[robin]

With used Super 206 Cup cars going for 19K GBP, poor clubmen like me might prefer something like the somewhat tattier 205 series

It comes in two variants: 205 1.6 or 205 1.9. The winner of the 1.9 Scholarship series for 2003 got a 206 Super Cup ride as a reward.

They even have test days set up so you can try out both cars, with or without prof. instruction, before you make the leap to buy or build a car.

Did someone mention Mark Higgins - he just guest drove a 205 1.3 car and beat all of the 1.6 and 1.9 cars, finishing 6th OA at the Midtown Stages rally.

This looks like an extremely-well run series. Very useful web site:
http://www.205challenge.com/index.asp

_______

Granted that the whole "hand-picked special competitors putting down deposits" rumour is nothing more than speculation - having looked at a number of one make series (Mexico, France, GB) they all seem very transparent and open. They may have a numbers limit (reached for the 2003 205 1.6 series) but AFAIK, they don't play exclusivity games (funny how over here in the land of the free, that might be the case...)

I would say that the 205 series would be a good model to look at:

Rally-worthy, reliable used cars with a decent spec that can run outside the series.

How about this:

2001 Nissan Sentra SE
VLSD, SR20DE, 145hp, 135 ft-lbs, up-to-date body style (same as current Sentra, even if the motor's different)

Use this just as a starting point. There are lots of cars in this exact bodystyle (Nissan B15) and thousands of SR20DE motors around. It's one generation older, but I'm pretty sure that a lot of the pieces developed for the NISMO EUR Almera GTi F2 car (there's MIGGINS again...) would work. There's even a dog gear set available and being marketed in the US, NISMO clutch pack LSD, DMS fitment, Hot Bits fitment, Bilstein (F2 car). Group A and Group N build manuals...

Robin

 

[robin]

>Used 206's and Polos are anywere between $7,500 and $22,000
>
>Derek Bottles

I think you mean pounds...

and even at that - on rallycodriver.com now:

Used Polo Challenge cars, one for 9750GBP, one for 9500 (avg around $16K USD)

Used 206 Cup cars, 18.9K GBP, 19.9K, one that needs work for 17K (avg around $32K USD - that's $43K CAN)

Note that the used 206s are selling with a few spares, close to the brand new price.

You'd think we'd want to try and do better than that - a one make series is about driving. The greater number of drivers competing the better right?

Robin

 

[robin]

>A brand new 206 cup car is 19,500 quid (see my post above)

Or go straight to the horses' mouth: the 206 Super Cup web site of which most of us are familiar...

>I just found a used Polo Challenge car for 6000 quid,
>used Peugeot 306 challenge car for 7000 quid,

6000 pounds is the cheapest Polo Challenge car going by a long shot - they consistently appear advertised at the 10K GBP level and this one is still USD$10,034 - not quite 7500.
A 306 Challenge car is a different animal than a 206 Super Cup car, given that the older series is now defunct, it's now a slow Group A car - and there is no used 206 Cup car FS for anywhere near 7000 'quid'

Derek's point about residual value posted below is a good one. But note what happens when the series ends (witness your 'representative' 306). Also note what happens when you write the thing off. Or wait - what happens when the series follows the lead of the North American Touring Car Series?

>Oh wait I found it you meant rallycodriver.co.uk not .com
>Also your exchange rate is a bit off and its not helpful to
>talk in USD because the USD has been tanking over the last
>year (xe.com/ucc)

My rate is taken from XE. What currency do you talk in? If you're living in the U.S. and aren't currently hoarding GBP from before the USD started to tank - then USD is the only useful currency to talk about. It's foreign exchange - you have to use your U.S. (or CAN) dollars to buy British Pounds if you're going to buy British goods. Likewise, if the U.S. dollar is tanking then prices of European and Japanese cars rise.


>
>I think you're missing an important point though

If I'm missing the point by talking about car price, then why the substantially lower estimates of buy-in value - why not acknowledge that these cars currently cost what they cost?


- there are
>substantial PRIZES and contingencies available in EACH RACE
>that can recoup a lot of your costs if you finish in the top
>3-5 places. Plus the series are integrated into National
>championships in some cases, so you also get very good
>exposure.

Do you mean that in Britain, where nobody even knows what rallying is, they've found sufficient support and exposure to actually PAY these Super Cup drivers for top finishes?! Blink blink.

>It looks to me like the one-make series which may happen
>here will cost about the same for the car - but will there
>be any chance to recoup, and will the car be competitive
>outside the series (lifetime)? That remains to be seen.

Robin

 

[robin]

RE: 2004 UK 206 Cup

>The UK 206 Cup has attracted competitors from Spain,
>Finland, Barbados, UK and Ireland.

And Canada


Robin