Subaru to withdraw from rally world championship [MERGED]

**Monseratto** · December 16th, 2008 07:58 PM

WAAAAH!!!!

TOKYO (Reuters) – Fuji Heavy Industries is withdrawing its Subaru team from the world rally championship due to the global economic crisis.

Subaru joins fellow Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corp, which announced its exit a day earlier.

Their exit leaves just world champions Citroen, owned by PSA Peugeot Citroen, and cash-strapped Ford Motor Co chasing the manufacturers' title next year.

"Our business environment has changed dramatically due to the rapid deterioration of the global economy," Fuji Heavy Chief Executive Ikuo Mori told a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.

"In order to optimize the management resources and to strengthen the Subaru brand further, Fuji Heavy decided to withdraw from WRC activities at the earliest time," a tearful Mori said, briefly losing his composure at one point.

Automakers all over the world are under severe pressure to find ways to reduce spending as a sudden downturn in global car demand knocks profitability.

Honda Motor Co, Japan's No.2 automaker, this month quit Formula One racing for similar reasons, saying it needed the cash for its core auto-making business.

Rallying does not have anything like the budgets of Formula One, where a team like Honda can burn through $500 million a year, and the sport also has a long-standing tradition of private entrants.

Subaru team boss David Richards had told Reuters on Monday that Citroen, Ford and Subaru were all assessing their participation in the championship on an ongoing basis and that nothing could be taken for granted in the current climate.

Still, Subaru's decision will deal a blow to fans, and possibly to its brand image, which the automaker said had helped it expand sales around the world.

Established in 1989, the team won manufacturers' titles in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and had boasted some of the best drivers in the sport, including Carlos Sainz, Colin McRae and Richard Burns.

Subaru finished third place of six teams in the manufacturers' championship this year.
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I'll miss those blue cars!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081216/...announcement_1

**eggman** · December 16th, 2008 08:12 PM

This one bad news sa Subaristas!!

Oh well hindi naman sila kumikita at nanalo sa WRC since 2006(or wasn't) kaya puwede na silang mag-backout..

**hajabah** · December 16th, 2008 10:05 PM

dang.... I'm a teen and a diehard fan of Subaru... when I get my first car with my own money, its gotta be a Subaru for the rally-esque EDSA.... Now that they're backing out of the WRC.... whaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

call me OA if you want, pero napaluha ako doon ah... and that, personally, is a hard thing to come by.... :crying::crying::crying:

my day is now ruined...... and the week, and the year... not a very good piece of news to hear at the end of the year..... :crying:

This is the last news that I would ever want to hear, family and friend involvements aside.

We Subaristas can only hope FHI goes back into rallying once the turmoil is over.... the new hatch was showing hope, then they back out.... :crying:

**hajabah** · December 16th, 2008 10:25 PM

Really now.... I made sure this wasn't just a hoax by someone from Mitsubishi, Citroen, Ford, etc. etc. Fellow Subaristas, I don't know about you, but this is just.... sad. No better way to put it. I hope they go back into the championship after the turmoil has ceased...... Links after this.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081216/...announcement_1

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/12/16/...ion=cnn_latest

http://www.sportsline.com/autoracing/story/11174867/rss

:crying:

**safeorigin** · December 16th, 2008 10:57 PM

o_0 this is bad.

/me really smells a toyota conspiracy!

**tidus1203** · December 16th, 2008 11:52 PM

Diba kanina lang yung Suzuki and now Subaru also withdraws... TOYOTA seems next. At this day and age luxuries should be avoided...

**CVT** · December 17th, 2008 12:15 AM

Whew! Another victim.....

7101:hooray:

**flakez** · December 17th, 2008 01:59 AM

nauubos na ah. so sino na lang nasa line-up ng wrc?

**teeyoh** · December 17th, 2008 02:21 AM

Originally Posted by flakez

nauubos na ah. so sino na lang nasa line-up ng wrc?

what about the ford focus wrc team, sayang naman kung si sebastian loeb na lang ang matira!

**Monseratto** · December 17th, 2008 08:05 AM

Something to think about.

Yet another car Japanese-owned manufacturer has withdrawn from premier motorsport.

The exodus began with Honda, which cited the dramatic effect of the global financial crisis on sales of new cars for its shock decision to pull out of Formula One.

Audi subsequently pulled out of the European and American Le Mans series', and Porsche also scaled back its involvement on the US scene.

Then, this week, Suzuki said it is leaving the World Rally Championship, and one day later fellow Japanese carmaker Subaru on Tuesday cited the world crisis for following suit.

The news leaves Citroen and Ford as the only manufacturer teams in the FIA-sanctioned series.

With Honda, Subaru and Suzuki there is a common thread. All three are Japanese owned. All three had no real sponsorship and all three have failed in competition.

This begs the question regarding a real automotive economic crisis or simply a good time to exit the sport with few questions asked.

"Our investment is not as big as Formula One. But it is still a sizable amount for our company, particularly as we see the real economy deteriorating," Ikuo Mori, President of the Subaru parent company Fuji Heavy Industries, said.

Toyota owns 17 percent of Fuji Heavy Industries. The FIA has yet to comment.

E.A, Source: GMM
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