The rally sport has an exceptional meaning for Suzuki. The activities of the worldwide leading minicar manufacturer extend from local driving training programs, over national brand cups into international championships. The big successes confirm this complete effort, and prove the exceptional position Suzuki holds in the area of sportive-dynamic and sophisticated vehicles. Their competition use also benefits the customers: the technologies and know-how developed and gained in rally sport are used in the development of new series models. In that way they contribute to making the fun in sportive driving something everyone can experience. With the entry into the international top level of rally sport – the World Rally Championship (WRC) – Suzuki rounds now off its motor sport engagement.
During the Autosalon in Geneva in March 2006, Suzuki announced that in the future it would join the royal class of rally sport, the WRC. The participation in the WRC is for Suzuki one of their most important initiatives in the coming years, and they are expecting a large image improvement from it. Since January 2008 Suzuki is taking part in its first complete WRC competitive season with the new World-Rally-Car version of the SX4. The car was extensively tested on gravel and asphalt throughout Japan and Europe and undertook two trial runs under real competitive conditions in 2007 – the first at Rallye de France in October, the second and last during Wales Rally GB at the end of the season. At Rallye Monte Carlo 2008 Suzuki entered the first complete WRC season.
Swift rules European rally courses
The base for the WRC engagement lies in the success achieved in the Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC) since 2002. After Per-Gunnar Andersson won the World Championship title in 2004 with the Ignis Super 1600, both Suzuki work teams placed second and third in their new ‘working tool’, the Swift Super 1600, at their initial attempt during their first complete competitive season in 2006. In 2007 Per-Gunnar Andersson again won the championship title, being the first and only person to succeed two times in this prestigious competition.
The base model of the Juniors’ four wheeled “power pack”, the Swift Sport group N, is currently dominating the European rally courses. The outperforming compact car is giving new impulses to the motor sports activities of several Suzuki subsidiaries. The intention of all European motor sports initiatives is not only to reflect the outstanding importance of motor sports for Suzuki on a national level, but also to underline its prominent position in the field of sportive-dynamic and sophisticated vehicles, increase the brand awareness and – last but not least – offer an unique platform for young rally talents thus supporting the rejuvenation of the brand.
Inspired platforms even outside of the classic rally sport
Outside the classic rally sport Suzuki also shakes things up: at probably the most difficult long stretch rally for standard vehicles, the Transsyberia Rallye, the all wheel specialist was at the starting line with two Grand Vitara DDiS, which were even able to garner success. In 2007 German Suzuki Rallye Cup participant Lars Kern (19), the youngest “Transsyberian”, and his co-driver became the winners in the 4x4 diesel category up to 3 liters, as well as placing 4th in the overall evaluation and crossing the finish line as the best German participant. In 2008 both Suzuki teams again won their class 2A.
Winner of the Transsyberia 2007 was Rod Millen, who has also won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb multiple times. He held the world record in the “Race to the Clouds” for 13 years, though last year the New Zealander was bested: His place in the Guinness Book of World Records was taken by the President of Suzuki Sport, Nobuhiro „Monster“ Tajima. In his 741 kW/1007 PS strong Suzuki Sport XL7 Hill Climb Special he managed the 156 curves to the top of the 14,110 feet high mountain in 10:01,408 minutes.
