Britain set for first visit of 2017 WRC monsters

For the past 10 months, these pages have been filled with news of how the 2017 World Rally Car is rallying’s equivalent to the Second Coming. Well, this week you get to judge for yourself. And we’re pretty sure you won’t be disappointed.

As a quick reminder, here’s what to look out for with the new motors.

More dramatic aerodynamics. This is the first thing you’ll notice with the cars. The pictures just don’t do these cars justice; today’s World Rally Car has real and genuinely intimidating presence. Think hardcore DTM German touring car between the trees. Covered in mud and on gravel tyres. And that aero will really work as well. Once they’re north of 60mph, the downforce generated plugs these things into the road like never before. Forget the Group B tea trays, these are windtunnel-tuned, Cad-fiddled devices aimed at making the absolute most out of that airflow.

And then there’s the power and weight: more of one and less of the other; music to our ears, yours too. Talking of music, these things sound sensational. Loud and lairy, they’re also very, very fast. The best place to pay homage to a turbo restrictor three-mil bigger than last year (36mm rather than 33mm) is in the medium- to high-speed corners. Hairpins are great, but last year’s cars were pretty sprightly up and away from the slow stuff too.

No, find yourself a big, ballsy corner, stand safe and watch as the best drivers in the world dial these very special cars into these very special roads. One of the key areas for development which will help in Wales will be the re-introduction of an active centre differential. The return of active transmission means another switch on the steering wheel, but this is the one which allows the drivers to radically alter the handling of their cars when they go from section to section through conditions varying from slow corners and deep mud to motorway-smooth quick bits.

And it’s not just factory drivers in factory cars that will be enjoying these new toys. As well as the men and machines listed on these pages, Mads Ostberg and Henning Solberg will be at the wheel of a privately entered Ford Fiesta WRC each.

Ostberg starred the last time the WRC was on gravel, earlier this month on day one of Rally Spain, where he wrestled Andreas Mikkelsen for the lead.

Ostberg will be a threat to the established order once again in Wales. As for Solberg, he’s always quick and hugely entertaining. A bit like his car.