Groupe B TRUSTED

The Groupe B was the category relating to the cars of great tourism modified in the payment TRUSTED, this one was created in 1982 to replace the old categories Groupe 4 and Groupe 5.

Present in the competitions on circuit S and in rallys, it particularly marked the Championnat of the world of the rallys, indeed this category became mythical thanks to the spectacular prototypes of power which were developed for this championship but also because of its banishment in 1986 following accidents fatal. One found there cars of legend like the Audi Sport Quattro S1, the Lancia 037 or the Peugeot 205 T16. In circuit, let us quote the Ferrari 288 GTO and the Porsche 961 (derivative of the 959).

Presentation

At the end of the years 1970, the International federation of the Automobile Sport (FISA) authorizes the transmission with four driving wheels for the rallys, that made it possible to the manufacturers to overcome the limits of power imposed up to that point by the transmissions in propulsion. In the tread in 1982, the FISA creates the group B (category of the cars of great tourism) which makes it possible to use certain materials and techniques (kevlar, panes plastic, minimal weight, unbounded power,…), one could thus do quasi all and anything! Only one great condition however, to approve a car groups of it B, it was necessary to produce at least 200 of them, an evolution was authorized each year and one did not have any more to produce whereas 20 models of this evolution.

Audi presented one four driving wheels, baptized Quattro, which controlled by Hannu Mikkola like conveys opening in a rally, made a time of almost 10 lower minutes than the official volunteers. The history of the group B was moving.

Specific restrictions

Homologation (Article 2)

The Group B were cars of great tourism 2 places very modified compared to the mass-production cars, which were to be produced with minimum 200 specimens per annum, so that the versions competitions can be approved by the FISA. To be able to modify his car, each manufacturer was to make approve new parts by the FISA, before being able to use them in race.

Weight (Article 4)

The cars were subjected on a following scale of minimum weight according to their cubic capacity.

Wheels and tires (Article 5)

According to the cubic capacity, the total of the widths of two wheels (assembly rim-tire) located on the same side of the car was to be lower or equal to this scale (in rally the diameter of the rim could not make any more 16").

Classes

Classes that have it thought sufficient at the time to control the power were created but well quickly the engineers learned how to draw always more power of the turbos as in Formule 1.

Note: the engines using a overfeeding (compressing or turbo) were seen applying a multiplying coefficient of 1,4 X their real cubic capacity, then thereafter of 1,7 X.

Evolution of the Group B in WRC

From 1983 to 1985

The first year of the group B in Championship of the world of the rally is remembered by the domination of Audi Quattro A1/A2 and Hannu Mikkola is world champion pilot. But the lack of regularity of this one allows Lancia and its Lancia 037 to gain the title manufacturers. It should be noted that the 037 is still a propulsion because the manufacturer did not make enough confidence with technology four wheels driving. Opel and Toyota inter alia joins the Group B.

In 1984 Audi realizes doubled and thus charms the two titles. The Swedish pilot Stig Blomqvist is champion. But this year there, with the Turn of Corsica a competitor which will oppose the plans of Audi thereafter appears. Indeed Peugeot launches out in Group B with the Peugeot 205 T16. The manufacturer gives himself the means of his ambitions and engages of great names of the automobile sport like Ari Vatanen and Jean Todt, success is quasi immediate.

The year 1985 thus is logically remembered by the domination of Peugeot and of its 205 smaller and light that its competitors. Moreover the Quattro news suffered again from problems of regularity and Lancia 037 was not any more able to make up for its technological lost time. Peugeot thus realized in its doubled turn, Timo Salonen succeeding Stig Blomqvist. May 2nd of this year, the pilot Attilio Bettega committed suicide at the wheel out of his Lancia 037 by striking a tree lasting the Turn out of Corsica, his copilot Maurizio Perissinot will leave there unscathed. At the end of the season, one lives to appear the evolutions increasingly more unreasonable cars already present and much of manufacturers joined the Group B attracted by the low constraints of homologation, one finds for example Austin and its Subway 6R 4, Ford and its RS200 or Citroen and its BX 4TC.

The end (1986)

Season 1986 of rally had very to like even if the FISA wanted to go further the Group B by planning the already TRUSTED Group S. Suspense was announced alletant, Audi left the last evolution Quattro, S1, which made more 500 ch and had an imposing aerodynamic package to be able to maintain it on the ground, Lancia laid out of a new car the S4 Delta with an engine with double overfeeding (turbo + compressing), Peugeot had the weapons to defend its title with the 205 T16 Evo 2 and finally Ford had its chances with a RS200 with the point of technology. But what was to arrive arrived, the number increasingly more significant spectators massed on the edges of tracks to admire vehicles increasingly faster and powerful ends up causing a catastrophe. At the time of the rally of Portugal, Ford RS200 of Joaquim Santos strikes crowd, which results in the death of three spectators and tens of casualties. The teams of point leave the rally refusing to run with so many unconscious spectators on the special ones. But the fatal blow for the Group B was still to come. At the time of the Turn of Corsica, Henri Toivonen, then at the head of the rally and championship, left the track and plunged in a ravine with its Lancia Delta S4. The tank exploded in contact with the trees and of the rocks, Toivonen and its copilot Sergio Cresto died both one year day for day after Attilio Bettega. The intervention of the helps was late because there was no spectator at this place and one spent time to realize that something did not go. The fire was if violent that there remained nothing any more but the frame in pipe of Lancia. The consequences were immediate, Audi and Ford left the scene of the Group B and the FISA froze the developments on the cars of the Group B before removing this one for 1987, it also decided to bury its project of Group S.

The end of season will not be without chaos and controversies, indeed Peugeot were disqualified with the Rallye Sanremo by the Italian police chiefs for " jupes" considered to be illegal, the Peugeot team shouted with the scandal and denounced a déscision to support Lancia. At the time of the Rallye of Great Britain (RAC), the police chiefs considered the car in conformity whereas it was in the same state, which consolidated the charges of Peugeot. Eleven days after the last rally of this season, in the United States, the FISA cancelled the result of Sanremo and the title pilots passed then from the pilot Lancia Markku Alén to the pilot Peugeot Juha Kankkunen. Peugeot thus signed finally a consecutive doubled second.

After 1986

The queen category of the rally became the TRUSTED Group has and one does not live of course any more into 1987 of Group B on the stages of the Championnat of the world of the rallys, but it is not in so far as they disappeared from the sport car. One found, successfully, of the Peugeot 205 T16 modified with the Rallye Paris-Dakar for example, one found also the Groups B of Audi and Peugeot to the famous hill climb of Pikes Peak. Ford on its side sold its RS200 to private purchasers and one saw them much in tests of Rallycross just like the Austin Metro 6R 4. One can still admire some of these cars in the museums or at the time of historical races.

In circuit, the TRUSTED removed also the category groups B, considering the lack of interest which it caused, in particular because of its high cost. Let us note however that various Porsche and BMW Groupe B took part in the 24 Hours of Mans in the middle of the years 1980.

The Group B in the video games

Because of their great popularity, it is not rare to find models Groupe B of the rally in the video Jeux current. Let us quote thus Colin McRae Rally, Colin McRae: DIRT, Gran Turismo 2, Gran Turismo 3, Gran Turismo 4, Rallisport Challenge, RFactor, WRC Edition 2005,…

Principal cars

Audi Quattro S1
BMW M1 (circuit only)
Citroen BX 4TC
Citroen Aimed 1000 Tracks
Ferrari 288 GTO (noncommitted in Championship of the world of the rallys)
Ferrari 308
Ford RS200
Lancia 037 Rally
Lancia Delta S4
MG Subway 6R 4
Mitsubishi Starion 4WD (not approved before the end of the Group B, ran like a Prototype)
Mazda RX-7 4x4
Nissan 240RS
Opel Manta 400
Peugeot 205 T16
Porsche 911
Porsche 930 T (circuit only)
Porsche 959 (noncommitted in Championship of the world of the rallys)
Porsche 961 (circuit only)
Renault 5 Turbo

Principal pilots in rally

External bonds

Article on Audi in rally of 1981 to 1986
Site on the history of the Group B
Database of the results of official rallys
Document of payments of TRUSTED specific to the Group B
the history of the Group B and English S on Wikipédia

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