Suzuki SX4 WRC

Lore & Background

At the 2007 Geneva Motor Show, Suzuki announced it would enter the FIA World Rally Championship with the factory-backed Suzuki World Rally Team in the World Rally Car category in 2007, using the SX4 WRC with all-wheel drive and the J20 engine producing 320 PS and 590 Nm of torque. However, due to WRC calendar changes, Suzuki officially debuted in 2008, using the 2007 season as further development time for the SX4. The SX4 competed on a test basis in two 2007 WRC events: the Rallye de France in October 2007 (finishing 31st overall) and the Rally GB in November 2007 (finishing 27th overall). In the first event of 2008, the Rallye Monte Carlo, Suzuki driver Per-Gunnar Andersson finished eighth.

A race car called the 'Suzuki SX4 Hill Climb Special' was used at the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It was a specially adapted Suzuki SX4 with a twin turbocharged 3.1 litre V6 engine producing 910 hp and 890 Nm of torque. Driver Nobuhiro Tajima won the event in Suzukis for six years running, the last three of which were in the SX4 Hill Climb Special, and set the track record time of 9:51.278.

Reader's Guide

The Suzuki SX4 WRC represents Suzuki's factory entry into the World Rally Championship's top category. Although announced for 2007, calendar changes delayed its full debut to 2008, with the 2007 season used for further development. The car competed in two 2007 events on a test basis, finishing 31st in the Rallye de France and 27th in Rally GB. Its first points-scoring result came in the 2008 Rallye Monte Carlo, where Per-Gunnar Andersson placed eighth. The SX4 WRC's significance extends beyond rallying: a heavily modified variant, the Suzuki SX4 Hill Climb Special, dominated the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Driven by Nobuhiro Tajima, it won the event for the sixth consecutive year for Suzuki, with the last three victories coming in the SX4 Hill Climb Special. Tajima set a track record of 9:51.278. The SX4 WRC thus served as the basis for both a competitive World Rally Car and a record-setting hill climb machine, showcasing Suzuki's engineering in two distinct motorsport disciplines.

Did You Know?

• The Suzuki SX4 WRC was debuted at the 2007 Tour de Corse.
• Its J20 engine produced 320 PS and 590 Nm of torque.
• The SX4 Hill Climb Special used a twin turbocharged 3.1 litre V6 producing 910 hp.
• Nobuhiro Tajima won Pikes Peak in Suzukis for six consecutive years, the last three in the SX4 Hill Climb Special.