Peugeot's new Turbo Wins
Peugeot is the first rally manufacturer to homologate a small engine turbocharged car in a form proposed by the World Motor Sport Council as the basis for future World Rally Cars. Announced last year was the new national one-make 180 bhp 207 RC Rallye ("Volant 207") series for petrol engined 1600cc turbo cars which have now been homologated by FIA under Group R3T rules. Cars complying with this homologation do not have to comply with the usual 1.7 capacity coefficient factor, and instead are allowed to compete against normally aspirated cars in the 2 litre (A7) class. The car was first homologated by the FIA on 1st March, and privateer challenge cars first appeared in mid-April at the Lyon-Charbonnieres. French driver Denis Millet is contesting the IRC's two-wheel drive category and won his class and championship category at the Sata Rallye Acores. In Italy, the official Racing Lions driver Tobia Cavallini finished second behind a Clio R3C car specification car in the Targa Florio.

500bhp V12 Aston Martin in Rallies!
"I think the whole idea is fantastic! Aston Martin is an elite brand, but I know rallying one of these cars will not be easy". Jose Pedro Fontes was talking about his latest project, rallying the DBRS9 GT3 used last year by Scuderia Italia in FIA GT3 races, which has been brought to Portugal to be run on tarmac rallies in Portugal and Spain. "The DB9 has a V12 engine which is much lighter than the V8 engine used in the Vantage which was rallied last year in France. The car weighs in about 1300kg, similar to World Rally Cars but it is much bigger - it is almost 2 metres wide and 4.8 meters long!" Fontes rallied a Fiat Grand Punto S2000 in 2008 in Portugal, and was visiting old rally friends in Azores last weekend. He explained " The first work is to change the suspension and the final axle ratio, a handbrake will be fitted and of course undercar protection fitted. Then we must test the car and find a good set-up. It is a similar project to development work made with Porsches which have been very successful in rallies in Spain" The first event for the car is at the end of June, the first round of a new asphalt championship in Portugal for cars with either two-wheel drive or a maximum engine size of 2 litres"

3mmm
photo 1; The new Peugeot 207 RC Rallye
photo 2: Jose Pedro Fontes