What is Group B?
An infamous 1980s rally category whose lightly regulated, extremely powerful cars became legends before safety concerns ended it in 1986.
Group B was a set of rally regulations introduced by the FIA in 1982 with very few restrictions on power, weight or technology, and low homologation requirements. The result was some of the fastest and most extreme rally cars ever built, often with four-wheel drive, turbocharging and well over 500 horsepower in lightweight bodies.
Cars such as the Audi Quattro, Lancia Delta S4, Peugeot 205 T16 and Ford RS200 became icons of the era, contesting events at astonishing speed on narrow, crowd-lined stages. The required road-going homologation specials are now among the most collectible performance cars ever made.
The combination of huge speed, limited safety measures and enormous crowds proved tragically dangerous. After several fatal accidents involving drivers and spectators, the FIA banned Group B at the end of 1986, cementing its legendary, almost mythical reputation.