What Is/was The Most Powerfull Rallycross Car Ever Made?

[Robin Plummer]

I'd love to know!. I am assuming that in the late eighties and early nighties air ristrictors was not used so therfore outputs were higher than now on the euro supercar scene. I suppose Pat Doran's 2.0 BDT version of the RS200E is probably the current most powerfull car with 700bhp in the British series (without restrictors). But I recall that 2.4 versions were used in the past (when the regs were different). It all depends on boost presure and the drivers money I suppose!. This picture I took last year at Lydden would appear to show that John Haffey's Cosworth YB series was running at up to 2.3 bar...

[DavidStHubbins]

The Saab has about 800bhp, isnt Per Eklunds or Kenneth Hansens? I forget...

[Robin Plummer]

It's 600bhp and Per Eklund

[Barrie]

Alamaki's Porsche 930 was always reported as being the most powerful rallycross car at 1000bhp. I can remember Rolf Nilsson guesting in John Greasley's brand new Black Porsche 935 twin-turbo 4x4 in the 1984 rallycross GP that was also repoted to be kicking out that sort of horsepower, and it certainly sounded like as well. Only saw it in practice never saw it again in anger, bloody shame.

[Hog]

Was it Arild Martinsen had a 4wd BMW M3? I remember seeing it at Brands years ago and it left black marks all the way from the start into Paddock. I seem to remember it being reported that there was 900bhp on tap!

[Peter S]

The most powerfull car ever was matti alamakis porsche as barrie said chucking out 1000bhp.

Eklunds un restricted saab at the croft grand prix produced around 850 bhp, but this was using his pikes peak spec engine.

[Robin Plummer]

Peter when the guy's from the euro series ran at croft at the GP did they all run without the restrictors?

[Peter S]

NO!

All the european competitors ran with the restrictors apart from Per Eklund. None of them could remove the restrictors because it would seriously effect the way in which there engine revved, which in turn would throw the engine out of the powerband. It would have been virtually impossible for Hunsbedt, Jernberg, Hansen, Antonsson, Nordgaard and Olsen to have removed them. Per Eklund on the other hand has his engine from his Pikes Peak machine which he used, which is why he didnt have a restrictor. He also has two Saab 9_3 rallycross cars as well as his pikes peak machine. The two Saabs he has, is one which is used for the Swedish championship and the other one is used for the European. He used the Swedish one and put the pikes peak engine into it. But the car was a lot heavier, someone mentioned 100kg. The same applys to all the rest of the european competitors as they run a lot of heavier weight than the british championship (World rally car regulations). If you were at the event then you could see that Per's plan didnt work as it made the Saab nearly undriveable. There was simply to much understeer, which made the saab push on into the corners. It also caused an excessive amount of hopping onto the real wheel which made it look like a tank to drive.

Also with the 45mm restrictor in place it gives you a lot more torque, but less bhp.

[DavidStHubbins]

The Saab has tons of torque anyway!

[DCS]

45 mm gives more torque because you will then use smaller turbo anyway... No need for bigger turbo, when reduced to 45 mm... Anyway uptill 1998 euro contenders also ran without restrictor, but that is also without 2003 style

[Peter S]

Restrictors were introduced into European Rallycross in 1997. As was the increased weight limits and cut tyre regulations.