Group B rallying has always been the sport to pump up adrenaline to the max level in motorsports lovers. With lighter cars and max horsepower, these cars were capable of doing wonderful things. However, this quality made them equally dangerous as well. It’d be safe to say that Group B rallying used to be more popular than F1 racing in the 1980s.
All of this came to a halt on 2 May 1986, with the death of Henri Toivonen and his co-driver Sergio Cresto while racing in the Tour De Corse. Even after decades from the end of Group B rallying, their cars are still well known for their combination of lightweight and uncontrolled horsepower. Here, we have brought a list of few cars that have been some of the best cars from Group B.
Audi Quattro and Sport Quattro
A car with a combination of turbochargers and a four-wheel-drive system, you can imagine what it is capable of. But its performance was beyond expectations at the time it was launched. At the point when Audi dispatched its Quattro, it was both revolutionary and notable. Audi works driver Stig Blomqvist depicted the distinction somewhere in the range of two-and four-wheel drive as “day and night”. In reality, Audi had the option to get an impressive group, with Michele Mouton and Hannu Mikkola joining Blomqvist.
Hannu Mikkola drove the Audi Quattro to the drivers’ title in 1983, with Stig Blomqvist rehashing the accomplishment in 1984. The German firm was absolutely ruling the game, with progress on the track, meaning deals in the display area. Its innovation upset world mobilizing, driving its rivals to play make up for a lost time. They got up to speed. However, it took some time.
Ford RS200
Ford RS200 was one of the cars with incredible performance and stats. That is the lone objective clarification for Ford making the RS200. Its introduction to the world was an immediate consequence of the retraction of the Ford Escort RS1700T. However, it wouldn’t show up until the 1986 season (the last year of Group B.)
If it looks extremist today, think what it resembled during the 80s. Besides Sierra backlights and windscreen, the RS200 was nothing similar to the standard Ford vehicles of the day, while its Kevlar body concealed a 1.8-litre motor creating 420hp. Tragically, an RS200 driven by Joaquim Santos was engaged with an occurrence wherein three observers kicked the bucket, and a further 30 were harmed. It was the first of numerous accidents that prompted the inevitable prohibition on Group B vehicles.
Ferrari 288 GTO
While numerous makers decided to revitalise, a couple wandered down the track highway, one of which was Ferrari. The 288 GTO was intended to go hustling, and Ferrari was to construct 200 street vehicles. However, with the demise of Group B, Ferrari had a vehicle without a race series. Regardless, because such was the interest for the 288 GTO, first seen at the 1984 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari squeezed ahead with a creation run of 272 models. The world was happy it did because the 400hp 288 GTO became one of the characterizing Ferraris of the 1980s. Furthermore, it was all gratitude to Group B.
Porsche 959
Maybe the most innovatively progressed of all Group B vehicles, the Porsche 959 never entered a Group B race. Improvement of the Porsche ‘Group B’ took unreasonably long, which implied that the series was already at its end. Yet, that didn’t prevent the 959 from setting itself up as a legend.
Without a doubt, albeit energizing turned out to be less imperative to Porsche, the 959 got a great one-two in the Paris-Dakar Rally of 1986, while a track-centred vehicle took a class to succeed at Le Mans. At that point, the 197mph 959 was the quickest street-going vehicle on the planet, another motivation to observe Group B.
Nissan 240RS
Nissan’s Group B section was the 240RS coupe. It was fuelled by a 2.4-litre motor that grew explicitly for Group B, with power moved to the back tires utilizing a Nismo transmission.
Working with a rear-wheel-drive system, it appreciated restricted accomplishment on the world’s circuits. However, it dealt with a second spot in the New Zealand Rally.
Toyota Celica Twin- Cam Turbo
On account of its achievement in the Safari and Ivory Coast Rallies, the Toyota Celica Twin-Cam Turbo procured itself the epithet ‘King of Africa’. While different carmakers were changing to four-wheel drive, Toyota stayed with rear-wheel drive, no doubt stirring up a lot of frustration for team boss Ove Andersson.
It made its presentation at the 1983 1,000 Lakes Rally, where Juha Kankkunen drove it to a good 6th spot. On its next trip, it completed first on the 1984 Ivory Coast Rally. The finish of Group B flagged the end for the Celica Twin-Cam Turbo and a fresh start for the Celica with a four-wheel-drive drivetrain.
Skoda 130LR
The back engined rally vehicle depended on the Skoda 120 street vehicle and was fueled by a 1.3-litre motor creating 132hp.
After Group B was dropped, the Skoda 130LR kept on being utilized in public occasions until 1988. In its day, the Skoda was a serious considerable and powerful opponent for its rivals.