- 1,131
- Slovenj Gradec
- TheNordschleife
Oh yes ... this were the best days of rally racing. I have few GB of movies on group B. They were all found on p2p programs (e-mule). Search as group B/audi/lancia ... or sth ...
Let me try to sum up a story about these cars, which was written by my friend. Sorry for mistakes, it's being translated as I type
.
In 1979 FISA (part of FIA Rally department) allowed use of 4WD in rally. But manufacturers believed it was not possible because it was complicated and heavy and so on. They depended on the good old proven RWD of Lancia Stratos, fiat 131 abarth, renault A110, R5 turbo, ford escort, opel, ... But there was the newcomer in rally championship. And they thought 4wd was great idea. They employed one at that time top rally driver - Hannu Mikola, who was at the first idea of 4WD dissapointed, but he soon discovered the potencial of that. In 1980 as a part of testing, Audi entered their yet to be homologated car - Audi quattro, as a pre-race car. The surprise was perfect. The car was more than 15 minutes faster than the winner of rally. Other companies were just dumbfounded.
In 1981 Audi entered the championship with their first original Audi Quattro. Drivers were Hannu Mikkola and Michele Mouton and some test drivers. In 1981 Swedish rally for example, Quattro caught up on the road with Lancia Stratos which started one minute before, after only 10km of racing. And in San Remo Rally, Michele Mouton entered history books as the only so far and the first ever woman to win a World Rally Championship race. She almoust became a World Champion that year. Audi took the Constructors Championship without problems, but Michelle lost to Opel's Water Rohrl in the last race, as Audi in interest of racing didn't want to interfere with drivers racing.
So in 1982 FISA introduced Group B. Anyone could enter. You only had to make 200 serial cars of that sort, with no restrictions on turbo and superchargers. The only limit was the engine capacity - 3000cc for NA engine and 2142 (factor 1.4) for turbocharged or supercharged engines.
So in 1983 Audi was the only one with fully prepared car for group B. Only competition Audi found in Lancia 037, midengined RWD car, which performed extremely good on tarmac, but audi was better on slippery surfaces. Lancia won that year's consructors championship, which was last for a 2WD car.
As it was good, Quattro showed it's weaknesses when Peugeot 205 T16 entered. Audi had front engined car, which was very nose-heavy. Even the new version of Sport Quattro (shorter wheelbase) was not so much better. But the new 205 had space frame, mid engine car, 50:50 weight distribution and the best drivers at the time. They became very succesfull immidately. To improve their performance Audi introduced The most powerful Rally car of all times. The mighty Audi S1. The car had 650HP and was very fast. Towards the end of Group B Audi was allready preparing and testing the 1000HP version, which had nasty tendancy to go only straight at full throttle acceleration. They didn't get past prototype, but it was a clear example, that power was not everything. In 11 months Audi S1 won only one rally event.
In late 1985 Lancia finnaly introduced their weapon for group B. The Lancia S4. It was a sensation. Mid engined 4WD car with supercharger (at low rpm) AND turbocharger (at high rpm) this was the best car of group B. Everybody was eager to see the fight between 205 T16 and S4 in 1986. But fate decided that that year became the worst year in rally history.
Since the introduction of Group B experts were warning that power and speed of group B were growing out of control. And there was also the uncontrollable crowds of spectators on all events. People were crazy these days. Standing half a meter from the road, on which rally cars with 500HP+ were driving sideways - that was the time bomb, waiting to explode. But luckily for all, 1983 and 84 were great years. No accidents happened. But in 1985 it started. In may italian driver Bettega died in Corsica in his Lancia 037. All drivers were in shock and they weren't calmed down, when another accident happened. Ari Vatanen flew off the road in Argentina and rolled his car several times. That would not be extremely bad, bad his seat separated from the car bottom and he was bouncing inside the car uncontrollably. He was hurt very badly, and it took him more than a year to return in rally car. But he never again entered group B race. Because 1986 Portugal Rally started. Uncontrollable crowds on the side of the road were too much. Portugese driver Santos lost control of his RS200 and flew into the crowd. Six were killed and several wounded. All factories stopped the rally immidiately. But it wasn't the end yet. Two months later another accident marked the end of that era. Finnish driver Henri Toivonen who was leading the rally in Corsica didn't show up at the end of one stage. Team members were asking drivers if anyone has seen him. Few hours later his car was found, more than 100 meters below the road. He flew off the cliff and exploded on impact. Driver and co-driver had no chance.
FISA had enough. The "killer bee's" had to be stopped. In 1987 they introduced group A rules with cars only at about 250HP. Todays WRC with 1230 kg and 300HP sound a lot slower than Group B's aproximately 950kg and 500HP+. But the introduction of active diferentials, handbrake (remember - in 1980s 4WD was permanent, handbrake was useless on a stage). In a straight line, Group B was unbeatable, but modern WRC cars gain A LOT in corners. Just imagine ... Lancia S4 with proper gearing and it's 4WD could accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in just over 2 seconds! And that on gravel!!! That time's F1 race car with 1200HP needed a tenth of a second more .. on tarmac! Another incredible information is also - in 1986 Portugal Rally they had special stage on Estoril track. The winner of that stage - Toivonen - achieved time, that would put him in 3rd start row of that year's F1 race on that circuit, right next to Ayrton Senna and Keke Rosberg.
Group B lasted only 4 years, but left incredible mark on motorsport world.
Pictures of all kinds can be found on google. Won't stick 'em here. If you're interested, look them up. But have prepared a sample from one of my group B video, just to show you the incredible crowds in group B. It's only 7 MB ...
http://users.volja.net/gturismo88/Best.of.GroupB.avi-[660MB-1h.27m.53s]-Sample.avi
Let me try to sum up a story about these cars, which was written by my friend. Sorry for mistakes, it's being translated as I type
.In 1979 FISA (part of FIA Rally department) allowed use of 4WD in rally. But manufacturers believed it was not possible because it was complicated and heavy and so on. They depended on the good old proven RWD of Lancia Stratos, fiat 131 abarth, renault A110, R5 turbo, ford escort, opel, ... But there was the newcomer in rally championship. And they thought 4wd was great idea. They employed one at that time top rally driver - Hannu Mikola, who was at the first idea of 4WD dissapointed, but he soon discovered the potencial of that. In 1980 as a part of testing, Audi entered their yet to be homologated car - Audi quattro, as a pre-race car. The surprise was perfect. The car was more than 15 minutes faster than the winner of rally. Other companies were just dumbfounded.
In 1981 Audi entered the championship with their first original Audi Quattro. Drivers were Hannu Mikkola and Michele Mouton and some test drivers. In 1981 Swedish rally for example, Quattro caught up on the road with Lancia Stratos which started one minute before, after only 10km of racing. And in San Remo Rally, Michele Mouton entered history books as the only so far and the first ever woman to win a World Rally Championship race. She almoust became a World Champion that year. Audi took the Constructors Championship without problems, but Michelle lost to Opel's Water Rohrl in the last race, as Audi in interest of racing didn't want to interfere with drivers racing.
So in 1982 FISA introduced Group B. Anyone could enter. You only had to make 200 serial cars of that sort, with no restrictions on turbo and superchargers. The only limit was the engine capacity - 3000cc for NA engine and 2142 (factor 1.4) for turbocharged or supercharged engines.
So in 1983 Audi was the only one with fully prepared car for group B. Only competition Audi found in Lancia 037, midengined RWD car, which performed extremely good on tarmac, but audi was better on slippery surfaces. Lancia won that year's consructors championship, which was last for a 2WD car.
As it was good, Quattro showed it's weaknesses when Peugeot 205 T16 entered. Audi had front engined car, which was very nose-heavy. Even the new version of Sport Quattro (shorter wheelbase) was not so much better. But the new 205 had space frame, mid engine car, 50:50 weight distribution and the best drivers at the time. They became very succesfull immidately. To improve their performance Audi introduced The most powerful Rally car of all times. The mighty Audi S1. The car had 650HP and was very fast. Towards the end of Group B Audi was allready preparing and testing the 1000HP version, which had nasty tendancy to go only straight at full throttle acceleration. They didn't get past prototype, but it was a clear example, that power was not everything. In 11 months Audi S1 won only one rally event.
In late 1985 Lancia finnaly introduced their weapon for group B. The Lancia S4. It was a sensation. Mid engined 4WD car with supercharger (at low rpm) AND turbocharger (at high rpm) this was the best car of group B. Everybody was eager to see the fight between 205 T16 and S4 in 1986. But fate decided that that year became the worst year in rally history.
Since the introduction of Group B experts were warning that power and speed of group B were growing out of control. And there was also the uncontrollable crowds of spectators on all events. People were crazy these days. Standing half a meter from the road, on which rally cars with 500HP+ were driving sideways - that was the time bomb, waiting to explode. But luckily for all, 1983 and 84 were great years. No accidents happened. But in 1985 it started. In may italian driver Bettega died in Corsica in his Lancia 037. All drivers were in shock and they weren't calmed down, when another accident happened. Ari Vatanen flew off the road in Argentina and rolled his car several times. That would not be extremely bad, bad his seat separated from the car bottom and he was bouncing inside the car uncontrollably. He was hurt very badly, and it took him more than a year to return in rally car. But he never again entered group B race. Because 1986 Portugal Rally started. Uncontrollable crowds on the side of the road were too much. Portugese driver Santos lost control of his RS200 and flew into the crowd. Six were killed and several wounded. All factories stopped the rally immidiately. But it wasn't the end yet. Two months later another accident marked the end of that era. Finnish driver Henri Toivonen who was leading the rally in Corsica didn't show up at the end of one stage. Team members were asking drivers if anyone has seen him. Few hours later his car was found, more than 100 meters below the road. He flew off the cliff and exploded on impact. Driver and co-driver had no chance.
FISA had enough. The "killer bee's" had to be stopped. In 1987 they introduced group A rules with cars only at about 250HP. Todays WRC with 1230 kg and 300HP sound a lot slower than Group B's aproximately 950kg and 500HP+. But the introduction of active diferentials, handbrake (remember - in 1980s 4WD was permanent, handbrake was useless on a stage). In a straight line, Group B was unbeatable, but modern WRC cars gain A LOT in corners. Just imagine ... Lancia S4 with proper gearing and it's 4WD could accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in just over 2 seconds! And that on gravel!!! That time's F1 race car with 1200HP needed a tenth of a second more .. on tarmac! Another incredible information is also - in 1986 Portugal Rally they had special stage on Estoril track. The winner of that stage - Toivonen - achieved time, that would put him in 3rd start row of that year's F1 race on that circuit, right next to Ayrton Senna and Keke Rosberg.
Group B lasted only 4 years, but left incredible mark on motorsport world.
Pictures of all kinds can be found on google. Won't stick 'em here. If you're interested, look them up. But have prepared a sample from one of my group B video, just to show you the incredible crowds in group B. It's only 7 MB ...
http://users.volja.net/gturismo88/Best.of.GroupB.avi-[660MB-1h.27m.53s]-Sample.avi
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