Today, the Project Rally One car was unveiled in Belgium, during the first day of the Huy Rallye Festival. It is the first time that the car has been shown without its traditional camouflage livery, making this the first opportunity to examine it in detail, despite the limited number of images available.
The car is equipped with Porsche Macan-like bodywork, together with the corresponding aerodynamic appendages allowed by the (still unpublished) 2027 regulations.
Project Rallye One car – image by David Pics
The first detail that stands out in the front view is the large frontal area. Compared with the Toyota prototype, it is significantly larger.
This means that the car is likely to generate a significant amount of drag, which would have to be compensated for with more power. However, power is limited by both the engine, a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 engine for the time being. Alternatively, top speed could be limited.
The front splitter is equipped with a large front lip, presumably designed for tarmac events. Such a large lip also contributes to increasing the frontal area and is more prone to damage on gravel events, so it is quite possible that its size will be reduced in the final version of the car.
Project Rallye One car – image by David Pics
The layout of the bonnet vents is very similar to that of the Toyota prototype: a central transverse vent combined with two vents at both ends, presumably designed to generate a well-distributed airflow over the windscreen.
Project Rallye One car – image by HCars via Rallye-sport.ouest-france.fr
Another similarity with the Toyota prototype is the presence of two small bulges at the rear of the bonnet, presumably intended to help contain the airflow coming from the transverse vent and direct it towards the central area of the windscreen. On top, there is a traditional roof scoop.
Project Rallye One car – image by David Pics
The side images show rounded fenders connected by large side skirts, presumably larger than those of any of the current Rally2 cars, but still smaller than those of the Toyota WRC27 prototype. The rear fender includes a small air intake to cool the rear brakes and transmission. It is located at a very high position, making it less susceptible to dust and stones, although this forces the airflow to follow a sharp bend before reaching the rear brakes.
Project Rallye One car – image by David Pics
At the rear, there is a conventional rear wing supported by two horizontal side arms, following the latest trend among Rally2 cars. The side supports of the wing act as endplates on its lower side, while there are no endplates on the upper side. The images also show the presence of a Gurney flap at the trailing edge of the wing, intended to increase downforce, although at the cost of some additional drag.
The car is not fitted with any rear diffuser-like shape at the moment. However, this is only the first prototype, so further developments in this area could be implemented later.
Project Rallye One car – image by Spa Rally News via Rallye-sport.ouest-france.fr
We should celebrate the fact that the first 2027 tuner car has finally been unveiled, something that seemed questionable just a few months ago. Of course, this is only the first version of the car, and there is still plenty of potential for improvement. Nevertheless, it looks like a solid base for a future competitive car, particularly on tarmac.
