RMC Motorsport has unveiled plans to construct an all-new car to compete in the top tier of the World Rally Championship next year.
The experienced Spanish team is set to develop a car constructed to the new WRC27 technical regulations in partnership with FIA member club, Real Federacion Espanola de Automovilismo (RFEDA).
The project was announced at this weekend’s Rally Islas Canarias WRC round. RMC Motorsport, founded by Roberto Mendez in 2004, will design, manufacture and develop the car, building on nearly a decade of experience in the development of Group N5 rally cars, which have competed across national and international championships.
As per the regulations, RMC Motorsport must build at least 10 WRC27 cars, and be committed to selling to other private teams. “This project represents the professional culmination of RMC’s journey,” said Mendez, who owns the team located in Villablino in northern Spain.
“With the extensive experience gained from building N5 vehicles competing across several continents, we now approach the opportunity to develop the new FIA 2027 Rally1 car with great enthusiasm.
“The support of RFEDA, under the leadership of Manuel Avino, is key to the project’s success. We are working intensively and will soon be able to share more detailed technical information about the new car.”
In backing this project, RFEDA has also become the first FIA member club to actively support a constructor’s entry into the WRC. It hopes the project will create a clearer pathway for Spanish talent to compete at the highest level of international rallying.
FIA Vice-President for Sport, Europe and President of the Royal Spanish Automobile Federation, Manuel Avino said: “We could not pass up the opportunity offered by the FIA to incorporate tuners such as RMC into the manufacture of 2027 Rally1 cars.
RMC
Photo by: Tom Howard
“This agreement with RMC also fulfills several of the objectives I set at the beginning of my tenure at RFEDA. As president, it is a source of great pride to be part of a project that will undoubtedly strengthen the quality and recognition of the Spanish Motorsport industry, while also serving as a reference and inspiration for our drivers in their sporting careers.
“I would especially like to thank Roberto Mendez for his determination in taking on such a demanding challenge.”
Under the WRC’s new technical framework, cars will be cost capped at €345,000, featuring a tubular safety cell, double-wishbone suspension, four-wheel-drive configuration and a sustainably fueled 1.6-litre turbocharged internal combustion engine.
They also allow tuners to construct cars for the first time alongside traditional manufacturers. RMC Motorsport is set to become the second tuner to commit to building a car to the WRC’s new rules following on from Belgian outfit Project Rally One.
Toyota is the only OEM to so far confirm plans to develop a new WRC27 car. From next season, WRC27 cars will compete alongside current Rally2 cars in the top tier of the WRC.
“The project led by RFEDA and RMC Motorsport is another encouraging sign for the future of the FIA World Rally Championship,” said Malcolm Wilson, FIA Deputy President for Sport.
“Under the direction of FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA has worked hard to deliver a regulatory package that allows independent projects such as this to compete on equal terms with manufacturers, and it is rewarding to see that work attracting new entrants to the championship.
“What makes this project particularly noteworthy is that it is backed by an FIA member club, a first for the championship, and a clear sign of the confidence federations have in the direction the WRC is taking.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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