programme was operated by Kronos.

Peugeot's compact 206 WRC debuted in 1999 and captured manufacturers' crowns in 2000, 2001 and 2002; Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen won the 2000 and 2002 drivers' and co-drivers' titles.

Prodrive's Subaru Impreza World Rally Cars progressed from four-door GD sedans in 2001–07 to the 2008 GE hatchback. Richard Burns and Robert Reid won the 2001 titles; Petter Solberg and Phil Mills won in 2003.

Ford's M-Sport-developed Focus RS WRC evolved from a first-generation car into the substantially revised Focus RS WRC 06. It secured Ford's 2006 and 2007 manufacturers' championships, but no 2000s drivers' title.

Mitsubishi's first World Rally Car debuted at Sanremo in 2001 and evolved through WRC2, WRC04 and WRC05. Unlike the older Group A Lancers, these versions won no works WRC rounds; 2005 brought podiums for Panizzi and Rovanperä.

Homologated in July 2003, the Škoda Fabia WRC combined a turbocharged two-litre engine, six-speed sequential gearbox and active differentials. Its strongest WRC results came with Jan Kopecký in privateer competition after the works team withdrew.

Suzuki's SX4 WRC developed from a 2006 concept into a 2007 trial car and a full two-car 2008 WRC entry. Per-Gunnar Andersson finished fifth and Toni Gardemeister sixth in Japan before Suzuki suspended the programme for 2009.

Toyota's Corolla WRC won the 1999 manufacturers' championship, after which Toyota's factory WRC team departed. Private entrants continued in 2000: Harri Rovanperä made a Finland podium, and Abdullah Bakhashab finished sixth on the Acropolis Rally.

The 307 WRC replaced Peugeot's victorious 206 for 2004–05. Based on the 307 Coupé Cabriolet silhouette with a competition-secured roof, it used a 1,997 cc turbo engine and unusual Hewland gearbox alternatives, taking three WRC victories.

Citroën's C4 WRC replaced the Xsara in 2007 and won immediately at Monte Carlo. Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena secured the 2007–09 drivers'/co-drivers' titles, while Citroën won the 2008 and 2009 manufacturers' crowns.

Developed by Hyundai with British specialist Motor Sport Developments, the Accent WRC competed in three evolutions from 2000 to 2003. It scored fourth-place finishes in Australia 2000 and Britain 2001 but no outright WRC podium.

Built by Ford Rallye Sport at Boreham, the naturally aspirated, front-drive Puma Super 1600 competed in early junior rallying. François Duval and Jean-Marc Fortin won the junior category at Monte Carlo in 2002, though the Puma never secured a Junior WRC season title.

Unveiled in 2008 and racing internationally in 2009, the MEM-built Proton Satria Neo S2000 used a naturally aspirated 1,998 cc engine and Xtrac four-wheel-drive system. Alister McRae and Bill Hayes took second at the 2009 Rally of Scotland IRC round.