Group B Rally Cars

[jims-terrano]

Was just showing my son youtube clips of group B rally cars like the Metro 6R4
He doesn't see the point of them:doh

 

[perelaar]

I've seen them in reality a few years ago - terrifying!
Sorry your son doesn't like them...

 

[jims-terrano]

He just doesn't know class when he sees it:lol

Loved cars like that in the 1980s rallies, went to several special stages of the Lombard RAC every year.

 

[bud]

group A was fun too.
One of my favourites...

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

arh the rs200 built for group b then outlawed,

weren't some crew and spectators killed on a stage.

wasnt the standard spec group n?

 

[jims-terrano]

It was decided after accidents involving spectators that group b would be dropped from the world rally championship. Yes there were driver accidents but sadly thats the nature of the sport. However if you've ever watched footage from rallies even todays rallies then you'll of noticed spectatures leaving it until the last moment to jump out of the way of the fast moving vehicles. This is mainly in foriegn countries as the marshalling was not and is not as strict as it should be. Personally I don't think a great photo of a car speeding towards the camera is as valuable as a life but it appears some people didn't have the same opinion. Daft thing is with evolution of technology cars soon clawed back the performance.

RS200 was the odd one out in the fact that Ford designed it as a car in it's own right. The other manufacterers based their Group B cars on production vehicles although they were completely different animals and only shared visual appearances with their siblings.

 

[jims-terrano]

Nice car Bud but what is it?

 

[Ogri]

It's a Holden commodore race car from about 1986/87 I think. V8 engined and similar to the Thunder Saloon series that we used to have over here at about the same time.

The Holden is a distant relative of the Vauxhall Senator of the same era.

 

[bud]

It's a Holden commodore race car from about 1986/87 I think. V8 engined and similar to the Thunder Saloon series that we used to have over here at about the same time.

The Holden is a distant relative of the Vauxhall Senator of the same era.

yep, holden used the floor and fire wall as a base, widened it, made it longer , shove a great big dirty american v8 driveline in it, got tom walkinshaw to make it aerodynamic then took it racing.

 

[Sweety]

Oh the good old Metro 6R4 we had one in at the dealership for a short while some motor but for some reason my boss wouldn't let me take it out on a test drive I mean I was 17 at the time & had past my test for a few months:nenau:lol:lol Always loved the RS200 to me it was just sex on wheels no it still is:lol Ford built x number of them as road cars purely so they could rally the thing:thumb2 sadly people did get hurt in crashes but they still do now due to people standing in the wrong places but the likes of the 6R4 & RS200 were basically banned for being to fast

 

[don simon]

"Audi's new Sport Quattro S1 boasted over 600 hp (450 kW) and a huge snowplow-like front end."
600bhp on a car that driven off road.
Those were the days.
RS200
6R4
Quattro
Delta
T16
600bhp???
I still reckon that the flat front RS2000/Mexico was the best looking rally car ever.