What are the best Rally cars? we discover some of the cars that have made Rally history
Some have overachieved and dominated entire seasons. Others have not reaped the successes they should have, but have entered the hearts of fans. Let’s look together at 10 of the best rally cars ever.
Volkswagen Polo R WRC: the success of the German
43 wins in 52 races. 4 world titles for Sebastian Ogier. This is the incredible record of the car developed by the Wolfsburg sports division. The team headed by Jost Capito, was able to create a car that from the very first race at the 2013 Monte Carlo Rally managed to grab the second step of the podium.
Subaru Impreza 22B: timeless queen
1997: the year of the debut of the new WRC premier class. The first car to debut that complied with the new regulations was Subaru itself, with the Impreza 22B. The drivers chosen were Colin Mcrae, Piero Liatti and Kenneth Eriksson.
In the first three races Liatti, Eriksson and McRae won in Monte Carlo, Sweden and Kenya, while in the remaining races of the season came five more victories (four for McRae and one for Eriksson) that allowed Subaru to win, for the third year in a row, the constructors’ championship, but not the drivers’ championship, which McRae lost by a single point to Makinen.
Because of its rare beauty, combined with Colin’s awesomeness, a very famous video game was also born in honor of the late Scot.
Citroen Xara Kit: the front-wheel drive that beats 4x4s
The Citroën Xsara Kit Car, derived from the Citroën Xsara, was made by Citroen Sport based on the FIA Kit car F2 regulations to participate in the French Rally Championship, in which it ran from 1998 to 2001.
The car was designed for FIA formula 2-liter Kit Car, 2-wheel-drive vehicles with atmospheric-powered 2-liter engines. The Xsara Kit Car, with a maximum power output of 280 hp and a minimum weight of 960 kg, soon proved to be very competitive, Philippe Bugalski won the title in 1998 and 1999, in 2000 Citroën won the European constructors’ title and in 2001 Sébastien Loeb the French drivers’ title. The car also participated in World Rally Championship events, achieving prestigious results.
In 1999 Bugalski scored two resounding victories at the Catalunya-Costa Brava Rally and the Tour de Corse (on this occasion it was even a double with Spaniard Jesus Puras 2nd), beating all opponents with the most powerful World Rally Cars.
Peugetot 205 T16: the most successful Group B.
The 205 T16 was the most successful Group B car, setting the formula for all challengers to follow: mid-engine, turbocharged, all-wheel drive and spaceframe chassis. Jean Todt, who devised the program, later went on to join Ferrari in Formula 1 and the FIA.
The T16 shares a general appearance with the regular 205 road car, such as the front grille and headlight arrangement. The iconic Pepperpot wheels actually preceded the GTI as well. Actually very little was shared with the production car, but highly successful rally exploits helped transform the image of Peugeot and the 205 in the 1980s.
Lancia Fulvia HF: an Italian dream
With its victory in the 1972 Monte Carlo Rally, the Lancia Fulvia Coupé 1.6 HF brought Italians closer and more passionate about rallying, laying the first bricks of a grand castle of victories signed Lancia. It began with the Fulvia and continued with Stratos, Rally 037, Delta S4 and then culminated in the record-breaking Delta Gruppo A.
The acronym HF stands for High Fidelity. After the great racing successes achieved by Gianni Lancia in the 1950s, the Lancia sports team was reborn in February 1963 almost as a private initiative of loyal fans of the Turin brand, because Fessia’s engineering approach was not conducive to competition. It is Cesare Fiorio, driver and son of then Lancia communications director Sandro, who animates the Squadra Corse. The young Cesare, the team’s sports director, would become in the following years the architect of Lancia, Fiat and Abarth’s great successes in rally and endurance championships, and in the late 1980s he would take the helm of Ferrari’s F1 team.
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