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…
1992 Celica Rally car – Toyota’s third generation Celica GT-Four debuted in 1988 as a highly capable contender in the competitive Group A era of rallying. But peak success arrived with the ultimate ST185 version campaigned in the 1992 World Rally Championship, claiming Toyota’s first driver’s and manufacturer’s titles. Through evolutionary improvements to nearly every…
Lada Rally car with a reputation built on simple technology and boxy econobox shapes, few expected Russian automaker Lada to find motorsports success internationally. But in the hands of determined drivers, rally-prepped Lada models like the beloved 2101 and 2105 became giant slayers – winning rallies outright against faster Western European machinery. Let’s explore how…
Hyundai Accent Rally car’s econobox subcompact seems an unlikely choice as the basis for a competitive rally car. But Hyundai Motorsport cleverly optimized its modest attributes for rally stages worldwide, proving big performance potential can hide in small packages given the right preparation and skill. Let’s explore how Hyundai maximized Accent’s basic engineering into a…
RWD Rally Cars – Since the rise of sophisticated all-wheel drive systems in rally racing during the 1980s, conventional rear-wheel drive cars have faced an uphill battle to keep pace with their traction-maximizing rivals. But well-driven RWD models like the Toyota Celica GT-Four, Ford Escort Cosworth, and even the Subaru BRZ have upheld honor for…