The aim of the regulations is to enliven competition in the top class and to attract new manufacturers. So far, however, only Toyota has confirmed that it is developing a car compliant with the so-called WRC27 rules. That said, it will be possible to compete in the top category with a Rally2 car from 2027 onwards.
This week, the French site Autotrends reported that as many as nine teams are said to have plans concerning the World Rally Championship’s top class for 2027. Not all of them are necessarily building a new WRC27 car, but rather looking to develop a current Rally2 car into a competition machine. One rumoured car builder has been the British company Prodrive, which has reportedly been working on a new rally car with the Romanian brand Dacia, which today belongs to the Renault Group.
Dacia entered the Dakar Rally for the first time this year and has immediately achieved success in the World Rally-Raid Championship. However, Dacia’s Dakar project marketing manager, François Aupierre, plays down the rumours of joining the World Rally Championship.
“A few months ago there were rumours saying we were coming to the World Rally Championship. I don’t know where those rumours came from. It is not happening, though. I do not believe Dacia will be involved. On the other hand, I am not the one making these decisions,” Aupierre told the Estonian newspaper Postimees.
“I do know why these rumours spread. Our Dakar team includes nine-time rally champion Sébastien Loeb. That would of course be a fine scenario, but Dacia is not coming to the World Rally Championship. There are no such plans, at least not in the near future.”
According to Aupierre, Dacia does not currently even have a model that would fit well into the World Rally Championship. The focus is now firmly on winning the Dakar Rally.
“We currently have one of the most affordable four-wheel-drive cars on the market, the Dacia Duster. It would be strange to enter the World Rally Championship if the most suitable car for it were the Duster. It was Europe’s best-selling car in 2024, but what more would our brand gain from that, since the model is already popular?” Aupierre points out.
“The Dakar Rally and the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) are a perfect fit for Dacia. It is rough and like conquering the Everest of motorsport. In our view, this is precisely the side that fits Dacia’s DNA.”
The World Rally Championship is in urgent need of new manufacturers and fresh momentum for the 2027 season. Next year threatens to become something of a transitional season, as the current teams are already heavily focused on the new regulations. The sport’s stagnation has already led Kalle Rovanperä and Ott Tänak to announce their withdrawal from rallying. Rovanperä’s retirement is more permanent in nature, while Tänak has said he is stepping aside for the time being.
Of the current teams, only Toyota has an active WRC27 car project. Hyundai has announced that it will focus on building its future competition car on the basis of its current Rally2 model, while M-Sport Ford’s plans still appear to be up in the air.
