Technical regulations for the FIA’s new Rally5-Kit have been confirmed for 2024.
The kit will allow any standard production two wheel-drive car with up to a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine, or up to two-liter normally aspirated, to be converted to Rally5 specification following a limited number of modifications, which include one-way adjustable dampers, underbody protection and the option to fit a sequential gearbox.
Introduced in 2019, Rally5 represents the entry-point class of the FIA’s Rally Pyramid, and is designed to be affordable and accessible for national level competitors.
However, with a lack of homologated Rally5 cars currently available throughout the world, the sport’s governing body has moved to introduce a kit concept which will allow local ASNs, in collaboration with the FIA, to homologate cars to suit their own local markets.
“If you are in South America, Australasia, in Europe or wherever, you can locally homologate a car in the Rally5-Kit class which will then be available to compete all over the world under international homologation,” said the FIA’s road sport director Andrew Wheatley.
“It’s a way of being able to use local parts and local experience to be able to introduce vehicles that could work cost effectively in the local market.
“The primary goal for Rally5-Kit is to provide competitors with a route into homologated cars that will ultimately create a series of one-make championships around the world.”
With an intended cost of €15,000-€18,000, the kit cars’ performance will be balanced against the benchmark of existing Rally5 cars, such as Renault’s Clio Rally5.
“A system of balancing the air restrictor against the weight of the car will be used,” added Wheatley. “So if the car is heavier, it will have a bigger air restrictor, if it’s lighter it will have a smaller air restrictor.”
The first car conforming to the Rally5-Kit regulations will be a Suzuki Swift, which is currently undergoing testing in Spain and will be homologated in conjunction with the Spanish ASN and the FIA. The car is due to compete from the start of the 2024 season.
Whetley also confirmed that the FIA expect more cars to be homologated soon using the Rally5-kit concept.
“We are working with a number of ASNs around the world to develop similar one-make championships, which have always had a good response and have always helped to develop drivers in a very positive way,” he said.
“The ASNs will perform a major role in making Rally5-Kit a success with the aim of doubling motor sport participation globally.”
