With a lightweight structure hosting a punchy turbo-petrol engine, the Baleno always looked like it’d have a fair amount of potential in the rallying circuit. And that’s exactly what the Suzuki Rally Trophy in Rally di Roma 2016 is all about – rallying a Baleno. Of course, there are preparations to be made, like stripping the interiors off its creature comforts, fitting racing bucket seats with 6-point harness, a Sparco steering wheel, a fire extinguisher, a hydraulic handbrake and so on. Suzuki Motorsport creators of the Baleno SR, have done the needful.
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With the Baleno SR, Suzuki Motorsport intends to make rallying more affordable and accessible to all, particularly to young drivers.
They’ve also fettled with the 1.0-litre Boosterjet three-cylinder petrol engine which, in stock configuration, produces 112 hp and 170 Nm of torque. The final output is yet to be revealed, but it is claimed to be close the what the Suzuki Swift Sport R1 rally car produces. Of course, the Baleno SR’s groundwork has also been beefed up, with an Öhlins suspension setup and an exhaust system custom made by Gliese Engineering. The Baleno SR, wrapped in Suzuki Motorsport livery, will be driven by Italy’s rally champion Renato Travaglia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8ByAYKOjvs
