No? Well, you're not alone.
Nobody knows about it.
No-one.
Well, apart from me, that is.
So, Group S Rally, then. What is it? Why is it so unknown for the common chap? And is it really the ugliest compilation of cars to ever seize existence?
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The first thing you need to know is that the so-called 'Group S Rally' isn't really a 'Group' at all.
Sure, it contains lots and lots of cars (which I'll come to later), but that's not the main argument here. It is that this group of rally cars never officially happened. A point which becomes quite evident from the bosses of FIA from this time.
How, you may ask? Well, are you familiar with the 80s? You know, a time when flared trousers were considered cool?
If so, you've probably heard about Group B. Arguably the golden age of rallying. Only spanning from 1982 to 1986, it introduced cars that were more like monsters than actual cars and managed to completely change the outlook of what rallying could be... forever.
It was an era when cars were pumping out well-above 600 horsepowers, fire-spitting their way down small narrow roads that were made out of dirt, snow and ice. Cars like the Audi Quattro S1, Peugeot t16, MG Metro 6r4, Ford RS200 and Lancia Delta S4 all symbolized what could be done if you let go of logic, and just went berserk.
Now, that's what I call dangerous!
But that was also its eventual downfall, I'm afraid.
In truth, with the danger being involved with the sport, it didn't take long before some serious accidents began prevailing on a daily basis. The sport became so dangerous that by the time the 1986 rolled out, it was banned by the FIA from further competition.
And that was that. Four years of the craziest cars in motorsport history. Gone.
No-one thought that the same sort of adrenaline-pumping action and excitement could ever be reached again. And, to nobody surprise, it didn't.
Instead, the sport got safer. More civilized. The cars weren't as flamboyant as ones before. There weren't any flames coming out from the exhaust pipes anymore. There was no drama. No danger. No excitement.
It was obvious that fatal crashes wanted to be avoided at all costs. And that's a good thing. But much of what made rallying so great during the Group B era was its simply ridiculous appeal of craziness and ruthlessness. The saying "hey, what happens if we get rid of all the rules and create something from our wildest dreams" was gone, and in its place was a simple "safety first" instead.
The thing is though, this is not how the future of rallying was supposed to become.
Oh no.
It was meant to be something completely different. Something that would follow the footsteps of the Group B era... and garnish it with dynamite!
Allow me to introduce, Group S Rally.
It was meant to replace Group B in 1987, a year after the 1986 season. It would be a bigger, badder version of Group B, including cars across all walks of life (mid-engined, front-engined, four-wheel drive, etc.). And since Group B was already such a giant leap in technology advancements, power outputs and aerodynamics, manufacturers had a lot on their shoulders.
It's hardly a surprise, then, that manufacturers -- old and new -- started working on prototypes for the upcoming season as early as 1984.
This is where rules became obsolete, and creativity was the limit. And what better way to demonstrate the insanity that these cars were made out to be then by showing you pictures of the actual prototypes!
Bonkers, aren't they? I think so. Ugly, though? Yes.
But bonkers. Really bonkers.
Although, those are not the most untamed monsters of this fascinating group.
Oh no.
The craziest, most bonkers cars to have even been considered part of Group C, are these:
The Lancia ECV and the Audi Quattro RS002.
Aren't they just the coolest?
Now, there's no official data of how much of a punch they could deliver. But judging by their demeaning looks, I'd reckon its over the 1000hp mark. Definitely.
Sadly, Group S was cancelled due to the danger that Group B was so notorious for. And for that, these never raced. Not once. Not never. But looking at them now, over 30 years later, I just can't force myself not to believe that the sheer potential of these masterpieces was so purposefully ignored all along.
With the FIA struggling to surpass the 350hp limit of their current line of rally cars, I now know what an exhilarating world we'd live in if Group B wasn't banned, and Group S would follow suit -- forever changing the landscape of rallying, and motorsport in general.
Pity, really.
Written by: CHRISTIAN NARVSELIUS, 31 Jan. 2020
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