The Joshua Tree

During lockdown i was watching a lot of rallying videos from the 80's and 90's, oh those were the days. That Era had everything, top sounding cars playing some addictive tunes, more agressive looking cars and some top, top drivers with amaing skills. I just can't get into modern rallying, i'm not into the smaller raspy sounding cars, for me i'd have to want to own a road going version of a rally car like a lot have done on here with various impreza's, and other road going versions of rally cars from the same era like Evo's, Delta Integrale's, GT4's, Quattro's etc etc. These smaller rally cars do nothing for me, i'd never want to own one so i can't get into them like i did during the 80's and 90's where i dreamed of owning an Impreza or an Evo etc.

Does anyone else feel the same ? This is an example, crank up your speakers and play this short youtube clip, Colin McRae is the 2nd car, just listen to the thunder of that GT4 coming through, then Colin's popping and banging Impreza, for me if you throw in the Group B's as well it doesn't get any better than this.

adam.pah

The main problem is that the modern example aren't available in rally form. The cars of eras bygone were basically 4WD rally cars out of the box. No company seems to be doing that anymore, which is a shame...

Mr Fuji

I've been watching rallies since the early 80s, and whilst GPB was spectacular, and GPA to a lesser extent in some respects, they are sloooooow compared to the modern stuff. It still amazes me how quick they go now. When I go to see older rally cars, it evokes good memories, but they do look slow!

I think when we go electric, I will stop going, as even though I support electric cars in general use, half the spectacle on rallies (and track racing) was the incredible noise, especially when it's echoing around the forest in the dark! I still think GPB had the best sound, not as 'musical' as a BDG, but, dear God, what a noise !

CharlySkunkWeed

iTrader: (7)

Still sounds good though.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BopWFMChPLv/?igshid=p2du9kvqfpmn

The Joshua Tree

Sorry but that's too high pitched and raspy for me, i prefer the deeper rumble, and popping and banging of the pre 2000 cars.

derek sti

Rallying of the 80s and 90s will never come back massive shame I still follow it but miss the scoobys and evos so much,rally day ,and couple of other events are worth going to though .

Turbovin

iTrader: (2)

I love this era. I bought the 10 DVD box set WRC 90-99 from Duke Video earlier this year. Not great quality perhaps but still enjoyable. I prefer the early 90's the most with the Delta Integrale, Celica ST165 and ST185 and so on.

CharlySkunkWeed

iTrader: (7)

at the Wrc Wales we hung around to watch all the cars coming around the stage rather than make a dash to the next stage once the big boys had passed. There were a brave few of the "old favourites" and obviously they wouldn't have been to the full WRC spec of old (I dont think so at least) they were soooooo slow in comparison to the rest. We looked down the running order and waited in anticipation of certain ones just so we could hear them but we were kinda disappointed every time.
in fairness we were far back and at a twisty section so wouldn't have got them at their best.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Homologation rules kept it real.


Ok your road-going version won't have a seam welded body, 8 injectors or a giant turbo. But at least it bore a lot of resemblance both with the mechanicals and the looks.

Just like BTCC or European touring cars 'back in the day', sure, a XJ12 never came out the factory with 500+bhp and arches wider than a Kardasian's back side... but you 'could' get one, or something fairly close if you knocked on the door of Broadspeed or TWR and shouted "take my money" at them. And I'm sure the line of Mountune does stuff that would 'mildly' make your Ford something of the like but that's as close as it gets these days, I'm sure if I walked into Ford dealership and asked they wouldn't have a clue.

Hell, we all know a Nova sport came with most of the rally goodies ready to fit. You just can't really do buy anything these days as a factory limited model that is that is anything close to what's on the track. So I just can no longer relate to the sport no more than I can relate to F1.

SmurfyBhoy

New GR Yaris is quite the weapon

Even if it only has 3 cylinders

The Joshua Tree

Rallying for me has lost it's soul, i don't recognise it anymore, these days it's about short sprints in high revving, raspy small cars. Rallying used to be an endurance test as well as skill, the night stages were great, like you say Ali you could buy a road gpoing version of a WRC car that actually bared some resemblance to the teams car. I certainly wouldn't drive a long way these days to watch the WRC, walk miles to a stage to get a good spot in rough, muddy weather.

Also their doesn't seem to be any characters anymore, the current breed seem as dull as dishwater, one of my favourite drivers is Juha Kankunen, he was once asked at the end of a tricky, slippy stage what tyres he was using by the interviewer, he said Pirelli, black round ones then just smiled and drove off, then you had Colin McRae who just said it as it was and could always come up with a witty, ironic one liner if he wasn't happy about something. The interviews these days are just plain boring, it's as if they are frightened to say anything funny, all media type answers.

Turbovin

iTrader: (2)

Kankkunen is my favourite, being a Finn like me

WRXrowdy

iTrader: (2)

You can get a GR Yaris, a car specifically built by Toyota to form the basis of its 2021 WRC car (completely different 3 dr shell to the normal Yaris). Only it won't, as covid caused too many problems and the cost of building a new car for 1 year only as the regs change again in 2022.

It is a 1.6 three pot turbo with 4wd, and had input from the likes of Tanak, Latvala and Meeke.

WRXrowdy

iTrader: (2)

oh I don't know, Tanak used to be a bit unpredictable and could wind a few f**ks in during an interview, although seems not to say too much nowadays but still likes to use the black and round answer to the what tyre question.
Meeke, well he could be quite entertaining during an interview, being a protege of McRaes kind of gave off that aura but is no longer in WRC.
Breen, funny guy, gives a good interview or stage end comment.

Always the odd character that will Buck the trend but nowadays riders/drivers in any discipline have to be media savvy and bite their tongue and not say too much. Probably an unfair reflection on their true personality but that is the way it is unfortunately.

pacenote

Personalities aside you can't take anything away from the current drivers in the WRC, lots of skill and commitment. The current cars are very efficient with modern suspension/tyres etc but still need driving properly.

Out of all the types of cars from the mid seventies onwards, Group 4, Group B, Group A, WRC, the favourite one for me is probably Group 4 if I had to choose.

WRXrowdy

iTrader: (2)

Any era for me, I just love rallying, have done since I was yet to reach double figures in age.
The sound of bda engined escorts, the 5 pot Audi Quattro's, v6 metro 6r4 and the Subaru Legacy and early Impreza are the best sound tracks in my opinion.

johno01

The 80’s and 90’s were well better. All the fast cars of that era aswell which there is a thread under fast car...I wish I could go back to the 90’s with my gf and son

BMWhere?

I do miss the Rallying from the 80's and 90's. Not just the cars and the awesome sound they made, but the huge crowds with freedom to go pretty much anywhere on the stages to watch. The old days with the crowds blocking the roads and parting like the dead sea as the cars came through - incredibly dangerous, but an awesome spectacle!

The other great think about rallying back then was the events themselves, usually running for 5 days and covering the length and breadth of the country. Servicing was usually done on the side of the road. It was a real test of endurance for the drivers, cars and service crews and the public could get close to it all, and were often even asked to help out!

The modern cars don't inspire me much, partly for the raspy sound, but mostly because they resemble anything I can buy. The old homologation rules requiring the manufacturer to build road going versions pretty close to the rally car were great and lead to amazing homolgation specials like the Metro 6R4 and Renault 5 GT Turbo 2, not to mention the original STi Imprezas, Toyota Celica GT4 and Ford Cosworths with huge whale tails!

Those were the days of win on Sunday and sell on Monday!

pacenote

Talking of the public helping out...


RIP Peter Bryant who passed away last week

BMWhere?

Thats what I'm talking about! In those days, you could do anything on the road sections, as long as you checked in to the next stage on time!

The Joshua Tree

Thanks for the clip, i hadn't seen it before, that's partly what i meant above where rallyinmg has lost it's soul in the modern era. RIP Peter Bryant

I remember when Lancia were based at the Holiday Inn on the A483 at Chester, the cars were parked on the car park, i got talking to Andre Aghini who was one of the Lancia works drivers back then, luckily it wasn't busy with fans, he was brilliant, he showed me around the car and talked to me about the rallies he's done so far. Everything felt more accessable back thern, you felt closer to things especially the stages, and the drivers and teams were great, we chatted to Juha Kankunen at a Shell Petrol station on the A580 East Lancs when he was driving for Toyota, and no he wasn't filling up at the pumps or buying a can of coke and a bag of crisps.