Velocity special...Rallying-The Killer Years

Klasse Act

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Just curious if anyone has watched this special and what you thought about it. I never could related to racing where you make 3 left turns in cars that aren't even remotely close to production cars. About 13 years ago there was this channel called Speedvision that showed WRC and I was hooked. All types of conditions, tire choices, suspension set-ups and a co-driver, AWESOME! It used to be on Sunday's on a regular basis but then it went away and came back on Velocity and now its gone again, pity because WRC if AWSOME, REAL PRODUCTION BASED CARS, REAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND REAL PERSONALITIES.

Anyways the show focused on the 80's decade and the Group B cars and they were explosive, some with turbo'd AND supercharged engines, AWD, exotic materials, etc and there was NO limits to power, very edgy and very dangerous! These drivers and co-drivers had skill as well as "brass ones" to strap into these cars and drive through a forest with trees and wildlife around every corner, not to mention crazy fans around every corner trying to touch the cars, crazy!!

Thoughts welcomed!

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People standing on the side of the road close enough to touch the cars going by at over 100 mph barely under control...I'm not sure who's dumber, the fans, or the sanctioning body.
 
Anyways the show focused on the 80's decade and the Group B cars and they were explosive, some with turbo'd AND supercharged engines, AWD, exotic materials, etc and there was NO limits to power, very edgy and very dangerous!

Oh, you're talking about where the original Audi Quattro cars came from, back when they had that fastback rally car, also Renault was big in that IIRC and rallied a car that was completely different from the street version, rear-engine vs. front or something.
 
Oh, you're talking about where the original Audi Quattro cars came from, back when they had that fastback rally car, also Renault was big in that IIRC and rallied a car that was completely different from the street version, rear-engine vs. front or something.

The Quattro was the first AWD Rallye car and it was turbo'd also, noone stood a chance when it hit the scene in the WRC back in 1980. It only took a couple years afterwards and the competition caught up and passed them, Puegot in particular w/ its 205. Then came the Lancia Delta S4, turbo'd and supercharged and AWD and placed in the rear! My the mid 80's these cars had well over 500 hp, some near 600 and let's keep in mind that your run of the mill Corvette had 215 hp and that weighed around 3300-3500 lbs, the rallye car weighed in around 2000 lbs or less IIRC, having 500-600....imagine driving that around out in the forest or on tarmac!!!

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I've watched this special about 4x's now, thank God for DVR!

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Those were the good old days of racing!
F1 cars were pushing over 1000hp from 1500cc without traction control!
Insane power, very little interference (electronic driver aids, etc)

Unfortunately the lack of regulations did lead to deaths & quite often the team with the most money would lead the pack for the most part.
Rules today do make it a more even competition but it's not the same as seeing some of these beasts spin all 4 wheels in a straight line or some old timer powersliding a F1 car!
 
Watched 'rallying, the killer years' about 6 times now.... when I was growing up watching this on TV with my dad is really what got me hooked on cars.

Guys like Walter Rohrl and Ari Vatenan (sp?) were just epic to watch behind the wheel.

One has to wonder how a modern rally driver would cope with the conditions those boys faced.

Epic stuff!!!!
 
I too wondered about today's drivers with those cars, imagine the cars that could be made today! The Suzuki Escuda Pikes Peek car had almost 1000 hp and that was what, 14 yrs ago. That car was basically a group B rallye car.....WOW!

Sebastian Loeb and 1000 hp, one could only imagine!

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