Before you, two cars that are both top-tier in their leagues when it comes to the land of any surface, any time racing. Rally cars evolve every so often, and the square little sedan and the hatchback that’s been fed a steroid regimen since birth showcase a then-and-now look into the past. The Alitalia-liveried car is a Fiat 131 Abarth. These cars are what happened when Fiat, Bertone and Abarth all took a look at the standard-issue 131 and the rule book for Group 4 rally racing and went all-in. Before Audi’s Quattro came in and decimated any chance of any two-wheel-drive machine’s hope of winning ever again, small rear-drive machines were the normal. Cars like the Lancia Stratos, the Opel Kadett and Ascona, and of course the Ford Escort were the normal competition on the landscape. Fiat did their homework on the 131 Abarth…240 horsepower from a 2.0L four, 2,100 pound curb weight, and four-wheel independent suspension meant that the Fiat was not only quick enough, but that the suspension was great at giving the driver’s feedback on the fly. The little square brick was good…but then came the Quattro, and with it, Group B.
The Lancia Delta S4 is both the high and low point of Group B rally racing. If you view things in a positive light, the Delta S4 was probably the most mental of the patients in the asylum. All-wheel-drive was standard, though that wasn’t going to help out much. The 1.8L four easily kicks out over 500 horsepower and was tested up to four-digit horsepower. Think about that for a second…250 horsepower per cylinder. How? Twin-charging. Not only was the Delta S4’s engine turbocharged, but it was supercharged as well. It was virtually always on boost, always ready to rip something’s face off. The tires didn’t have a prayer. And that’s where the low point of the S4 comes into play: this is the car that killed the series. After Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto’s car ran off the road on the Tour de Corse and exploded upon impact, the FIA wasted no time in blacklisting Group B and Group S racing.
