Five Rallying Icons – Filthy Fun
May 27, 2022
Rallying is the father of motorsport. When the early pioneers of the automobile decided to race against each other, there were no tracks. There were no circuits, nor any of today’s fancy venues. Instead, drivers pitted their weird and wonderful machines against each other on the open road, usually racing from town to town. Events like the Gordon Bennett races were fought out on the streets, namely those of the previous year’s winner called home. It was high-octane, high-risk motorsport. And while we’re well over 100 years on, a rally today is still the same. And that’s what makes this sport so damn exciting. Cars, going at ludicrous speed where normally, people are pottering about on their daily business. A Formula 1 car flying around Silverstone is cool, but a 300bhp Fiesta hurtling through the tight streets of Porto is spine-tingling.
Photo by Jakob Ebrey.
Then of course we have the cars. Rally cars are what make the sport so fascinating. Look at any open-wheel racer, and there is nothing you or I can relate to. They are bespoke machines, built for a purpose. And while that’s the same for a rally car, all that bespoke engineering is neatly packaged under a body that we recognise. It makes the sport seem more real in a way. Even though your Polo 1.4 has nothing in common with the WRC version bar the badge. These cars are captivating, they’re loud, they’re the same as what we know, but also utterly juxtaposed by virtue of their speed.
Today, homologation rules are different, and as such, manufacturers don’t need to build limited runs of bonkers road cars just so they can go rallying. But, they used to, and that’s what we have for you here. Five cars built purely so the manufacturers could tweak them, and then take them rallying. And five cars that you can find today on Car & Classic, because that’s what we do.
1) Ford Escort RS Cosworth
The Mk5 Ford Escort was, let’s not lie to ourselves here, rubbish. It was to the world of automotive what Clacket Lane services is to fine dining. It was built poorly and it was built to a seemingly miniscule budget. If you had told us, when it clattered into dealerships in 1991, that it would be a champion rally car, we would have had you sectioned. But we would have been wrong to do so. The Mk5 Escort was, in homologation RS Cosworth specification, immense. With a modified Sierra floorpan, all-wheel drive and a snorting inline-four, twin cam, 16-valve, turbocharged Cosworth YB engine under the bonnet mated to a sharp five-speed transmission, it was a weapon. It had over 220bhp on tap, and thanks to flared arches, big bumpers and that iconic whale tail, it was a looker, too. It was, from the off, a legend. With François Delecour and later, Carlos Sainz behind the wheel, the Escort RS Cosworth was also a multiple rally winner. Legendary stuff.
2) Audi UR Quattro
Find your Audi UR Quattro here
If you want a car that defines rallying, you need look no further than the Audi UR Quattro. Ur, if you’ve ever wondered, means ‘original’ or ‘first of its kind’. And in the case of the Quattro, it couldn’t be more true. The rules of rallying at the time made no mention of all-wheel drive. At this point in time, it was a technology for agricultural and off-road vehicles, not cars. The rules didn’t forbid it, though, as there was no car that had it. At least, that is, until Audi sensed an opportunity and capitalised on it. Engineers fitted spicy five-cylinder 10-valve turbocharged engine (later 20-valve), then a driveshaft to each corner, an open centre differential with manual locking function, an open rear differential with manual locking function and a permanently open front differential. This gave the car incredible road-holding, which when beefed up to rally specification resulting in the Audi dominating for two years while every other manufacturer played catch up. The Audi UR Quattro didn’t change the game, it re-invented it and shaped the world of rally for future generations.
3) Lancia Delta Integrale
Find your Lancia Delta Integrale here
When it comes to the world of rallying, there is no name more synonymous than Lancia. This Italian brand dominated for decades, and even managed to bring the fight to Audi’s all-wheel drive with the Stratos, a two wheel-drive machine. Eventually though, even the mighty Lancia had to admit all-wheel drive was the way forward. The car that would do it was the boxy, but oh so good Delta Integrale. In Group A guise (we’re not talking about the bonkers S4 here) the Delta won the World Rally Championship manufacturer trophy six times. It was an animal on the stages, and other cars simply couldn’t touch it, not only because of its turbocharged grunt, but also because it had people like Markku Alen, Didier Auriol and Juha Kankkunen at the helm. Famous for its its Martini livery, the Delta could send fans into a frenzy as it blasted by. Remarkable, really, given that like the Escort above, the ‘normal’ Delta was a fairly rubbish car. But, make all the wheels go and strap a turbo to it, and you have an entirely different beast.
4) Subaru Impreza WRX
The WRC in the ’90s was a hotbed of talent, and a hotbed of mechanical evolution. As such, it was very hard indeed to stand out from the crowd, but that’s exactly what Subaru did with its now legendary Impreza. Subaru had no shortage of rally experience – the Legacy was a phenomenal machine – but to keep up with the pack they needed something new, and so they entered the Impreza. Nothing more than a hum-drum 1.6 litre saloon or estate, Subaru engineers dropped in a turbocharged, 2.0 flat-four engine and an evolved version of the Legacy’s all-wheel drive system. The WRX (World Rally eXperimental) was born, and so to was a legend. And we don’t mean the car. It was good, but we can’t help but think the car’s huge success was down to Subaru taking a chance by putting Colin McRae in the driving seat. His flat out fearlessness and exuberant personality made sure the ‘555’ cars were always front and centre in the press, even if they were in a ditch, upside down.
5) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Find your Mitsubishi Lancer here
Subaru wasn’t the only Japanese manufacturer to come and play in the mud in the ’90s. There was Toyota, Nissan (remember the Group A Sunny/Pulsar?) and of course, Mitsubishi. And it’s the Mitsubishi that gets the final spot in our list because while the Toyotas were excellent (if a bit… cheaty) it was the Mitsubishi Lancers that wowed the crowds, notably for their battles with the blue Imprezas. Like the Impreza, the stock Lancer was a car so dull it could it make toast seem spicy. Just a humdrum, boring, generic saloon car. However, when Mitsubishi bosses wanted to go rallying, they had to homologate a fast one, and so in the early ’90s the Evolution was born. Big wing, all-wheel drive and a thumping great turbo all included. The Evo, as it became known, when through an impressive ten, erm, evolutions. However, its the mid-’90s cars that, for us at least, are the sweet spot. The one to have, and the one best suited to celebrate all things rallying, has to be the Tommi Makinen edition, named after the team’s top driver. With livery to play homage to the racer, it’s perhaps the ultimate rally car for the road. Now, where di we leave our pace notes?
