Six of the best: Group B rally cars
It is 30 years since the fearsome Group B rally cars were outlawed. For many, they represent the pinnacle of rally cars – but 600bhp and poor safety regulations don’t mix.
By the timeFinnish driver Henri Toivonen and co-driver Sergio Cresta’s Lancia went off the side of a corner with no guardrail in 1986 at the Tour de Corse, the writing was on the wall for Group B.
To mark the anniversary of its passing, these iconic rally cars gathered once more at the London Classic Car Show, giving petrolheads a chance to get up close and personal with this extinct breed of rally cars.
Fri, 19 Feb 2016
Audi Quattro
The Audi Quattro was the first rally car to use a four-wheel drive system and it completely revolutionised the sport. Making its competitive debut at the 1981 Janner Rally in Austria where it won every one of the 31 stages and took victory by more than 20 minutes. By 1983, it was modified to Group B regulations and it was the A2, which granted Hannu Mikkola Audi’s first Driver’s Championship. Weighing just 1090kg, this S1 E2 car can hit 60mph in just 3.1 seconds.
