Six corking rally cars to see at 78MM

Lada VFTS

Because Lada, that’s why. Oh, you didn’t ask? To be fair, we needn’t be defensive. A Group B car from behind the Iron Curtain could be a set piece in a period James Bond movie and as such needs no apologies made for it. Broadly similar in concept to something like an Escort, the 2105 VFTS packs a 167PS (123kW) 1.6-litre, 16-valve four-pot. Glorious.

Porsche 911 SC

Everyone thinks of the Porsche 911 as an on-track racer but some of its biggest early motorsport successes were in the rough stuff. The 911 is as much a storied rally car, as we’ll see with this Group 4  3.0-litre SC, to be driven by Max Girardo in the Super Special. Plus, we won’t miss an opportunity to hear an air-cooled flat-six tearing at a rear axle in low-grip conditions.

Audi Quattro S1

You can’t have a list of epic rally cars not to miss without the Audi Quattro. No, we know you don’t need reminding. This S1 has been a passion project of David Kedward and he knows it inside-out, both in terms of driving the wheels off it and working on it. Its warbling five-cylinder turbo monster engine will be heard circuit-wide.

Ford Focus WRC

From the Eastern Bloc in the 1980s, to a post-millennium New Edge Ford. The Focus WRC came within a hair’s width of winning the 2001 Championship with Colin McRae at the wheel. Dropping the car in the final round lead to a title-losing two-point deficit. It’ll have no such worries at the Super Special, where it’s only job is to make noise and look cool.

MG Metro 6R4

Speaking of making noise, we can't wait to hear this thing on song. Yes, it’s the MG Metro 6R4, one of the most dramatic-looking rally cars ever made. In spite of never actually getting the chance to achieve much before Group B was banned, the 6R4 is beloved for its sheer lunacy. Even in Group B, it was an absolutely mad machine. Naturally, we’ve got two in the Super Special.

Ford RS200

Perhaps even crazier than the 6R4 was the Ford RS200, effectively a supercar developed by the Blue Oval specifically for rallying. With F1 expertise in the chassis, sophisticated suspension and a lightweight fibreglass body, you’d expect this mid-engined monster to be a boon.

Photography by Joe Harding, James Lynch, Jordan Butters, Pete Summers and Motorsport Images.