Group B Rally.

[Shannow]

Was on the TV all the time when I was a teenager, got mags with road tests of the Group B cars (strangely of the 1000 mags of the era that I gave away, I kept a few dozen of my faves).

Anyone laid a hand on a Group B, or one of it's homologation road cars ?

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Anyone laid a hand on a Group B, or one of it's homologation road cars ?


I never had the GREAT fortune to be able to do that.
BUT, one of my 'lottery dream' cars (unlike everyone else who would just run out and buy the first Enzo and/or Lambo they could find)would be an RS200, preferably updated/modded to rallycross Evo 2.2 specs.
750+ to the wheels with an X-trac 6 speed sequential in a 2400 lb. mid engine AWD car sounds about right to me.

 

[Shannow]

I've always had a sweet spot for the R-5 Turbo.

A car that can spin in almost it's own length would liven up trips to work.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XvCkWUYIC1A

(I'd also like a Stratos, but that's not Group B)

 

[gtx510]

I drooled all over an RS200 and 959 at http://www.canepa.com , beautiful cars. I got to sit in a Bugatti EB110 but the RS200 or the Birdcage Maserati would have been my 1st choices.
I can remember being 10-11 yrs old in Germany and seeing a real Audi Sport Quattro at the dealership. I couldn't figure out why my dad wasn't too interested, maybe it was the +100k DM price?

The R-5 is really cool, I'd love one for a street car. The Lancia 037, MG Metro, Peugeot 205 T16, R-5, and RS200 were all really cool cars but the Lancia Delta is my absolute favorite.
my GTX tranny is sooooo jealous
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rOfTd2l80n0

How about Group S?? Even Mazda was going to get into the game.
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~kevmo/sport4.htm

ps. the RS200 EVO was rocking 350bhp. A +750whp 1.8L would have a nastier torque curve than a 1000hp Supra.
http://www.rs200.org

 

[Shannow]

I bounced on the front of Ed Ordynski's rally car at the start of the Winfield F1 season a few years ago, and was really shocked at how firm the suspension was, and how much travel was available when watching it in action.

Another good vid (not old Group B)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21_JCx3_vlc

 

[Shannow]

I remember the Group S rally Mazda in mags down here.

I went to school with this guy (he and his twin were a year ahead, their brother was my year). Not many 4WD Corolla rally cars. Much controversy around the legality of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPrdu7slqRs

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: gtx510
ps. the RS200 EVO was rocking 350bhp. A +750whp 1.8L would have a nastier torque curve than a 1000hp Supra.
http://www.rs200.org


True. BUT the rallycross spec/prepped Evo versions were 2.2 liters, and unrestricted/maxed out did put out that power.
And yes, IF you could drive it on the street here for even a block wothout getting pulled over by every cop in town, it would be a BEAR to drive (but still loads of fun).
Besides, I would rather drive an RS200 anywhere than even a 2000rwhp MKIV (which I would most definitely kill off the line up to 130 or so, in the Ford)!!!!

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: gtx510
but the Lancia Delta is my absolute favorite.
my GTX tranny is sooooo jealous


The last evolutions of the Integrales were among my favorites of the Group A cars, but YES, the S4s were just total and complete insanity with their double forced induction engines.
It's just sad that two of the greatest of ALL time (Henri Toivanen, Sergio Cresta) had to die in one, and hurry along the death of the formula/class.

 

[gtx510]

picky picky, yes, the S4. I think it was mid-engine and twincharged. The "collector" in me would rather have that and a 037. But I think I'd rather drive the RS200. I agree, it looks amazing and has ridiculous performance. I forgot about the 2.1L Works/EVO engine. 650bhp is the highest figures I've seen for a Grp-B car, but there's always bigger turbos, better ecu's, electronic boost control... Might be street legal in Monaco or Macau?
http://www.rsownersclub.co.uk/car_info/rs200.htm 650bhp EVO
http://groupbrally.com/ford.shtml 840hp beast, looks like a track car to me, Pikes Peak?
Weren't specators also injured or killed in one of the Grp-B crashes? Sad indeed. Imagine what Grp-S would have been like. CF bodies 20 years ago! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_ECV

That Topgear vid was cool, great ending. rip McRae

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orhVgxJljRM lol anti-lag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oN1iv9W8Bg Peal Pike hilldance (Peugeot)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQSqE7tznJ4 Nascar?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xokJEbfsDe0 rip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8h5zHHvZoU doh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTmQdCpnFFo RS200/Grp-B vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hJZ9-jvfaI Topgear RS200

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: gtx510
picky picky, yes, the S4. I think it was mid-engine and twincharged. The "collector" in me would rather have that and a 037. But I think I'd rather drive the RS200. I agree, it looks amazing and has ridiculous performance. I forgot about the 2.1L Works/EVO engine. 650bhp is the highest figures I've seen for a Grp-B car, but there's always bigger turbos, better ecu's, electronic boost control... Might be street legal in Monaco or Macau?
http://www.rsownersclub.co.uk/car_info/rs200.htm 650bhp EVO
http://groupbrally.com/ford.shtml 840hp beast, looks like a track car to me, Pikes Peak?
Weren't specators also injured or killed in one of the Grp-B crashes? Sad indeed. Imagine what Grp-S would have been like. CF bodies 20 years ago! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_ECV

That Topgear vid was cool, great ending. rip McRae

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orhVgxJljRM lol anti-lag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oN1iv9W8Bg Peal Pike hilldance (Peugeot)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQSqE7tznJ4 Nascar?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xokJEbfsDe0 rip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8h5zHHvZoU doh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTmQdCpnFFo RS200/Grp-B vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hJZ9-jvfaI Topgear RS200


I forgot they (the RS200 Evolutions) were 2.1, NOT 2.2 (it's been a LONG time since I've looked at them!).
And yes, I was talking about building one with Mountune and those F1 engine constructors to reach those power levels.

Yes, I would think that crazy 850 hp one is a Pikes Peak car by the rear wing configuration alone, if not everything else!!

And yes, ironically enough, it was a privateer (I remember the name, Santos?) run RS200 that went into the crowd at Rally Portugal, killing 4(?) spectators.

This was the last nail in the coffin for the Group B cars.

 

[gtx510]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT2rXgKI3Tk
another grpB vid

 

[gtx510]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB-dekIcWz8

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: gtx510
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB-dekIcWz8

THANKS for the vids!!
I remember the year Carl Merrill's family got Stig (Bloomqvist, the name on the side of the still RS200 in that video) over here to drive Carl's Escort Cosworth RS.
Carl had died from cardiac arrest while at the wheel of said Escort Cossie during the Prescott Forest Pro Rally in Arizona.
Stig agreed to drive this one event, Carl's 'home' rally, the Maine Forest Pro Rally, based out of Rumford Maine.
It was a cool tribute to a GREAT human being to watch Stig decimate the field in Carl's car that year!