What is your favourite Rallycross car EVER and why?

Robin Plummer · 13 Feb 2003, 20:55 (Ref:505742)

Tell what your favourite Rallycross car is ever and what makes it so good for you?

Barrie · 13 Feb 2003, 21:16 (Ref:505770)

Good question Mr Plummer. Got to be Olle Arnesson's Audi Quattro S1, absolute brute of a car. More powerful than the rally version, it was all noise, flames, and sideways driving, ******* to drive I reckon. Alamaki's Delta s4 was a close second.

Robin Plummer · 13 Feb 2003, 21:37 (Ref:505802)

My personal favourite is Will Gollups 1991-92 Metro 6R4 bi-turbo. I have allways loved the 6R4 and it's giant killing performances with less power than the competion but with 750bhp on tap (and a wicked noise) this baby flew!

Peter S · 13 Feb 2003, 22:06 (Ref:505862)

I have to go along with Barrie on this one. Deffiantly Arnessons S1 Quattro. the time he won the c, b and A final in 1987 in Norway (european championship) was awesome, what a machine that was. In fact it was more like a beast. Rallycross will probably never see a car like it again!

I also thought that Per Eklunds subaru impreza was a beast of a machine, probably because all it did was pop and bang big style on the turbo over run. The commentator at Belgium round of the european championship in 1994 just kept saying "SMOKEY PER BANG BANG!!!".

Then there was Steiner Joranlis opel vectra, which just sounded like a hoover when he fired it up. And it had a complete lack of grip with a wild driver. SO funny.

I also loved John Welchs escort as all that was chuck out streams of BLack smoke. even when johnathon plamer drove the car in the 1987 british rallycross grand prix at brands hatch it expired in a cloud of smoke in the a final! GREAT!!The Escort in its STP livery always stood at in what ever event it raced in.

Robin Plummer · 13 Feb 2003, 22:16 (Ref:505883)

Peter, is there any where on the net or on video/DVD that has film of this car Olle Arnesson's Audi Quattro S1?

I think I might have photographed it in the paddock at Brands Hatch at the Rallycross Grand Prix December 1989 but the event was fogged off so I never got to see it run!

Was it tuned even higer than the rally S1's ones then to and insane level? The madest S1 I have seen run is the Pike Peak version that Walther Rohal used in 87 at Goodwood 1999.

Peter S · 14 Feb 2003, 00:46 (Ref:506022)

Duke videos (http://www.dukevideo.com/products/deptVCX.htm)do european rallycross reviews, which is probably one of the few places to find video footage of the car. The years he had the S1 was in 1987, 88 and 89. The S1 was tuned very much higher than the rally version. I mean we are talking about a rallycross era where the likes of alamakis porsche generated 1000bhp!!! Arnesson's S1 was probably a dream car. It had a lot more Torque and BHP than the rally version. Its one of the cars that sticks out in my memory by a long way. And what stood out was the sponsor GRIMSTAD written across the front grill off the audi where the headlights had been taken out.

I was at the grand prix in 1987 where Nordstrom won the event, but Arnesson finished fourth and was just like a loose rocket cannoning into everyone. The front right of the audi was bent severely as he just kept pushing and nudging the driver in front. If i remember correctly he had a coming together with Seppo Nitymaki (in a peugeot 205 T16 which TErje schie bought off him after the event) at druids corner which sent them both flying sideways. Awesome.

Going to the Gollop Metro, that car always suffered more than ever from punctures. How many wins punctures must have cost him in europe is phonominal. It was either the Avon tyres he used or the fact that there was just to much being driven through the wheel wheels (power to weight ratio) which caused the tyre to roll of the rim. It was well annoying in 1990 when the tyre came off the rim at grand prix and he took out the entire british contingent (himself, Welch and Palmer). Although the 1988 Grand Prix remains as the greatest motor sport i have ever been to. Standing in the paddock hill grandstand watching gollop pass schanche along the brabham straight will be the site i will never forget. In a 25,000+ packed full circuit this was magical. In fact it was that magical it made my hairs on my arm stand on end.

Barrie · 14 Feb 2003, 01:09 (Ref:506033)

I went to all the GP's Peter, It certainly was a great motorsport moment Gollop overtaking the strickened Schanche car. My personnal favourite GP moment was John Welch winning in the Xtrac Escort, first British winner. Loved the Arnesson, J A Iversen battle in the 91 B final I was stood at the bottom of hairy hill,top driving.

Peter S · 14 Feb 2003, 01:43 (Ref:506040)

Hi Barrie, i was a bit to young when welch won it. I was only 7 years old in 1988 when i saw gollop win!!

Do you remember in the 1988 grand prix when Anders Nordstedt in his saab rolled from the top to the bottom of tumble down hill?? That was one of the most spectacular rallycross crashes i have ever seen as well. Well Jos Sterkens came close when he rolled (or should i say cart wheelled!!) his ford mondeo at the 1995 european round at Brands Hatch.

1991 was another one of those years when Gollop had another pucnture and handed the win to Doran followed by Gibson (after they both nurfed gollop out the way at Druids). Gibbo in his yellow "flying" Metro was very good value. Another spectacular driver. He barreled rolled and wrote off his metro at the Austrian round in 1989, and he just got out and laughed it off!! I also remember in 1987 i think when gibbo had his yellow Porsche and he went straight over the bank at lydden at the first corner in the final narrowly missing that parked tractor.

getting back onto the subject of faviroute cars:
How about the Michael Nordstrom 4X4 800BHP VW Beetle he used to drive! hehehe that was the most unsuited supercar in rallycross i have ever seen.

I dont suppose anyone knows where it may be possible to get hold of a copy of the 1988 british rallycross grand at Brands Hatch. That is the only rallycross grand prix i have missing from my video collection as i borrowed it to a freind and his sister taped over it!

There are a lot of pictures of Arnesson and some other old cars online at www.rallyracing.nl in the Oldies section.

Its great that Croft have the rallycross grand prix now full time and we can see these european cars on our shores again. Hopefully we will have a round of the european to in the next year or so.

What got me about the group b rallycross era was the different body shapes on the Ford RS200 everyone had. I remember in 1988 Rennison had a sleeker car with a taller wing, schanche didnt have a rear wing, then you got thor holms version which was built like a tank and then Iverson's which was a like a bigger tank!! With a massive rear wing!!! The glomma papp iverson cars certainly made the RS200 look a beast to.

I know this has nothing to do with this thread but one of my favirote drivers of all time has to be Barry Squibb. I always thought this guy was one of the best drivers we had from great britain but budget problems always seemed to prevent from being the best.

racer69 · 14 Feb 2003, 05:01 (Ref:506112)

I liked Pete Damm's BMW that he used in the 80s, that seemed to be fairly competitive and he seemed to put it to good use.

Peter Brock also used to race and awesome looking supercharged Holden Torana in Rallycross in Australia in the early 70s. He won 3 straight Australian Rallycross titles in it.

Hog · 14 Feb 2003, 09:06 (Ref:506219)

Oh god - so many cars to recall. Gibbo's 6R4 always screams and sounds awesome. Audi S1's are brutal. Does anyone remember a big Chevy that was used in the GP a good few years back? It was part of the Tork 909 team and was driven by a partially disabled ex-rally driver. 2 speed semi auto drag race gearbox, and enough torque to pull a house off its foundations. From my post on the startline it was quicker to the first corner than anything else, and you could hear it over the top of all the other cars going along the knife edge.

Chris Stockdale · 14 Feb 2003, 11:40 (Ref:506344)

I would have to go for the Metro 6R4 becaues it a fabulous car and the only sport you see it in is Rallycross

Hog · 14 Feb 2003, 12:38 (Ref:506416)

Peter S - I was doing the startline when Jos Sterkens did his cartwheel - bloody scary is all I can say.

Another car that comes to mind was a red Audi (S4?) driven by (I think) Jarmo Lahnteenmaki - turbo charged and supercharged - either whining or hissing it was a truly awesome car to witness flying round Lydden.

For your info - I'm one of the infamour "Piston Broke" rallycross startline crew from Lydden. (I'm the "large" one). When you're standing on the front of the grid ready to wind up a full heat of Group B cars, it certainly stirs the soul thinking that there's probably 7000bhp ready to launch itself at you any second.

Headbanging stuff.

**Aysedasi** · 14 Feb 2003, 12:52 (Ref:506435)

Surprisingly (for a sportscar man

), I used to be a regular at the Rallycross GP too. And for me, it was definitely Gollops 6R4 that I looked forward to.

Peter S · 14 Feb 2003, 14:59 (Ref:506564)

I remember the Chevy used in the 1991 British rallycross grand prix. It was driven by Eivind Rosness from Norway who was team mate to Thor Holm. remarkable for a disabled driver. Just like mats ohman who raced his volvo s40 in the british rallycross grand prix at croft.

The red audi would have been Lahteemaki in the 1987 season. This was an S1 version as well, more or less the same as Arnessons. Lahtenmakki bought Alamakis Lancia Delta for the following 1988 year, as alamaki moved to the Peugeot.

The lahtemaaki audi then moved into swedish driver Sven Lestanders hands and that was also red and awesome. Sven was a superb driver that never quite got to the top. Bertil Persson also drove an audi s1(yellow one!) but never had the bottle to push it to the limit.

One of my faviroute metros was of the norwegian driver Arne Rasmaughen. He was the first driver to have the Bi-turbo metro 6r4 when Gollop copied the idea of him. Gollops was the best though!!! The black silkolene colours made it the car to have. Has to be one of the best liverys rallycross has ever seen. very distinctive.

I also love Hansen's citroen xsara. I dont think i better quality, presented and turned out car can ever come close to that. I have nothing but admiration for Kenneth.

429CJ · 14 Feb 2003, 18:29 (Ref:506751)

Mark II Escort. And Martin Schanche driving it. Why? Because i'm always liked the shape of mark II Escort and when Schanche drove it, it was REALLY wild!!

KA · 14 Feb 2003, 18:47 (Ref:506768)

Quote:

Originally posted by Peter S
I remember the Chevy used in the 1991 British rallycross grand prix. It was driven by Eivind Rosness from Norway who was team mate to Thor Holm. remarkable for a disabled driver.

Thanks- I've been trying to remmeber his name all afternoon.
The car was a Chevy Monza, and with the combination of 6 litres of V8 torque nad the auto transmission, I don't think I've ever seen a 2wd rallycross car launch off the line like it- awesome....

One of my favourite 2wd cars has to be Wayne O'Connor's SD1 Rover from the early 90's- I've got some great photos of him sliding that brute round the hairpin at Lydden- oversteer everywhere.....

KA · 14 Feb 2003, 18:51 (Ref:506773)

Quote:

Originally posted by 429CJ
Mark II Escort. And Martin Schanche driving it. Why? Because i'm always liked the shape of mark II Escort and when Schanche drove it, it was REALLY wild!!

Schanche's RS200 has to be one of the great rallycross cars of all time- it always seemed to have an edge on anyone elses RS200 in terms of performance

Barrie · 14 Feb 2003, 18:57 (Ref:506780)

Great choice of fav cars there Peter S. That Joranli Vectra was a very strange choice of rallycross car but to watch was worth the admission fee alone. The Nordstedt crash I can recall standing at the top of hairy hill and like the people standing about me knew it was just a matter of time before it went over. The most spectacular rallycross crash Ive seen had to be Mick Quaife's Chevette HRS at Snetterton, it went end over end what seemed like an age. Wonder if anyone can remember in the 84 British GP Rolf Nilsson guesting in John Greasleys brand new, jet black Porsche 935. I only saw it in practice as he had troubles early on in the main event, it was as far as I know the most powerful rallycross car ever with an aledged 1000+bhp. Made Alamaki and Nittymaki's Porsches look quite sedate.

Peter S · 14 Feb 2003, 22:15 (Ref:507009)

I bet the 1982,83 and 84 years produced some great cars.

If you look at the greatest two wheel drive cars then tony proctors for capri and then ford sierra took some beating. I remeber at croft in 85 when proctor took the first corner dissappeared into the corn field and came back out at the old chicane! classic!

Oh and then there was Brian Peacocks Fiat!! How class was that machine.

I have to mention Ian Sandwith as well who must have been the worlds fastest mini driver of all time!! Other faviroutes were Russell spinks DSRM Vauxhall Nova and 666 Peter Rucroft!!! Oh the memorys are flooding back. Then there was Denis Atkinson's red porsche!! superb! I think the 1987 british rallycross grand prix video will be coming out later on. Oh and how anout Johnny Milners 205......does anyone remember that hoping onto the front two wheels going through duffus dip and Knockhill, that was great.

I also used to love Dimi Mavrouplis (i cant remember how you spelt his name) in his Black Audi. That Audi was awesome as well. The whistling that used to come from that thing was great. One of the most nicest sounding cars i have ever heard!!

The best overtaking monouvre i have ever seen was in 1991 at Croft where Gollop passed Squibb and Steve Palmer from the exit of the mad hatters complex to the shuttle at Croft. That was one day i will never forget.

Mad Hats · 15 Feb 2003, 21:12 (Ref:507918)

I'm not sure which Rallycross car is my favourite but I always seemed to have a soft spot for the unusual and unlikely. The Volvo 240 that used to come over the channel for the Lydden round of the European championships were always quick and nimble. There used to be a MGB GT (can't remember the driver but it was sponsored by 'Tucker pop rivets')- You've got to admire the spirit of somebody who regularly drives a car as unlikely as that. Dimi Mavropoulos used to drive a Black Lotus Esprit for a while and even more recently a Rover 200 was competing with Rover V8 under the bonnet. I can also remember a huge De Tomaso Panterra being driven by a Dutch driver at Lydden - it was sponsored by 'big block engineering' and looked very strange in the middle of a pack of screaming Minis ! I still think the Martin Schanche's Black Ford Escort was possibly one of the most spectacular car that I've ever seen but that probably had quite a lot to do with his style of driving - still nostalgia isn't what it used to be, is it ?

Upside Down Bug · 15 Feb 2003, 22:36 (Ref:508013)

Too many to mention (all the Gp B and anything from the early days). Works four wheel drive Capris, the De Rooy DAFs, but being VW through and through it has to be either Willy Vevers Porsche engined Beetle with the oil cooler on the roof, or Pete Harrold's monster, Suburu heads and all that. I need to lay down, I am getting far too excited.

Peter S · 16 Feb 2003, 00:56 (Ref:508194)

I also love the Volvo S40 supernational cars!! loads of power to wheel drive, lack of grip = plenty of sideways action. role on croft in october

Robin Plummer · 16 Feb 2003, 09:04 (Ref:508362)

Have you noticed one common theme? People don't like current style cars of the last 10 years. Just show's you that regulation changes are not allways for the better.

Peter S · 16 Feb 2003, 12:33 (Ref:508488)

Oh Kenneth hansens Xsara is something cannot be beaten for style, elegance and performance.

Peter S · 16 Feb 2003, 12:46 (Ref:508493)

The modern cars are much more nicer looking, professional and produce a lot more competitive racing than we have ever seen. The qualifying times in the european championship are so close as cars can be built to be competitive producing a more cost effect way due to the WRc parity rules.

It was a lot more exspensive to run the group b cars. If you look at the GB championship then who wants to watch the metro 6R4's of Gibson, Tracey, donoghue, and Briggs? Well not me. They were good in there day but they belong in history. Maybe if they invent a new class for dinosours then they can be used as a show race. Its about time they were banned from britain all together. They add nothing. Tv producers are reluctant to give them coverage as they look tatty, old and well used. This is not the way to go about attracting specatators to the british championship. Hence the restrictor rules for next year.