Welcome to Sunday Matinee, where we highlight classic car reviews or other longer videos I find on YouTube. Kick back and enjoy this blast from the past.
One of the most iconic wars in all of rallying was between Audi and Lancia. But one of the battles in that war was not just between Germany vs. Italy, but also of rear-wheel-drive versus all-wheel-drive. Simply put, the Audi Quattro had the goods, and the Lancia 037 didn't.
That's not to say the Lancia 037 wasn't a remarkable car, with its mid-mounted engine and square stance that gave it an angular shape that never seemed to properly coalesce. It was the last rear-wheel propelled car to win the World Rally Championship, in fact.
But it was completely outclassed by the technological evolution that was the idea to power all four wheels. You can see it here, at the 1984 Monte Carlo rally, with a thick coating of snow and ice everywhere, and the Lancia's sliding where the Audis scamper.
Oh, and there's some sweet Renault 5 Turbos, too. Because funky French hatchbacks are awesome.
The Powers That Be need to bring back Group B, if only for the crazy racecars the world saw. Sure, set a power limit at 300 horses or whatever, I don't really care. But if we ended up getting a new Lancia Montecarlo-based oddball to power through the hills above Monaco, it would totally be worth it.