Best Rally Car Ever
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FM155
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The M3's sounded amazing, rev'd so high compared to the escorts and mantas of a couple of years before.
Dub_cub 89
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Define best!
In terms of being a game changer it has to be the Quattro, I can’t think of another rally car that decimated all opposition like it, the original mini was good but It wasn’t able to embarrass its competitors everywhere
Personally my favourite rally car of all time is the Lancia Stratos, such a bonkers wee creation that shouldn’t have worked nearly as well as it did.
In terms of being a game changer it has to be the Quattro, I can’t think of another rally car that decimated all opposition like it, the original mini was good but It wasn’t able to embarrass its competitors everywhere
Personally my favourite rally car of all time is the Lancia Stratos, such a bonkers wee creation that shouldn’t have worked nearly as well as it did.
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It's a question you cant really answer, it depends on what defines greatest. The Quattro ushered in a new era of big power 4wd rally cars and was hugely successful for Audi. This genre of rallying was however completely out of reach for everyone other than the richest drivers who could afford to buy a car/seat or the most talented who got a works drive.
To me the greatest rally car is probably a Mk1 or Mk2 Escort, you could at that time walk into a garage, buy a car and prep it to almost any level of spec and go rallying. From a weekend entusiast to national championships there was an Escort that could compete at almost any level.
To me the greatest rally car is probably a Mk1 or Mk2 Escort, you could at that time walk into a garage, buy a car and prep it to almost any level of spec and go rallying. From a weekend entusiast to national championships there was an Escort that could compete at almost any level.
davecoupe
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Depends what you define as best.
The Quattro showed that 4wd was useful in a rally car, the 206T16 showed just how good 4wd could be ......... but the GrpA Lancia Delta HF Integrale won the most - 6 world championships in a row.
More recent cars are also impressive, the 2.0 WRC cars with active diffs like the S12 Impreza and last gen WRC focus (Donagh Kellys car) might well be the fastest cars we will ever see on Irish stages, the fact that they are 10 years old, out of homologation, ineligible for ITRC points but and are still the cars that dominate the big rallies here says an awful lot. The power and grip of a 2.0 WRC car leaving a gravelly junction, on shiney wet tar is just mindbending.
But just for the sake of it here are a few of what I think are the best, the cars I would most like to see on the stages again, obviously Irish based with some heavy handed nostalgia.
Vatanen's black beauty - DKP 191T
Coleman / Fisher Monte Special - GVX 489T
Andy Burtons 306R4 - built by a bloke in a shed and banned for being too fast
And the peoples champion - Frank Meaghers Escort Cosworth - I remember seeing it for the first time on his comeback in 1999. The noise was unreal, the crackles and bangs of this, Stephen Finlays and Eamonn Bolands black escorts just left your ears ringing.
Donnellys Corolla, one of the most famous cars in Ireland
And if Donnelly gets a mention, so must Nesbitts Cuisine de France Impreza.
I could add to this list forever, Cullens pink Sierra, McHales Extra Vision Manta, McRae's 6R4 - there are loads of them, some serious cars have graced the stages here.
The Quattro showed that 4wd was useful in a rally car, the 206T16 showed just how good 4wd could be ......... but the GrpA Lancia Delta HF Integrale won the most - 6 world championships in a row.
More recent cars are also impressive, the 2.0 WRC cars with active diffs like the S12 Impreza and last gen WRC focus (Donagh Kellys car) might well be the fastest cars we will ever see on Irish stages, the fact that they are 10 years old, out of homologation, ineligible for ITRC points but and are still the cars that dominate the big rallies here says an awful lot. The power and grip of a 2.0 WRC car leaving a gravelly junction, on shiney wet tar is just mindbending.
But just for the sake of it here are a few of what I think are the best, the cars I would most like to see on the stages again, obviously Irish based with some heavy handed nostalgia.
Vatanen's black beauty - DKP 191T
Coleman / Fisher Monte Special - GVX 489T
Andy Burtons 306R4 - built by a bloke in a shed and banned for being too fast
And the peoples champion - Frank Meaghers Escort Cosworth - I remember seeing it for the first time on his comeback in 1999. The noise was unreal, the crackles and bangs of this, Stephen Finlays and Eamonn Bolands black escorts just left your ears ringing.
Donnellys Corolla, one of the most famous cars in Ireland
And if Donnelly gets a mention, so must Nesbitts Cuisine de France Impreza.
I could add to this list forever, Cullens pink Sierra, McHales Extra Vision Manta, McRae's 6R4 - there are loads of them, some serious cars have graced the stages here.
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stuartyvilla
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All down to personal preference, but the Group B stuff wins it for me. It is probably the one bit of motorsport I genuinely regret not being alive to see in period, the 205 T16 is my favourite, but seeing Quattro at Goodwood launch was incredible, the speed was frightening even amongst the newer stuff. Honourable mention goes to the 'Maxi' era cars as well, in particular the 306, absolute screamers and pretty to boot!
Dave..
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I remember seeing the T16 at the Motor Show in the Kings Hall, also seeing the Group B cars on the Circuit of Ireland.
cauld1
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Group A 205 Rallye 1.3 - what I'll be basing mine on.
205 T16 - the most successful group b car.
Fiat Abarth 131 - you can keep your MK2 escort thanks.
And then there's the clios as driven by Ragnotti and the F2 cars. Ive a soft sport for the works Suzukis too.
205 T16 - the most successful group b car.
Fiat Abarth 131 - you can keep your MK2 escort thanks.
And then there's the clios as driven by Ragnotti and the F2 cars. Ive a soft sport for the works Suzukis too.
veedubnoodle
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For me I don't think I could pick one car as there are so many favourites but I could definitely pick one make and that is Ford!
From the MK2 Escort...
...to the RS200...
...to the Sierra Cosworths...
...to the Escort Cosworths...
(That car ^^^ has particular memories for me as Gary is a family friend and the noise off it any time it was out was awesome! He also had a massive accident in it on that same rally above I believe and it took a year to rebuild.)
...and finally the first Focus WRC driven by Colin McRae...
I personally think Ford have made the best collection of great looking, great sounding, successful rally cars!
From the MK2 Escort...
...to the RS200...
...to the Sierra Cosworths...
...to the Escort Cosworths...
(That car ^^^ has particular memories for me as Gary is a family friend and the noise off it any time it was out was awesome! He also had a massive accident in it on that same rally above I believe and it took a year to rebuild.)
...and finally the first Focus WRC driven by Colin McRae...
I personally think Ford have made the best collection of great looking, great sounding, successful rally cars!
Ford fan?For me I don't think I could pick one car as there are so many favourites but I could definitely pick one make and that is Ford!
From the MK2 Escort...
...to the RS200...
...to the Sierra Cosworths...
...to the Escort Cosworths...
(That car ^^^ has particular memories for me as Gary is a family friend and the noise off it any time it was out was awesome! He also had a massive accident in it on that same rally above I believe and it took a year to rebuild.)
...and finally the first Focus WRC driven by Colin McRae...
I personally think Ford have made the best collection of great looking, great sounding, successful rally cars!
veedubnoodle
RMS Regular
I actually prefer Vw Audi Group stuff mostly but I would love to own a fast ford someday...might have to change my name if that happens...fastfordnoodle?
davecoupe
RMS Photographer
...and finally the first Focus WRC driven by Colin McRae...
That car, specifically the first Focus rallied in the WRC on the 1999 Monte by Colin (that was excluded from the rally because the fuel pump wasn't legal) now resides in Mid Ulster.
Gaz86
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80's Era: Probably the Audi Quattro or RS200
90's Era: Subaru Impreza
2k+ Era: DGAF coz it all went to sh*te then lol
I lost the love for rallying when Mitsubishi and Subaru pulled out of the WRC. Indeed those new Skoda's and Fiesta's can fairly shift on the stages, but they just don't do it for me sadly. I still go to the local rallys purely for nostalgia to watch all the classics. Give me a wide arched hunkered down Mk2 escort any day
90's Era: Subaru Impreza
2k+ Era: DGAF coz it all went to sh*te then lol
I lost the love for rallying when Mitsubishi and Subaru pulled out of the WRC. Indeed those new Skoda's and Fiesta's can fairly shift on the stages, but they just don't do it for me sadly. I still go to the local rallys purely for nostalgia to watch all the classics. Give me a wide arched hunkered down Mk2 escort any day
Hard to separate the car from the driver , best car ever for me was the Quattro sport on the ulster with mr rohrl at the wheel , it looked a monster , how he steered it and kept the gears fired into it set the bar at an all time high and it's still there ! Then there was the chequered flag stratos in Donegal steered to perfection by Cahal Curly, Of course the mk 2 and the manta and the s4 and the 6r4 etc etc but the one for me was the Quattro .
FM155
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TBH, I think most rally cars are pretty epic and I can appreciate them all. The best one is the one being driven at 10/10th's and that's what makes it stick in the memory.
Watching Tony Pond in the 6R4 in Donegal was brilliant as he was on a different level as a driver and the car was awesome too. I could fill pages with significant driver and car combo's and a lot of my favourites are covered in the thread.
Watching Tony Pond in the 6R4 in Donegal was brilliant as he was on a different level as a driver and the car was awesome too. I could fill pages with significant driver and car combo's and a lot of my favourites are covered in the thread.
cauld1
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Whoever says the modern stuff is dull is just wrong in my opinion, modern wrc cars are faster than group b, despite the stories of many, many horsepower (group a cars were also setting quicker stage times a few years after group b).
In terms of moderns I've soft spot for the following
R5 and R2 Peugeot 208
Just something design wise about them that seems 'right' in my opinion. Being a bit of a Peugeot fan boy probably doesnt help all the same!
In terms of moderns I've soft spot for the following
R5 and R2 Peugeot 208
Just something design wise about them that seems 'right' in my opinion. Being a bit of a Peugeot fan boy probably doesnt help all the same!