The Lexus Rally car brand conjures images of refined sedans and luxury SUVs rather than racing in the dirt and mud. But Lexus models, especially the sporty IS compact rear-wheel drive models, have proven adept rally cars in various amateur and lower-tier professional events over the years. Although never formally factory-supported, customized Lexus IS models…
HPI Rally car is among radio-controlled vehicle brands specializing in racing, HPI Racing played a pivotal role in advancing the RC rally segment thanks to a series of capable scale models. By introducing a more durable four-wheel drive rally chassis alongside high-detail bodies, HPI propelled RC rally from a niche hobby to a full-fledged racing…
How fast do rally cars go? Watching the World Rally Championship, it’s clear rally cars can sustain incredibly high speeds over all types of terrain. But just how quick are the latest WRC, Rally2, and Rally3 machines? What factors limit velocity on stages? Let’s delve into what determines rally car top pace and how progress…
The Chevrolet Cruze Rally Car seems an unlikely candidate for the harsh demands of professional rally racing. But with extensive modifications and race engineering, Chevy proved the Cruze makes a formidable rally car capable of podiums in regional and national rally events. Let’s explore how Chevrolet exploited the Cruze’s basic strengths to create an against-the-odds…
Audi Rally cars are well known today primarily for luxury road cars and dominance at Le Mans, Audi’s motorsport reputation was forged in the rally racing scene through revolutionary cars like the Quattro and Sport Quattro in the 1980s. Audi translated innovations to tarmac and gravel events, playing a pivotal role in advancing 4WD and…
The 22B Rally Car 1999 Impreza STI marked a performance pinnacle for the turbo Subaru lineup at the end of an era. Timed with Subaru’s withdrawal from Group A rallying, the 22B coupe distilled the marque’s hard-won rally learnings and homologation DNA into an instant collectible – only 400 were ever built. Let’s examine why…
Datsun 510 Rally car on paper, the affordable Datsun 510 sedan seems an unlikely candidate to conquer the international rally racing scene of the early 1970s. But the compact, rear-wheel drive 510 had the right attributes to upset European makes including nimble handling, tunable engines, and rugged reliability. Between 1970 and 1973, expertly prepped Datsun…
The 1980s Rally cars category produced the most powerful and technologically advanced rally cars the motorsport world had ever seen. Manufacturers took advantage of loose restrictions to develop short-run homologation specials with cutting-edge engineering and over 600 horsepower. Group B attracted large factory efforts until speeds grew too dangerous, ending the era abruptly. But Group…