@CABEZAGRANDE: Yeah that Fairmont surprised everyone. It's a moderately big car, but it moves around like a lightweight fighter. Very cool to see it out there. The great equalizer is the amount of traction you're able to put down with the tire limitations, and the jump. If the car can't take the jump (which is right before the front straight) it'll probably get left behind by those who can launch off of it at full throttle.
@CABEZAGRANDE: In 2wd there's no rule about power, weight or anything except this: Your tire must not be wider than 10" mounted on the rim. There was a big 'ole Caprice Classic that was MOVING at the end of the front straight, but predictably wasn't all that nimble. The Fairmont was very smooth and surprisingly agile. Excellent fun. It'll be back for round 3, one month away!
@skt.smth: I have always thought Joe Jackson said it best:
@Angela Halley Velazquez: where in baltimore??? Looks like moving back there just got crossed off my list...
All the Corvettes shown are the GT2 cars, neither of which finished the race. (The old GT1 Corvettes were white)
@beta.rogan: Video
In terms of actual race tracks, rather than special stages, I would vote for Riverside. It claimed a life at both its very first race, and its very last, and lives claimed in between included the one and old Rolf Stommelen. There were very few natural land marks to aid in braking points, and dust / dirt was a constant problem: blowing onto the track, or worse, being brought back on after a car went off at the esses. A single car off would result in a blinding dust cloud and usually additional impacts. Added to that the back straight was nearly a mile long, ensuring plenty of speed before turn 9. (which is where most bad accidents happened)
Take a look at the video footage of accidents like the one at the 1986 IMSA GTP event: (involving Doc Bundy, Lyn St. James and Chip Robinson) it's a miracle of car design and sheer luck that all three lived, and even luckier that Chip's Jaguar didn't end up in the crowd.
[en.wikipedia.org]
I will now go back to not posting...
Take a look at the video footage of accidents like the one at the 1986 IMSA GTP event: (involving Doc Bundy, Lyn St. James and Chip Robinson) it's a miracle of car design and sheer luck that all three lived, and even luckier that Chip's Jaguar didn't end up in the crowd.
[en.wikipedia.org]
I will now go back to not posting...
@RootMoose: yeah, I myself would have a hard time choosing this over an E30 M3 or RS America 964, truth be told, and I drink a lot of VW kool-aid, hehehe.
One last addition here...to those who think a Rallye is 'just another VWGolf ' - realize this is a homologation special. Strengthened chassis, different floor pan, boxed fenders, AWD, the whole 9 yards. I do agree it'd be more desirable if it had the OG engine, but figure the car in this clip has about 300hp at max, and consider the car being sold has about 400hp...and as I said before, it'd be very easy to put a G60 back in this car.
@solracer: A very good point, but there is (was?) a loophole with regards to these cars that didn't require lying about race cars or display cars, like the Skylines...
Believe it or not, Rallyes were crash tested to NA specs and met NA emissions at the time. They were to be sold here, but Pan Am flight 103 ended that with the death of the head of VW motorsport. There are two NA spec Rallyes around somewhere, with NA size plate holes, front fender markers, and what not.
Anyways, everything has to be done in advance...bringing one in and trying to get it through customs without having ALL the paperwork done in advance is a sure fire way to have problems. I would guess there is always the potential for a problem, but there was a way to do it correctly, and this was one of those cars.
@RootMoose: Well yeah, I'm well aware that one should never expect to get anything close to what they put into a car like this back out when it's time to sell. I'm just saying for those who say it'd be worth it, or better, with a G60 back under the hood, it wouldn't be that hard to do.
As someone who has driven this car (as in, this exact one being sold) in both it's standard G60 form and VR6T form, I can say it's rather obviously a lot faster with the VR in there. The 330whp is honest and true, and it handles, and accelerates, like many a more expensive car. The AWD chassis is heads and shoulders above any FWD VW, not only for the traction, but ride and handling...independent rear and all that.
The condition of this car is top notch, it's had wayyyyy more put into it than the $22k asking price, and although I personally would have stuck with the G60 engine, it would be very easy to buy this, dump the VR turbo on someone and pick up a Corrado parts car to put back to OG style condition. (not perfect since the Rallye has a different long block than the PG code codes) The VR6 swap was not hacked in there and it would be easy to put it back to Digifant...
Also, it has a limited slip differentials from Peloquin, which is how a: the gearbox stays together, and b: it puts down power so well.
@mgrinshpon: it's all wheel drive actually.
Because sports car / GT racing is 100 times more interesting and exciting. (and Formula 1 cars are U-G-L-Y)
@Peter Orosz: At the end of the day the car is amazing no matter what the spec... 600hp+ from a 2.65L turbo with mechanical fuel injection, in 1983, is just plain crazy! Great post, the Jalop needs more like this
Yeah Grand Am is doing its part to take apart road racing in the USA....by fighting for fans with a real race series, the ALMS. The Rolex 24 has been ruined by freakin ugly spec cars with no innovation, no excitement, no nothing going for them. Sports Prototypes are supposed to be fast and sexy. The DPs are neither.
Not to be too much of a know-it-all, but the 956 used the same engine as the 936, which itself was derived from the failed Porsche Indy project. It was a 2.65L flat six turbo. Not even the 962 got a 3.6 turbo....those were typically 3.0 and 3.2 in the IMSA GTP series, and slightly smaller in Group C. Indeed, Porsche essentially used that same 3.2 turbo in all of their 911 GT1 cars of the late 90's as well...
But basically, yeah, the 956 / 962 is awesome. This is my dream garage car.
@Tomsk supports the Awesomeness: I think this about sums it up, there is nothing more to add to this discussion, as "underpowered, elephantine-looking turtles" is by far the best description I have ever heard regarding the Daytona Prototypes. (aka Dumb Prototypes)
All I can say is thank god I'm not the only one who noticed. Losing the edge. No hoon of the day, month or year. No Murilee during the week. Losing the true poets of the Jalopnik commentators. And consequently gaining a whole crap-ton of useless noise. (thanks facebook log-in!) I used to come back again and again on a story to see who had said what, because honestly, it was funny and unique. Now? Not so much. It's like one big 'that's what she said' joke after another. '...that'll buff out.' Yadda, freakin yadda.
Good luck guys, and welcome back to the fold. Glad the corporate monster didn't swallow you whole.
