CLASS ACT
When asked to bring to mind an image of a Group B motorsport machine, what car do you picture? The transverse midengine Peugeot 205 T16? An MG Metro 6R4? Maybe a Ford RS200? If, as we suspect, a Porsche is at the forefront of your noggin, then you’re likely to be salivating over the thought of a Rothmans-liveried 959 or the Prodrive-prepared 911 SC RS. “That’s all anyone considers when talking about Group B,” sighs race car preparation specialist, John Clonis. “It all went a bit crazy when the rally boys got involved.”
In 1982, the FIA introduced a new and simplified set of motorsport categories designed to promote a more level playing field for entrants. Replacing the earlier Group 3, 4 and 5 classes, Group A catered for modified touring cars, Group B for GTs, Group C for special prototypes and Group N hosted more or less standard production cars. As outlined in the introduction to this article, when we look back at
