The unsung hero of the Toyota Yaris WRC car casually doing 190+ km/h during its shakedown in Kenya is the suspension setup that soaks up each gravel road imperfection that enables the car to achieve such speeds.
Footage courtesy of the WRC Twitter account, we get to see Takamoto Katsuta’s Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris WRC during a shakedown session unlike ones we normally get to lay our eyes on before a weekend of action. Rather than narrow roads in the foothills of Monte-Carlo, the Yaris WRC car is seen moving at a rapid pace through the savannah landscape of Kenya.
The purpose built hatchback even manages to clock more than 190+ km/h during this brisk stint on the undulating gravel road. This also provides a good idea of how the suspension setup on these new Rally1 cars work as each corner of the car adjusts in milliseconds to ensure the respective wheel is making traction with the loose surface below.
It looks rapid from onboard helicopter footage but we can only imagine that it may seem like warp speed on the ground and in the cockpit. From each event, competing teams adjust the setups of their suspension, tyres and brakes to better cope with the environment. Just about all information relating to this is classified intellectual property but Rally1 cars like the Yaris WRC are capable of as much as 300 mm of travel, hence why it’s able to keep its composure at such speed.
Under the bonnet of the 2022 contenders for the championship lies a 1,6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder which is good for as much as 372 kW. Remember the infamous Group B machines from the 80s? The new era hybrid rally cars put out about the same amount of combined power.
This. This is rallying. @wrcsafarirally starts this week Don’t miss a moment with every stage LIVE on https://t.co/s1Q7H3VcIc #WRC I #WRCLive | #SafariRallyKenya pic.twitter.com/zcqwl5UjpK
— World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) June 21, 2022
