In the world of motorsports, rally racing is as distinct as such a sport can get. Rather than using variations of asphalt circuit races, rallying takes the action off-road, and on to treacherous high-speed rally stages. Combining the typical challenge involved in off-road driving, with the high-speed adrenaline of on-road racing, rally racing is as crazy as it is distinct.
But, under regulation by the World Rally Championship (WRC), safety measures are taken to limit how crazy and dangerous these rally cars can be, creating organized groups with specific, tightly kept regulations. But, in the '80s, a special group was created for the WRC - Group B. Running from 1982 until 1986, Group B did still have regulations, but it was played fast and loose, allowing for ridiculous amounts of power, and monstrous engineering feats that would have been outlawed in other WRC groups.
While every car built for WRC Group B was downright insane, some stand out as the most brutal of the bunch, becoming legendary monsters that could only have existed in the wild world that was Group B. These 10 are among the most monstrous of the bunch:
10 Porsche 911 SC/RS
One of the most widely known and revered sports cars, the Porsche 911 is a legend in the motorsports world, but often gets glossed over in the mad world of Group B rally.
Already an established rally car in WRC group 3, the Porsche 911 SC was brought into the newly formed Group B in 1982, upgraded to the SC/RS form. With 290hp, and a weight of just 2,115 lbs, the 911SC/RS was a properly fast monster, but simply couldn't out-perform the 4 wheel drive competition on rally stages, and was unable to score a Group B win.
9 Renault 5 Maxi Turbo
One of the most iconic Euro-spec hot hatches we never got in North America, the Renault 5 Turbo was an awesome French machine with some serious performance capabilities.
Transforming a Renault 5 Turbo into an ultimate performance hatchback, the Maxi Turbo came with some great rally tech like a 350hp anti-lag equipped engine. Despite having a light weight, stiff chassis, and brutal power, the Maxi Turbo fell behind thanks to a lack of 4 wheel drive, but still saw decent success in Group B.
8 MG Metro 6R4
One of the funniest looking of all Group B rally cars, the MG Metro 6R4 is a tiny British hatchback taken to ridiculous levels of extreme, with surprising deviation from the Group B norm.
While other Group B cars relied on forced induction like turbo or superchargers (or even both at the same time), the MG Metro 6R4 came with a naturally aspirated V6 mounted in the middle that could make up to 400hp, as well as potent 4 wheel drive. Despite being monstrously fast and nimble, the Metro 6R4 was introduced too late for any prolific participation in Group B, being debuted in 1985.
7 Peugeot 205 T16
Another Euro hot hatchback transformed into an absolute monster, the Peugeot 205 T16 is among the most brutal hatchback rally cars ever to exist.
Starting development in 1981, Peugeot took the rather average front-wheel-drive 205, and transformed it with 4 wheel drive, highly advanced suspension, and a mid-engine layout that used a brutal 350hp straight 4 motor. Catching up to the other 4 wheel drive cars that had been dominating, like Audi's Sport Quattro, the 205 T16 saw almost immediate success, shooting straight to the top when introduced in 1984, and continuing the brutality with later versions that could produce up to 550hp.
6 Lancia 037
One of the most iconic Group B rally cars, the Lancia 037 was an epic rear-wheel-drive supercar that inaugurated Group B with a fiery performance and incredible looks.
Starting development when details on Group B were first announced, the 037 was based on the Lancia Beta Montecarlo, but completely transformed the car inside and out. Designed purely with rally domination in mind, the 037 was as pure and brutal as could be. Despite the rear-wheel-drive layout quickly losing its dominance in the group thanks to Audi, the 037 was a sensation and stayed competitive up until the end of Group B thanks to several evolutions of the car.
5 Ford RS200
The only Group B car to be designed from the ground up as such, and not based on any previous model, the Ford RS200 is one of the craziest cars ever to come out of Detroit.
Starting development in 1983, Ford had previously sought to join the radical Group B, and planned on using the rear-wheel-drive Escort to do so. Kicking off development as a result of 4 wheel drive competitors dominating, the RS200 was imbued with F1 engineering, and quickly proved a potent machine when it joined Group B in 1986. Unfortunately, this was also the last year for Group B, as a series of crashes, including one involving an RS200, caused the wildly dangerous rally group to be canceled.
4 Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2
As mentioned, 4 wheel drive transformed the rally scene and forced many other carmakers to play catch up. That revolutionary layout began with the Audi Quattro and was evolved to its ultimate form with the Sport Quattro S1 E2.
Predicting that their Quattro would be unable to keep up the wins with just a 4 wheel drive advantage, Audi began work on the Sport Quattro S1 in 1983 and debuted the shortened rally car in 1984. But the competition continued to become fiercer, and the S1 E2 was introduced as an evolution of the car in 1985. Capable of producing up to 590hp, the Sport Quattro S1 E2 was among the most monstrous of all the Group B monsters.
3 Porsche 959
Seeing the Group B circuit with the 911 SC/RS, Porsche looked to create the ultimate purpose-built rally supercar with the legendary 959.
Starting out life as a study into Group B by Porsche's CEO of the time, Porsche began looking into the radical rally group as soon as it was announced. Seeing an opportunity to create a highly advanced rally car that could also hold its own on the road, and act as a focal point of the brand's engineering, development of the 959 properly began in 1983. Taking on a new focus of being the ultimate Porsche flagship supercar, the 959 never made it to Group B but did see success in the 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally.
2 Ferrari 288 GTO
No, the Ferrari 288 GTO never saw the Group B circuit, and today is looked upon as a precious supercar. But, the original design of the car was focused on competition in Group B, and the 288 GTO came close to doing just that.
While many know Ferrari's motorsport involvement in Formula 1, and FIA GT, the prancing horse did do a fair bit of rallying in the past. With specially built 308 GTBs seeing rally use in Group 4, the car was transformed into a Group B spec car and saw success, but quickly was eclipsed by other Group B monsters.
Building on the lessons learned with the Group B 308, Ferrari designed the 288 GTO, and had the car approved for Group B racing in 1985. While it never had the chance to race in Group B, the 288 GTO nonetheless went on to become one of the most legendary Ferraris in existence.
1 Lancia Delta S4
The ultimate Lancia rally car, the Delta S4 took the already monstrous Delta HF Integrale rally cars, and turned them all the way up to 11 with some truly insane engineering.
Starting things off, the "4" in Delta S4 denotes 4 wheel drive, already putting the Delta S4 into the competitive territory. But, things got crazier from there. Using an F1 style engine, the Delta S4 came with a "twin-charger" that fed a turbocharger using boost from a supercharger. Introduced to Group B in 1985, the Delta S4 was an immediate winner.
With up to 550hp, the lightweight, snappy Delta S4 was as dangerous as it was fast, and some truly horrific lethal crashes involving the Delta S4 are partially to blame for the outright banning of Group B.