Further detail of the next generation of WRC cars has been revealed by the FIA
Words by Alasdair Lindsay, Head of Digital Strategy
The FIA has revealed fresh visual mockups of the WRC27 regulation ruleset – while the Rally1 nameplate has also been revived.
WRC27 technical regulations were first approved in December 2024 but underwent further refinement for vehicle homologation, which has now been signed off by the FIA at its most recent World Motor Sport Council meeting on December 10.
With those key components now in place the FIA has presented a visualization of what those rules look like in practice. Simpler aerodynamics compared to its Rally1 predecessor is the key externally visible change; underneath the bodywork panels bolted to the spaceframe chassis is a Rally2-derived 1.6-liter turbo engine, along with double wishbone suspension replacing the current MacPherson struts currently used in Rally1.
While the regulation set has carried the codename WRC27 throughout its development, the FIA has U-turned on its choice of nomenclature and elected to retain the Rally1 nameplate that first applied in 2022 to the current generation of rally cars.
Despite this shift to imply the new regulation vehicle as the top-level rally car globally, WRC27-spec Rally1 and current Rally2 cars are still intended to sit alongside each other competitively, with the FIA saying that “WRC27 cars will compete against existing Rally2 machinery in the top category, bringing together a broad mix of competitive cars at the highest level of international rallying.”
FIA deputy president for sport, Malcolm Wilson, said: “Flexibility is a defining feature of the WRC27 regulations.
“The new Rally1 concepts that we have released have been designed to these specifications, demonstrating how that flexibility can be applied in practice. They highlight, for the first time, the range of technical solutions and vehicle concepts that can be developed within the framework, while still meeting the demands of top-level FIA World Rally Championship competition.”
First introduced in 2022, Rally1’s spaceframe philosophy remains at the heart of the revised 2027-spec Rally1 rules.
But it’s not a direct carry over from the previous regulation set: “extensive simulation, benchmarking and prototype crash testing” has been conducted by the FIA to evolve the safety cell to reduce complexity and cost – an essential factor considering the cost cap target of €345,000 for the entire vehicle.
The revised spaceframe design delivers “significant improvements in intrusion reduction and energy absorption across frontal, side, roof and rear impact scenarios,” according to the FIA.
A key principle of the spaceframe approach is the ability to deploy and shape or design of body panels around the defined volume around the safety cell within which all panels must sit.
Inside this ‘volume’ constructors may choose to mirror the bodywork design of a production vehicle or create a completely new design.
Aerodynamics will be simplified compared to the outgoing set of Rally1 regulations to reduce research and development costs.
As announced earlier this week, two different types of entrant are being targeted for the WRC27 regulations under the single umbrella term of a ‘constructor’: manufacturers (like Toyota and Hyundai) and ‘tuners’, who are smaller entities that are able to either build full cars from scratch or build upon partially-homologated cars from manufacturers to develop their own WRC27 Rally1 machine.
Constructors – regardless of whether a manfacturer or tuner – will be responsible for the design and construction of a WRC27 car, its presentation to the FIA for homologation, and the marketing of the car and its associated parts.
Though WRC27 chassis philosophy is an evolution of the current Rally1 regulations, the componentry powering the new cars are based heavily on current Rally2 parts. Four-wheel-drive 1.6-liter turbocharged engines with around 290bhp, mated to a five-speed gearbox, are the basis of the powertrain, with braking and steering systems also carried across from the current Rally2 regulations.
While cost reduction is one key benefit from the plan, the FIA also highlighted that these choices were part of a “target to reduce the performance delta that currently exists between the top-tier and second-tier of competition and make it easier for young drivers to reach the performance window without the need for extensive car-specific testing.”
Testing days are heavily restricted for WRC teams: manufacturer entrants may only conduct 21 days of testing a year and there is no specific young driver allowance, so with a typical three-driver lineup the average young driver would only be able to carry out around a week’s worth of test days across the entire season.
A cost cap on the cost of sale for an asphalt-specification WRC27 car has been set at €345,000, a reduction of “more than 50%” compared to the current Rally1 cars.
Component cost is one element of the cost reduction plan but so too is “improved durability” of the components used. Operational cost savings through limitations on personnel, optimized logistics and enhanced data connectivity to support off-site engineering is also part of the cost-saving strategy with the WRC27 regulations.
Words:Alasdair Lindsay
Publish Date December 18, 2025 DirtFish
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