New cars a treat for fans says Citroën's Matton
Team boss impressed by how 2017 car looks and sounds
Video: 2017 Toyota and VW break cover
Versions of the new 2017-spec World Rally Cars being developed by Toyota and Volkswagen have been spied during high-speed test runs in Europe.
Amateur video footage of Toyota's Yaris WRC and Volkswagen's Polo R was posted online by rally fans, with the first glimpse of Toyota's all new WRC challenger attracting more than 30,000 views on YouTube in less than two days.
Both cars are built to the FIA's forthcoming technical regulations that permit them to be wider, lighter, more powerful and carry more aerodynamic devices than current models.
Toyota's all-new Yaris World Rally Car, built by Tommi Makinen Racing, was snapped this week at a gravel test in Finland.
Despite a camouflage livery, a complex multi-element rear wing is evident, complete with five vertical fins, as well as wide, boxed wheel-arches and a deep front spoiler.
Volkswagen's white Polo R development car was filmed at a tarmac test in France with team driver Jari-Matti Latvala at the wheel. Noticeably wider than the current model, the car also features a deeper front spoiler with horizontal lip and louvred ventilation panels in front of both rear arches.
Last month Citroën became the first manufacturer to release footage of its 2017 World Rally Car in testing. Kris Meeke drove the new model, based on the yet-to-be launched C3 road car, on gravel roads in Southern France. Read more here.
