World Rally Championship

It's been an usual year for motorsports – like most things in 2020 – with many championships either cancelled or rushed through thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. With 2021 just on the horizon and most car-racing seasons winding down, we wanted to bring our readers' attention to a few shows we thought might be of interest, to help bridge the gap over the holiday period.

Motorsport is all about speed, but that doesn't mean it's the preserve of supercars. Where else could a Toyota Yaris possibly dominate? The answer is, of course, rally. For decades now, car manufacturers have been taking conventional small cars, and turning them into gravel-slinging pocket rockets complete with spotlights, roll cages and much, much more powerful engines.

Volkswagen has released a teaser sketch of its upcoming Polo GTI R5, a rally version of the latest Polo GTI hot hatch. Making around 270hp (201kW), the Polo GTI R5 will become available to professional teams and drivers from the second half of 2018 to compete in various global motorsport series, including the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).

Hyundai Motorsport has lifted the covers on its 2017 Hyundai i20 WRC challenger at a media event at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy, ahead of the 2017 World Rally Championship (WRC) season opener in Monte-Carlo. Based on the road-going Hyundai i20 Coupe not sold locally, the now three-door WRC car replaces the 2016 five-door i20 WRC car CarAdvice was lucky enough to experience from the passenger seat, as part of last month’s Rally Australia in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales.

With a brand-new N performance range due to launch globally in the coming months, Hyundai Australia says it's keen for some local motorsport involvement, but not in the Gen2 Supercar series.