Jalopnik: Group B

Which Group B Car Is More Legendary: Ford RS200 or Audi Sport Quattro?

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST

The nearly three-decades-old Ford RS200's byzantine all-wheel-drive system is like the modern Nissan GT-R's, only in reverse. The Audi Sport Quattro had ABS and self-locking diffs when those things were still wizardry. Awesome, yes, but which one of these cars enjoys the most renown? More »

One of only 24 Group B Rally Ford RS200 Evolutions for sale on Ebay

Tom Joslin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:00:00 EST

It might seem hard to believe a 25 year old Ford is still faster than a Ferrari Enzo, but this is far from a run of the mill mid 80s Ford. For those unfamiliar with the RS200 Evolution, this ultra rare four wheel drive 600hp monster was originally built by Ford Motorsports in England for competition in the legendarily short-lived Group B Rally class. More »

Was this Italian engine modeled after Johnny 5 from Short Circuit?

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EDT

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The prototype Lancia Triflux engine was built by Abarth for rallying. The prototype Johnny 5 sentient robot was built for use by the U.S. military in the 1986 movie Short Circuit. What a resemblance these two unrelated pieces of machinery share. More »

How to beg your way into a Group B rally car

Bill Caswell — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:30:00 EDT

At the top of Goodwood is the rally paddock and a 2 minute, 20-second forest stage that I raced down in Ken Block's Ford Fiesta. It was awesome, but the moment I got out of Ken's car I ran straight to the Group B paddock and started begging for rides. I'm riding in a Group B if it's the last thing I do. More »

The six greatest Group B Rally Cars

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:45:00 EDT

Group B, more than almost any other series, wasn't about the drivers, it wasn't about the courses, and it wasn't about the manufacturers. It was about the cars. Driven thinks these were the best. What, no MG Metro 6R4? More »

Least desirable Group B rally car selling for $50K

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EDT

Group B rally cars like the Delta and Ford RS200 regularly sell for seven-figure prices. This MG Metro 6R4 is probably the worst Group B rally car ever, but because it's a Group B rally car you still want it. More »

Why historic race cars deserve to be raced

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST

The Legend Boucles de Spa brings historic rally cars out of the garage and into the fields, where they belong. No trailer queens here. Just dirt-slinging Porches, Escorts, RX-7's, and other rally classics. More »

Your ridiculously awesome Lancia wallpaper is here

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST

When the lads at Drive Cult sent over this image of a Lanica 037 kicking up dirt at last year's Goodwood Festival of Speed I knew I'd found my new wallpaper. The 1600-px version is here, the giant-sized version is on our Facebook page. More »

One of 24 Ford RS200 Evolution to hit auction block

Tom Joslin — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST

RM auctions announced this week they will be offering a 1986 Ford RS200 Evo Group B for sale at their annual Amelia Island auction being held in March. Pre sale estimates for the car are between $80,000 and $120,000 which doesn't seem bad for a Group B homologation car which can out accelerate any supercar of the era. The RS200 was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records for 12 years as the world's fastest accelerating car. It's hard to comprehend this much desire for a Ford hatchback. More »

The Beauty and Madness of Group B Rallying Remembered

Tom Joslin — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST

While Group B only existed for a few short years, it is now the stuff of rally legend. The creator of this video wanted to capture "the madness and beauty" of the class. Job well done. (Hat tip to Kaneh_Bosm!) More »

Fear Not The Darkness, Embrace It

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:30:00 EST

Classic rally cars line up for the historic 2010 Rally Costa Brava, including quite a few Porsches. Hella awesome. Or PIAA awesome, as may be the case. [formfreu.de] More »

The World's Second Most Interesting Man

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EDT

"I don't always drive rally cars, but when I do, I prefer Porsches. And I don't always drink beer, but when I do there's usually falcon crap in it." [via Hoopties] More »

The Ten Most Infamous Crashes In Racing

Martin Grossinger — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EDT

Sadly, crashing is an inevitable part of racing. The sport we love has taken many of our heroes, and although tragedy is never pleasant, it's important to remember who we've lost. Here are your suggestions for racing's ten most infamous accidents. More »

That's A Lot Of Dead Bugs

Sam Smith — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EDT

A Lancia Stratos at the 2010 Tour Auto in France. Say hello to Wednesday, Killer B. Thems is some dead, dead bugs. Photo Credit: Christophe Le Tellier [Flickr/FotosJimmy via SaveTheEnzos] More »

When Men Were Men And Rallying Was Certain Death

Wes Siler — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:30:00 EDT

There was a time, before flat billed baseball caps, when rallying required more than shoe company sponsorship. It required a complete and utter disregard for human life, especially your own. Here's a look at "old school" rallying. More »

Best Barn Find Ever: Two Brand-New BMW E30 M3s And A Fast Ford

Wes Siler — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:15:00 EDT

The RS Owners Club story begins with an amazing find: an E30 M3 with just 37 miles, yet concludes with something even more amazing: a second E30 M3 with 57 miles and, wait for it, a Ford RS200. More »

VIDEO: 11-Minute Reminder Why Group B Was The Greatest

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:40:00 EST

Group B racing footage is often obscured by superfluous tehcno-music or artsy cut scenes. Thankfully, this eleven-minute homage isn't. Put on your headphones, sit back, and pine for days of wildly overpowered monsters plunging through crowds of spectators. (Thanks Valentin!) More »

Here, In His Natural Environment, A Stig Drives the Group B Audi Quattro

Peter Orosz — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EDT

You’ve seen black Stigs, white Stigs, even the occasional Schumi-Stig. But have you ever seen the real Stig? Swedish rally driver Stig Blomqvist, that is. More »

Can Am or Group B?

Murilee Martin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Anything goes! That attitude can get dangerous in a hurry with racing, especially when sponsorship bucks start to pile up, but it results in brain-melting machinery! Now you must choose between the two craziest series! More »

Vintage Porsche 959 Factory Tour

The Auto Insider — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EDT

The internet can be a terrifically awesome place to spend time. Case-in-point, this vintage photo tour of the Zuffenhausen-based assembly plant where all 337 mythical Porsche 959s were built by skilled Germans probably named Bruce. More »

Marvelous Lambo Miura Film with Crashes and Scantily-Clad Brides

Peter Orosz — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:20:00 EDT

French filmmaker Richard Fabrice's short film "lamborghini" is three minutes of utter magnificence and no, it's not because of the scantily-clad young lady writhing on a Miura SV's trunk in a thoroughly European wedding dress. More »

Ferrari 308 Group B Michelotto

Jonny Lieberman — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:30:00 EST

Something new everyday. Did any of you know that there were in fact four Group B Ferrari 308s? We had no idea, and we thought we knew the Killer Bs. Davey G sent me info on these cars as part of our continuing fight over the Mustache Ride. Here's the skinny: More »

Down on the D1 Grand Prix: Ford RS200

Jonny Lieberman — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 08:30:30 EST

Oh snap, Jalopnik went drifting. We were there live when Japan's Nobushige Kumakubo and his Team Orange EVO won five rounds of Sudden Death! to capture the crown. And we'll get to that, in good time. But, Jalopnik being Jalopnik, our palms got way sweatier looking at this baby than they did watching three hours of choice precision driving. Sue us. Yeah, that's an RS200. Well, OK, it's a replica. But still, it's an RS200. You want details? Click here. You want to drool? Leaf through the gallery. When we asked if the engine was tuned to between 650 and 800 horsepower we were told, "Probably." Snap snap, snap snap. More »

Crowning The King Of 1986: Audi Quattro S1 vs Ford RS200 vs Lancia Delta S4 vs Peugeot 205 TI6

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 12:00:00 EDT

If you've read Jalopnik for longer than 20 minutes, you just knew we were going to stick a "Killer B" in our Fantasy Garage. And why wouldn't we? Created by the FIA in 1982, Group B offered manufacturers a way to show off all their engineering prowess, achieve racing victories and reap the subsequent publicity windfalls, all without the need and expense of launching a full production model. Very low homologation numbers (200 streetable cars in this case) meant that for a modest investment — especially when compared to Group A with its minimum 5,000 production cars mandate — a company could claim some serious rewards. Group A also had more stringent restrictions in terms of power, weight, materials and overall cost, not to mention a four-seat rule that in essence prohibited mid-engine machines. Group B was essentially unlimited, especially in terms of power. More »

Wacky Hatch! MG Metro 6R4

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 23 May 2007 20:15:00 EDT

We admit it. We never met a gonzoid hyper-rally car we didn't like. And while we're complete and utter suckers for purpose-built, design-the-thing-and-homologate-it-later machines like the Ford RS200 and Lancia Stratos, any car with the stones to compete in Group B earns our respect. As such, we've never had a whole lot of love for the Austin/MG/Whatever Metro, but the 6R4 is entirely different pot of meat. Built by Williams, it featured a hybrid construction of plastik und schteel, a midship-mounted V6 instead of a turbo mill with fewer cylinder and well, is simply one of the most gonzoid hatchbacks ever built. We would be proud to call it friend, even if its roadgoing relatives were an affront to the dignity of British motoring, as well as its progenitor, the fabulous Mini. – Davey G. Johnson More »

Oh Yes, It's the RS200

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 21 May 2007 17:30:00 EDT

Okay, it never won Le Mans. It didn't even do all that well in Group B, as the FIA killed what may stand as the manliest class ever to exist in the history of motorsport before FoMoCo engineers really got the machine exactly right. But just look at it! It's a fabulous kitbash with a body built by freaking Reliant of all people. Plus, even though it was heavier than other cars of the era, you can tell by watching the footage that it still weighs like eight pounds. And somehow, while the ferocious Bruceosity of the 959 cannot be fronted upon, the RS200 is still cooler. – Davey G. Johnson More »

Cojones of Stone: Vatinen/Harriman/Manta 400

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 20:00:00 EST

In 1983, there will be a practically Formula Libre rallying class known as "Group B." We hear Opel is already working on a car to compete, to be tentatively known as the Manta 400. Here we have some conjecture, created by optical-compositing specialists of two men, named here, for convenience's sake, Ari Vatanen and Terry Harriman. Our unparallelled technical artists even added in an amazing near miss, such is the glory and strength of Jalopnik's compositing lab. – Davey G. Johnson More »

TARMAC INDUCTION AMUSEMENT!

Mike Bumbeck — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:39:32 EST

While the sheer terror of Group B Rally machines is documented with well deserved awe we like to root for the underdogs and unsung oddballs of the automobile world - some more oddball and unsung than others. Look not so closely to see numerous Ford Sierra Cosworths laughing like hyenas as they push tarmac sliding power through blow off valves and wastegates. Ford Sierras were hardly sold here in the states as a Merkur Xr4ti with a turbocharged SOHC 2.3L Ford mill under the hood. Look more closely to see a few NSU Prinz 1000's assing their way around corners, openly mocking their inner Bruce. Peer most carefully to witness a Starion wide body run a little wide, and not of its body. – Mike Bumbeck More »

Oh, Group B, How We Miss You

Davey G. Johnson — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 19:45:00 EST

Punkey pointed out that the Autoblogs dug up a video "compliated" by a man named Joost, which entirely rocks socks. Powersliding, spark-farting titans in vehicles that went by such legendary names as Quattro, RS200 and Lancia-with-mudflaps. Group B rallying was simply the most badass motorsport since the O.G. Can-Am series. Plus, this particular clip features no bad techno. Just lots of exhaust-popping, turbocharged goodness. Delicious. – Davey G. Johnson More »

Refrain from Breaking My Heart: Group B Rallying Video

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 08:59:53 EDT

If you have to ask why it's necessary to wake up to 8:22:00 of Group B rallying footage from the 1980s set to the synthisized strains of Clarke and Bell (et al), you need to get out of the country more. [Thanks to Arun for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli More »