Why are rally cars and touring cars left hand drive?

[Cunny DK]

Just curious as to why this is, cropped up in a question today at the N.E.C. and its got me thinking and I cant think of a definitive answer ..... anyone help me out ??

[Scraggles]

not many countries are right hand drive, cheaper to make for LHD only

[redtwin]

Most driver's are right handed so it is easier for them to change gears and fiddle with dash knobs and switches with their right hand...or smack their co-driver in the face when he gets the pace notes wrong.

OK, I made that up, but I like it so I am sticking with it.

[davepoth]

Nope, that's a good answer. If you've learnt to drive in LHD and are right handed it's apparently much harder to get into a RHD.

[WhoseGeneration]

Cunny DK said:

Just curious as to why this is, cropped up in a question today at the N.E.C. and its got me thinking and I cant think of a definitive answer ..... anyone help me out ??

"Works" cars are engineered, specific regulations aside, to the requirements of the countries wherein the majority of events take place.
Then, too, if the manufacturer does sell on, the "previously enjoyed" market is larger.

[aw51 121565]

davepoth said:

Nope, that's a good answer. If you've learnt to drive in LHD and are right handed it's apparently much harder to get into a RHD.

And it's easier the other way? Sorry, no, that reply is unhelpful .

I'm inclined to think that practice makes perfect (I drive a left hand drive car in the UK as a second car, not as often as I would like ) and therefore to go with the "manufacturers make most of their range as LHD models" theory.

After a short period, driving a LHD car in the UK is easy . A professional driver would walk it .

[GavinPearson]

It tends to be based around which hand of drive favours the best combination of speed from the driver, power output based on engine bay packaging and servicing.

It was said E30 BMW M3s were all LHD because to make them RHD would make the exhaust restrictive and lose power.

[JB!]

Suzuki's JWRC factory shells are all LHD, because they were prepped in Hungary, then shipped to the UK.

One of my former employers had a RHD E46 M3 endurance car, because he built it from a UK road shell.

[bramley]

GavinPearson said:

It tends to be based around which hand of drive favours the best combination of speed from the driver, power output based on engine bay packaging and servicing.

It was said E30 BMW M3s were all LHD because to make them RHD would make the exhaust restrictive and lose power.

And the brakes - RHD E30s have a bar across the bulkhead acting as a lever to work the brakes. On a LHD E30 there is no bar, it's direct.

(please excuse my poor description!)