Success in the top flight of rallying is expensive and maddeningly elusive for manufacturers, usually coming only as the planets align and the perfect combination of driver, technological advancement and favourable regulations allow the best to flourish. But for every Audi quattro, Subaru Impreza or Alpine-Renault A110, there are models that failed to impress on the stages. Some arrived too late to the party, otherwise promising machines that became the victim of rapidly changing rules. Others were pressed into action through necessity, at a technological disadvantage that was never going to be overcome. And then there are those that were just plain rubbish. Join us on a journey through 10 of the most ill-conceived and ill-fated rally cars of the past half a century.
1. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII
Domination of international rallying usually comes in waves, and following Toyota's early '90s reign it was Mitsubishi and Finnish star Tommi Mäkinen's time to shine punctuated by Colin McRae's title in 1995. The Lancer Evo delivered the Japanese firm's run of four titles from 1996-'99, each year bringing another version to conquer the stages. So when, in 2001, Mitsubishi was forced to move to WRC (rather than Group A) regulations, most pundits predicted that the latest Evolution VII would brush aside all-comers - but it wasn't to be. Despite sharing its powertrain with the outgoing car, and benefiting from 300bhp, the new machine was a disaster.
Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A Breath of Fresh Air- Alfa Romeo's exotic, V8-powered Montreal was like nothing the marque had made before, but can it compare with a Porsche masterpiece, the 911S 2.4?
The stereotype of the ItaloGermanic automotive rivalry is that the Latin car will be brilliant to drive, but poorly built and ergonomically flawed, while the Teutonic will be the opposite. Yet these 2+2 sports coupés both ran against orthodoxy. In the Montreal, Alfa Romeo created an outlandish-looking two-door more comfortable, more powerful and more refined than anything it had produced for decades. Meanwhile, Porsche continued to refine its back-to-front, austere and increasingly aged 911. Neither took a traditional development path, but both created thrilling and individual cars that have echoed through the decades.
Daring to be diminutive
AMC's Gremlin and Pacer, and Ford's much-derided Pinto, led America's response to the threat of imported European compacts
THE LONG WAY ROUND
There is a great tradition of overland trips by Land-Rover, but the tale of this 70s Aussie epic and the car itself was discovered by chance
Handsome cab
The Phantom V limousine marked the beginning of the end for coachbuilder James Young, but this Rolls-Royce represents the craft at its very best
DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES
Racing for their own F1 teams brought some drivers success and an enduring legacy. For others, it turned into a nightmare
20 30 LITRES CYLINDERS, 400BHP......AND MORE THAN A CENTURY OLD
Thunderous torque, flame-spitting stub-exhausts, white-knuckle thrills - and hopefully no spills - aboard a trio of Edwardian racing titans
ICON.
The three top-selling vehicles in the USA in 2023 were pick-ups, topped by the Ford F-Series. This is the truck that started it all
Blurred Lines
lan 'Del' Lines blended the V8 burble of Triumph's open GT with real practicality in his Stag V8 saloons and estates
Home of the brave
The innovative Silverstone proved a hit with keen amateur drivers. To mark its 75th, Healey's club racer returns to the circuit for which it is named
PLAYING ALL THE ANGLES
Alfa Romeo's wild RZ eschewed the jellymould styling of the period to offer a striking, wedge-shaped take on open-topped performance motoring