Rally sport has produced some legendary models. In particular, with the introduction of the ‘Group B’ class in 1982, manufacturers went all out: cars such as the Audi Sport Quattro, Ford RS200, Lancia Delta S4 and the Peugeot 205 T16 make the heart of many car enthusiasts beat faster. The rally monsters below are less legendary, or even never appeared at the start, but deserve to be in the spotlight for once.
‘Group B’ was created in 1982 by the FISA, the then division of the FIA ​​that dealt with the regulations in motorsport, as a replacement for the Group 4 and -5 classifications. What made Group B so attractive was that the rules were a lot more flexible. For example, the minimum number of cars that manufacturers had to produce for homologation was reduced from 400 to 200 units. From now on, that could also be two-seaters. Group B consisted of several standings, based on engine displacement. For naturally aspirated cars this increased from 2,000 cc to 4,000 cc, for cars with a supercharger or turbo from 1,397 cc to 2,857 cc.
Those different classifications included rules about the width of the wheels and the minimum weight. There was no limit on power. The FIA ​​thought that a restriction on the cylinder capacity would be sufficient to keep the power within limits. That was emphatically not the case: manufacturers learned how to squeeze astronomical powers from turbocharged engines with a relatively low displacement, which led to the class being labeled as too dangerous in 1986 after a number of fatal incidents. In the four years that the class existed, car manufacturers designed the most bizarre rally cars. There are also a number of names that you might not expect in the freest class of rally sport.
Citroen BX 4TC
Citroen BX 4TC in action.
Citroën was not exactly a stranger to the rally world: with the Visa, the brand already participated in Group B. As a front-wheel drive rally car with a relatively small engine, however, the Visa was in the lower rankings of Group B. Citroën wanted more and therefore started developing of the BX 4TC, which was homologated in 1986. Unfortunately, that is also the year in which the class was abolished, so that the 380 hp strong rally gun from Citroën was only short-lived. Citroën then bought back many road cars it had produced for homologation to destroy them, leaving about 40 road cars reportedly left.
MG Metro 6R4
MG Metro 6R4
Austin Rover had ambitions in rallying. The MG Metro 6R4 had to live up to it all in Group B. The Metro, normally a relatively anonymous compact hatchback, was widened and got a 2,991 cc measuring V6 behind the front seats. That power source, unlike the cars of the competition, was atmospheric. With 410 hp and 366 Nm of torque, the Metro was quite powerful, especially since the rally car weighed only 1,040 kilos. A promising package, especially in combination with four-wheel drive, but at international level it did not get further than third place. At the national level, the 6R4 was more successful: it was used in various rallycross events until the 1990s.
Lada Samara EVA
Lada Samara EVA
Lada in rally sport? Of course! The brand already competed in the lower regions of Group B with the 2105 VFTS, but also wanted to compete at the top. The bizarre Lada Samara EVA had to fill that role. The creation was based on the Lada Samara, but had little to do with it anymore. The car had a 1,860 cc four-cylinder turbo mid-engine, which was supposed to transfer 300 hp to the rear wheels. Unfortunately for Lada, the Samara EVA was too late: development only started in 1986. Lada continued with the project under the name S-Proto for the Group S classification, which was to replace Group B. However, that party was canceled either, which meant that Lada’s rally gun was never able to participate in a competition.
Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
At a time when most compact hatchbacks had front-wheel drive, the Talbot Sunbeam still had rear-wheel drive. That made it quite suitable as a rally car. The angular and fairly simply designed Sunbeam received a 2,174 cc four-cylinder turbo from Lotus with 245 hp under the hood in 1979, the drivetrain and chassis were strengthened and the Sunbeam got wider wheel arches. Initially intended for Group 4, it later received homologation for Group B. This allowed the Sunbeam Lotus to compete at the top, but it was soon overshadowed by Peugeot with the 205 T16, which did acquire legendary status. in Group B. The Sunbeam Lotus was then mainly used in national events.
Daihatsu DeTomaso Charade 926R
Daihatsu Charade 926R. Source: rallygroupbshrine.org
Daihatsu saw mid-engine hatchbacks such as the Peugeot 205 T16 and the Renault 5 Turbo in rallying and must have thought: we can do that too. The brand was already active in rallying with the Charade 926 Turbo, but came up with something more extreme in collaboration with De Tomaso. At the 1986 Tokyo Motor Show, it presented the mid-engine Charade 926R. The number 926 refers to the cylinder capacity of the three-cylinder turbo. With 118 hp, the Charade 926R didn’t reach the power of the cars above, but in the lower regions of Group B, the specially developed model was a recipe for success. Unfortunately, it was never to be: the Daihatsu project was canceled due to the end of Group B.
untapped potential
Due to the relatively short existence of Group B, many manufacturers were just too late with their ‘entry’ for the ranking. For example, Lamborghini was working on a rally version of the Countach and Porsche had the 959 ready. The 959 did participate in the Paris-Dakar Rally, but the homologation of the car was too late for Group B. The 650 hp Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione is also an example of this. In short, banning Group B was understandable for safety reasons, but it meant that many great manufacturers’ projects never came to full fruition.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl