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Most powerful Rally cars

2241 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  RS22b
Please jog my memory here.... were the Group B cars the most powerful Rally machines ever? And what's their specs like? Thanks.
anywhere I can get more info on these monsters?
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yes, the GrB cars were the most powerful FIA rally cars. by '86, they were making in the neighborhood of 500-600hp out of ~1.8L four-bangers. weights were under 2000lbs IIRC.

however, i believe the most powerful rally cars period are the pikes peak international hill climb open class cars. they make ~900bhp at sealevel.
The final evolution of the Audi Quattro Sport that they used in the Pikes Peak hillclimb of I believe 1988 had over 1000hp. :eek:
they are amazing machines and i have gotten a ride in 2 of them.

Very lucky for me my father worked at Peugeot throughout the 80's so anything that came into the country pretty much came through my fathers office.

i was only about 6 or 7 but still remember how loud and how fast these things were.

The office was just off of Rt.3 in NJ if anyone knows the area, near Giants Stadium.

First went out in the 205 turbo 16 rally car.
I specifically remember this car b/c of the motor orientation. i had never seen a mid motor before this. Got in my father strapped in i just sat there and he strapped me in b/c i was all confused.
Starts the car and *bang* the loudest noise i ever heard a little car make, and it pretty much stayed like that for the rest of the drive. Off to Rt.3 and toward the city. Got on Dad nailed the gas and i got thrown back into the seat and was extremely scared. So fast of a car down the road. Have no clue how fast we were going but it wasnt like any other Peugeot turbo car i have been in before.

The next one was the Pikes Peak 405 Turbo 16. This was the following year i believe. The coolest looking car i ever saw until that point again. walk over to it and look it over but not for too long. This time my father wasnt driving it was one of the guys that was supposed to be doing the hill climb. My father asked him if he could take me for a ride and he said sure no prob.
Went out and he was talking to me, couldnt really here what he said until he said ok hold on real tight. So we are in the parking lot in back of Peugeot and he is just throwing the car in circles in one spot. straigtens it out and heads to the other side of the parking lot throws the car side ways and out to the fornt of the building onto the industrial road. Completely side ways out onto the road and to the end of the road which is almost a mile or so. Does this all within about 5 sec, or so it felt. Gets to the end by the stop sign and yanks the e-brake swings 180 and back down the road again in fury. Same routine to come back into the lot, around the back through the garage door and yanks the brake again in the shop, to pull 180 and stop backwards pointing at the garage doors.

Those 2 stories is what inspired me inot the sport of rally.

I know that this is a Subaru Club but being this was the closest car i was going to be able to get without importing a car i bought it.

I wish that Peugeot was still here or would come back very soon, b/c i would be there first customer lined up at the door to buy me a 206 or a 106 cup car(basically factory prepped rally car)

hope you all enjoyed reading.
If you are in the Tri-State, come to one of the auto-x and look for the really BIG Peugoet Rally tent from Pikes Peak. It is white with blue, yellow and other colors.

Billyqua
Rally Driven..........
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:yikes: wow :yikes: :drool:
i can't believe you've ridden in a 405 T16 PP car. wow. have i said that yet. wow. do you remember the year? because if you got a rid with Ari Vatenen, i will have to make a magarita out of your brain so that i can drink the memory and have it as my own ;)

when i was in israel a couple of months ago, i saw a bunch of peugots, including the 206. its a good looking little car. now, if they had something other than a FWD POS...
I know that the Ford RS200 (i think that's what it's called) was one of the most dominant rally cars ever, not sure if it's group b though. Not sure about the power either (500hp?)
How about those lancia stratos rally cars?
RS200-yes it was a Group B car. however, it was not dominate, though if there had been an '87 season, it probably would have won. Ford introduced the car for the '86 season (i think technically it was at rally GB of '85, but whatever). while it had some success, it showed quite a bit of potential, though it wasn't up to the level of the Peugot 405 T16 or Lancia Delta S4. however, for the '87 season, Ford planned for an evolution edition that was to have about 150 extra ponies (which would have been around 650+) and, more importantly, significantly less weight (the RS200 was a bit of a porker). also of note, Ferrari planned to run a 208 GTO Evolution on the tarmac events. now that would have been a site to see :eek: that car actually became the basis for the Le Mans winning F40.

Lancia Statos-that was the car to beat in the mid to late 70s. this was becuase it was the first car built with rallying as its sole purpose. however, it made only around 250hp and was RWD. it was no GrB car. once Audi introduce AWD in 1980, it was all over for the stratos. however, Lancia did have success with the stratos's replacement, the 037, even though it was still RWD.

the stratos was one badass looking car
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Unfortunatly my father passed away and can't get you the info on who the driver was on my amazing memory trip...

But i was talking to one of the guys at Peugeot of NA the other day trying to get parts for my turbo 505, and he said the only reason for Peugeot not being here right now is that they dont think there is enough interest in this country.
I said to him thats crazy b/c every person i know that loves rallying wants a 206 and would probably scrap the Subaru for one with AWD.
I know i would.

Billyqua
Rally Driven.............
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