The return of group b?

aproctor

aproctor

aproctor

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http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=20725

PistonHeads said:
Ford's M-Sport division is on course to deliver its new Fiesta-based S2000 rally car - a machine that will also provide the basis for Ford's WRC entry in 2011, replacing the highly successful Focus WRC cars.
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Maybe not group b, but i'm looking forward to high powered N/A screaming towards a step in the right direction.
 
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But to what extent will the homologation vehicles match the WRC vehicles? After all, M Sport use Focus Zetec 2.0 models for their current cars.
 
Group S was supposed to replace Group B, they would have been another league on again from Group B, imagine that!
 
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art-Audi_quattro_002_GrS-04.jpg


Audi's still born Group S rally car!
 
Group B? Nothing like. More like the F2 kit cars from the mid 90s.

Group A cars were running stage times as fast the the Group B days within a couple of years. No 600bhp fire spitting S1 Quattro's, but still damn fast.
 
I thought the whole ethos of Group B was to build something for racing and then have to build a handfull of road cars as an after thought, so surely anything that is a road car first that is then used to form the basis of a race car is completely the oposite to group B?

Basically you have seen N/A and thought "OMG 600BHP V6 ENGINES!", wheras current WRC cars are limited to about 300bhp, and the new S2000 based rules will be SLOWER and LESS POWERFULL than the current cars in an aim to reduce costs...

so no, no return of Group B...
 
:o

excuse my ignorance

I was under the impression group b was hot hatch rally cars, i seemed to have missed the small but important point about almost no limits to power.

I still think it's quite cool and could mean the next phase of fast fords are 4wd opposed to the fail of 250bhp through the front wheels (which while technically impressive still seems wrong).
 
aproctor said:
:o

excuse my ignorance

I was under the impression group b was hot hatch rally cars, i seemed to have missed the small but important point about almost no limits to power.

I still think it's quite cool and could mean the next phase of fast fords are 4wd opposed to the fail of 250bhp through the front wheels (which while technically impressive still seems wrong).
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How would it mean the next lot are 4wd?

The focus rally car now is 4wd is it now, and has been since they started running them as far as i know...........


So yeah, how does that work out? ;)
 
Vigoro said:
How would it mean the next lot are 4wd?

The focus rally car now is 4wd is it now, and has been since they started running them as far as i know...........


So yeah, how does that work out? ;)
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He does have a point. Current WRC cars are only loosely based on road cars, whereas the S2000 rules mean cars are much more similar to their road going counterparts.

Think DTM vs BTCC. DTM cars look like C Classes and A4's, but thats where the similarities end, whereas BTCC cars are much closer linked to road cars. If Ford start putting 4wd Fiestas in S2000 spec onto the stages, it does increase the chances of the tech coming back to the road going cars.
 
aproctor said:
I still think it's quite cool and could mean the next phase of fast fords are 4wd opposed to the fail of 250bhp through the front wheels (which while technically impressive still seems wrong).
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As I said, M Sport use a Focus Zetec 2.0 petrol. THEN they do their stuff to it. NO WAY will there be a 4wd fiesta rolling around for sale at Allen Ford, AWD in a hatch in a ford is HIGHLY unlikely.
 
Group B rules were essentially - develop a purpose built spaceframe rally car with silhouette bodywork on it to make it look related to a production car. Then build 200 examples for sale to the "public" before you are allowed to race. There was a great variety of cars - production derived eg Audi S1 Quattro, purpose built eg Lancia Delta S4, Metro 6R4, Ford RS200 and supercars eg Ferrari GTO, Porsche 959.

Group A was based on a production model and required 5000 examples, hence the homologation specials like the Delta Integrale, Sierra Cosworth, Celica GT-Four. 4WD and Turbocharging were allowed. The current WRC rules replaced these and removed the 5000 homologation limit in order to tempt other manufacturers in (eg Citroen, Hyundai) who didn't have a 4WD Turbo hyperhatch in the range.

The closest to hot-hatch rally cars were the N/A FWD F2 cars of the 90s. The current S2000 rules are a development of this concept.
 
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