Group B: When Rallying Got TOO FAST

The Audi Quattro, Lancia 037 and the Peugeot 205 T16 - some of the most iconic names in rallying. Cars that pushed the limits of what was possible in a way that we haven’t seen since. It was called Group B and is still held as the Golden Era of Rallying.

Group B was a class where manufacturers were allowed to go all out, with almost unlimited power, crazy aerodynamics and new exotic materials. It brought about new technologies like 4WD, Semi-Automatic Gearboxes and clever turbocharging systems.

However, it was only for the bravest of drivers. The hugely powerful cars needed a lot of manhandling to thread them through the tight-twisty stages, away from huge drops and dodging a sea of spectators.

Thanks to the following channels, go check them out!

➤Follow us on:

Rallying went wild in the 80s. The FIA wanted to attract more manufacturers and so created a class that would give the designers pretty much free reign, no power limits, no regulations on boost, and whatever exotic materials you liked.

Rally cars over the years have been largely based on road cars, with rules tightening and loosening on how close the relationship has to be, between the stock car, and the ones that actually race the stage.

For example, in the Group A class - the manufacturers have to produce 5000 road-going versions of the car before it is allowed to compete. In Group B, to lower costs and interest manufacturers, they ruled that only 200 needed to be produced. Group B also allowed almost endless modifications to be made - meaning the race cars were nothing like the road cars at all.

This approach really worked, attracting many manufacturers to Group B - names like Lancia, Porsche, Peugeot, Audi, Toyota, Ford - as well as so many more.

📺 F1 Driver’s Technique Explained

📺 F1 Engineering

🏎️ Track & Racing Driver!

🏁 Sim Racers!

#Rallying #GroupB #Motorsport

[Driver]

Is this the greatest era of racing? These drivers are a different breed!

Subscribe for more incredible motorsport!

[iminapunkband]

Ok so...
- move spectators to safe places
- improve safety
Can we have Group B again?

[promiscuouscrab]

Group B: Fastest and most dangerous rally cars in history
Spectators: *stands in the way*

[hithesh]

Suicidal Spectators and overpowered cars. Nothing could go wrong. :)

[XDlosDominicans]

Driver61: "The car (205) looks much more balanced & 'easier' to drive!"
Me: *laughing nervously & remembering all the crashes I had with it in Dirty Rally 2*

[kelvinfernandez]

Kid: I'm going outside to play Dad
Dad: Don't play in the road and look both ways before crossing the street.
Dad goes to see car races: Let me just stand in the middle of the road.

[bannjaxx]

Engineer: What do you want, turbocharger or supercharger?
Lancia: Yes. And big wings.

[RenoF]

literally every clip in this video is insane.

[JonLondrezos]

I was lucky enough to watch, hear, and smell (and be covered in the dust of) these beasts at the Acropolis rally in Greece when I was little. I was also very lucky to have a sensible dad who thought that it would be stupid to stand right next to the road, and he chose a higher viewing point, 20m away from the road.

[hufnjpv]

Rally changed, cars changed, drivers changed, rules changed. But the only thing that didnt change are the spectators' iq

[MrEDET]

I can never get enough of watching Group B footage. As a young kid I couldn't understand why the audience was standing SO close to the road - now as a somewhat older guy I still can't :)

[jebediahgentry]

It looks like it was more dangerous to be a spectator than a driver

[ReaperCH]

Group B is the ultimate "security is our least concern"

[TheSpectralFX]

"You have the situationnal awareness of a rally race spectator."

Some pretty harsh words to be uttered only to those who truly deserved it.

[flaetsbnort]

Honestly, that's the only way I expected such a class to end

[cerconefamily]

This racing makes Nascar look like go kart racing at the local mini golf center.

[mistersimple]

"golden era" is an understatement, it was the pinnacle of racing ☝🏻

[perialis]

-remove safety

everybody: guess ill die in fashion

[josh]

I’m almost convinced that they trained the spectators to add to the craziness of rally races

[WhiskyCanuck]

I must be getting old, I don't get the willingness of the spectators to stand so close to death to watch rally racing.