Rally car classes unlike circuit racing’s open competition, rally utilizes specific classes to maintain fairness and encourage participation. Cars contend based on attributes like drivetrain, displacement, and degree of modification rather than outright performance alone. Let’s examine the major national and international rally car classes, how they differ, and what types of vehicles compete in…
Quattro Rally Car by Audi’s racing reputation was defined in the 1980s by their revolutionary Quattro all-wheel drive rally car. With its unique architecture packing a turbocharged inline 5-cylinder powering all four wheels, the Quattro became a dominant force in the World Rally Championship. Let’s explore the engineering and rally racing success that made the…
Porsche 914 Rally Car is not what most motorsports fans associate the Porsche 911 with legendary rally exploits like winning the East African Safaris and Monte Carlo through the 1960s and 70s. But Porsche found earlier rally success in the 1970s with an unexpected upstart model – the modest mid-engine 914. Against formidable machinery, properly…
MG Rally Car – Most car enthusiasts know MG only for classic British roadsters from decades past. But in the early 2000s, the MG brand enjoyed rally racing success campaigning an unlikely hot hatch contender – the MG ZR. An affordable roadgoing warm hatch available with 160hp, engineers from MG and their motorsports division turned…
Lancia Rally Car 1970s during the unforgettable Group 4 and Group 5 era of rallying spanning the late 1960s through the 1970s, Italian automaker Lancia established dominance through advanced competition cars like the Stratos and Fulvia. Driven by legends, Lancia rally cars outshone rivals to capture championships worldwide. Let’s examine these pivotal 1970s rally models…
Jetta Rally car seems an unlikely basis for a competitive rally car. But in the late 1980s, VW’s motorsport engineers managed to morph the affordable front-wheel drive family car into a potent rallycross and Group A rally contender. This unique racing Jetta combined an advanced all-wheel drive powertrain, customized suspension, and weight reduction regimen showing…
Golf Rally car of Volkswagen’s venerable Golf/Rabbit hatchback seems an unlikely candidate for the brutal demands of professional rallying. But Volkswagen Motorsport cleverly optimized generations of Golfs into podium-winning underdogs punching far above their weight class through reliability and suspension expertise. Let’s explore the various variants like the GTI and Golf Syncro that proved front-engine,…
GC8 Rally car Subaru’s motorsports reputation was cemented largely by the Impreza generation’s rally success throughout the 1990s. Introducing turbo engines and sedan practicality to the Subaru badge, the new Impreza quickly formed the foundation for their leading rally racers as soon as it debuted. Extensive competition modifications transformed the GC8 from just another economy…