Group B Rally Cars

Group B was one of the divisions of rally cars in the rallying championship. Introduced in 1982, Group B regulations gave engineers enormous scope for producing (at the time) the fastest ever rally cars.

While Group A regulations were aimed at production-derived cars, Group B had few limitations in terms of technology and design. In addition, while manufacturers were forced to homologate their designs and produce roadgoing versions of the rally cars, the number of units required was only 200 per year. This meant the costs of homologating an expensive design were lower, so manufacturers could afford to spend more.

Weight requirements for the cars were low and the use of high-tech materials was also allowed. There were also no limits on the amount of turbo boost, so as long as the engine could stand it then the engineers could go as crazy as they wanted.

This combination of low weight and massive power led to amazing performance. The spectacle of drivers trying to tame these wild cars led to renewed spectator interest, and that in turn brought new manufacturers to Group B, eager to cash in on the increasing exposure.

Probably the most recognisable Group B rally car is the Audi Sport Quattro. It arrived in 1984 and was a development of the previous model Quattro, but this time designed specifically for the Group B regulations.

320mm was chopped from the wheelbase, while the flared bodywork was made from kevlar to reduce weight. Downforce was increased thanks to a large rear spoiler and front chin spoiler.

Powered by a 2.1 litre 5-cylinder engine the Quattro had a distinctive warble as it hammered around the stages. With power in excess of 450bhp it was exceedingly quick, and the short wheelbase ensured nimble handling. With four-wheel drive the Quattro was almost unbeatable on loose surfaces, although the rear-wheel drive Lancia 037 gave it a run for its money on tarmac stages.

1984 was Audi's most successful in rallying, with Stig Blomqvist powering the Sport Quattro to both driver's and manufacturer's titles. But competition was fierce and Audi had to work hard to stay at the top.

Midway through 1985 the Sport Quattro S1 arrived. The S1 was the most powerful of the Group B cars and by 1986 it was pushing out over 600bhp, with large wings allowing it to keep grip on fast stages and reach ever higher speeds. Despite the power and speed the S1 only won one rally, the 1985 San Remo.

Lancia's first entry into Group B was the 037. This was driven by the rear wheels only, but at this point Lancia were playing safe while Audi experimented with four-wheel drive.

With 325bhp and a simpler and lighter rear-wheel drive package the Lancia 037 was fantastic on tarmac, and proved to be more reliable than the Audi. The 037 proved to be so successful that it took the 1983 manufacturer's title. Unfortunately Lancia struggled to keep up with the pace of their rival's development and in the 1984 season the 037 was soon struggling to keep up with the pace.

Late into the 1985 season came one of the most technologically advanced Group B cars - the Lancia Delta S4. This time Lancia opted for four-wheel drive and to give their new car an edge over the competition Lancia deployed their first twin-charged engine. With a supercharger for low-rev response and a turbo for maximum power at high revs, the Delta S4 offered bags of torque and over 500bhp from its 1.8-litre engine. This really was a design ahead of its time and only now are we seeing twin-charged engines being used in mainstream production cars.

The S4's opening event proved that Lancia were onto a winner with a 1-2 finish at the 1985 RAC Rally. The 1986 season looked like it was going to be more of the same for Lancia and their drivers Markku Alen and the young Henri Toivonen. Sadly that would never happen, as the death of Toivonen and his co-driver at the Corsica Rally would prove to be too much for the team to recover from.

The Peugeot 205 T16 arrived midway through the 1984 season and was immediately a force to be reckoned with. In its first appearance at the Tour de Corse it dominated the first two days of the event with Ari Vatanen behind the wheel. Sadly Vatanen lost control on the last day and crashed out, handing victory to Audi, but the T16 had made its mark. Its first victory would come just two rounds later at the 1000 Lakes rally.

The 205 T16 featured a rear-mounted engine and space-frame chassis, as well as four-wheel drive. Power came courtesy of a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder engine that produced around 350bhp.

In 1985 Peugeot revealed the Evo II version of the T16. Power was now up to 500bhp and this allowed the little Peugeot to dominate the 1985 season, with Timo Salonen taking the driver's crown while Peugeot grabbed the Manufacturer title. However, it wasn't all plain sailing as lead driver Ari Vatinen was almost killed in a serious crash that took him out of action for a year.

While Ford had been competing their Escort in rallying for some time, they decided to produce an all new car to make the most of the Group B regulations. This resulted in the stylish RS200, and Ford decided to make the most of this lovely coupe by selling a proper roadgoing version to the public. They actually made a profit from sales of the RS200, something that was a novelty when other manufacturers were selling their homologation specials at a loss.

While the roadgoing RS200 used fibreglass for the bodywork, the rally version used a kevlar composite for light weight and strength. Underneath the kevlar was a spaceframe chassis with a mid-mounted engine, and to ensure it was competitive the RS500 used four-wheel drive.

The four-cylinder 2.1-litre 16-valve engine had an estimated 500bhp at its disposal, and the later Evolution model was expected to have around 650bhp and less weight. Sadly the Evo never made it into competition as Ford pulled out of rallying following Henri Toivonen's tragic accident. The RS200's career was cut short, and the end of Group B meant that it would never compete in the WRC again.

While Group B proved to be popular with both specators and manufacturers, it lasted for just four years. The final season in 1986 proved to be particularly tragic, and two key events brought the premature end of Group B.

The first event would occur at the Portugese Rally. Local driver Joaquim Santos was attacking the first stage in his Ford RS200. He came over a crest in the road to find a crowd of spectators blocking his path. It wasn't unusual for rally fans to stand in the road, moving out of the way at the last second as they watched the Group B monsters fly past, but in this case they wouldn't have time to move.

Santos swerved to avoid the spectators but lost control of his RS200 and ploughed into the crowd, injuring thirty-one people and killing three more. The top teams immediately pulled out of the rally, but this was a very public tragedy and led to some difficult questions about the safety of Group B.

The second incident, and the one that sealed the fate of Group B, was the death of Henri Toivonen, who was competing in a Lancia Delta S4 at the Tour de Corse rally in Corsica. On 2 May 1986, while leading the rally, Toivonen's S4 left the road on a tight bend and plunged down a ravine, landing upside down. The impact split the fuel tanks and the car immediately went up in flames, killing both Toivonen and his co-driver, Sergio Cresto.

There were no close witnesses to the accident and all that remained of the car was the blackened spaceframe, so it was impossible for anyone to determine the true cause of the accident. However, that didn't stop Jean-Marie Balestre, then President of the FISA, from immediately banning the Group B rally cars from competing in the following season.

Audi and Ford withdrew from Group B rallying straight away, while the other teams continued to compete until the end of the 1986 season. With that came the end of rallying's most popular era.