Audi's Worst Nightmare
Summary
TLDRThe script narrates the thrilling and dangerous era of Group B rally racing, focusing on the rise of the Peugeot 205 T16. From its inception in the late 1970s to dominating the rally scene with two manufacturers' and two drivers' titles, the 205 T16 became the fastest rally car of its time. Despite initial challenges and tragedies that marred the sport, Peugeot's innovative mid-engine, all-wheel-drive car secured 16 event wins, outperforming competitors like Audi's Quattro. However, the extreme danger led to Group B's ban in 1987, ending an exhilarating chapter in motorsport history.
Takeaways
- 🏎️ The 'Pjo 205 T16' was a dominant force in Group B rally racing, winning two drivers' and two manufacturers' titles within a short span of 5 years.
- 🚗 The development of the 'Pjo 205' started as a family hatchback under the project code 'M24', with the aim to replace the '104' model.
- 🌟 Talbot, acquired by PSA, brought expertise in building small family hatchbacks and was instrumental in the development of the rally car.
- 🏆 The 'Pjo Talbot Sport' was formed with Jean Todt at the helm, aiming to capitalize on the marketing potential of rallying and the '205' model's success.
- 🔧 The '205 T16' was designed with a mid-engine, four-wheel-drive layout, and a 1.8L turbocharged engine, setting it apart from front-wheel-drive competitors.
- 🛠️ The car faced aerodynamic and handling issues initially, which were addressed through modifications to improve its performance.
- 🏁 Ari Vatanen scored the first win for the '205 T16' in Finland, marking a turning point in its competitive history.
- 🏆 The '205 T16' won the manufacturer's championship in 1985 with a full season entry, showcasing its potential against competitors like Audi.
- 🔝 The 'Evo 2' variant of the '205 T16' introduced more power and aerodynamic improvements, pushing the car's capabilities further.
- 🚨 The tragic accidents in the sport raised safety concerns, leading to the eventual banning of Group B in 1987.
- 📉 Despite the ban, the '205 T16' continued to win races in 1986, securing another manufacturer's title and solidifying its legacy in rally history.
Q & A
What made Group B rally an era of extremes?
-Group B rally was characterized by extreme power, extreme speed, and extreme danger, requiring participants to push the limits of physics and safety.
How successful was the Peugeot 205 T16 in Group B rallying?
-The Peugeot 205 T16 was highly successful, winning two drivers' and two manufacturers' titles within the short five years of Group B competition.
What was the project code for the development of the Peugeot 205?
-The project code for the development of the Peugeot 205 was M24.
What was the significance of Talbot in Peugeot's rally history?
-Talbot, part of the assets absorbed by PSA Peugeot Citroen, had proven rally success with the Chrysler Lotus Sunbeam, influencing Peugeot's decision to enter Group B rallying.
Who was put in charge of Peugeot Talbot Sport, and why?
-Jean Todt, an experienced rally co-driver and future motorsport management legend, was put in charge to lead Peugeot Talbot Sport due to his expertise and French nationality.
Why was the Peugeot 205 T16 delayed in its debut season?
-The Peugeot 205 T16 was delayed due to the company's inability to build the homologation cars fast enough to meet the January 1st homologation requirement, causing a late start in the 1984 season.
What were the major challenges faced by the Peugeot 205 T16 during its development?
-The Peugeot 205 T16 faced challenges with aerodynamic downforce and handling characteristics, particularly due to the off-center engine placement causing instability when airborne.
How did the Peugeot 205 T16 perform in its debut season?
-Despite starting late, the Peugeot 205 T16 finished third in the manufacturers' standings in 1984, with notable victories in events like the Finnish Rally and the RAC Rally in Wales.
What changes were made to the Peugeot 205 T16 in its Evo 2 variant?
-The Evo 2 variant of the Peugeot 205 T16 included a new turbocharger, engine cooling system, increased power, enhanced frame stiffness, and additional aerodynamic parts.
What led to the end of Group B rallying?
-Group B rallying was ended due to a series of tragic accidents, including the deaths of Lancia driver Henri Toivonen and his co-driver Sergio Cresto, prompting the FIA to ban the category for safety reasons.
Outlines
🏎️ The Rise of the pjo 205 T16: Group B Rally Domination
The first paragraph introduces the extreme world of Group B rally racing, highlighting the power, speed, and danger involved. It tells the story of the pjo 205 T16, a car that achieved remarkable success in a short time, winning two driver and two manufacturer titles within five years. The narrative begins with the development of the 205, a family hatchback that evolved into the fastest rally car in the world. The paragraph details the formation of pjo Talbert Sport, led by Jean Todd, and the decision to develop a rally car that would not only excel in competition but also boost the brand's image. The 205 T16 was designed to be fast and competitive within the rules, featuring a mid-engine and all-wheel-drive layout, setting it apart from its competitors.
🏁 The pjo 205 T16's Challenges and Victories
This paragraph delves into the early challenges faced by the pjo 205 T16, including aerodynamic issues and handling characteristics that led to a slow start in the 1984 season. Despite these setbacks, the car managed to secure a fourth-place finish in its debut race and went on to win its first event in Finland with legendary driver Ari Vatanen. The narrative follows the car's progress as it secures more victories, including a significant win at the RAC rally in Wales, which contributed to pjo's third-place finish in the manufacturer standings. The 205 T16's performance in the following season is also highlighted, with wins in Monte Carlo and Sweden, showcasing its potential to compete with Audi's upgraded Quattro S1.
🔧 Evolution and Tragedy: The pjo 205 T16's Turbulent Journey
The third paragraph discusses the evolution of the pjo 205 T16, including the introduction of the Evo 2 variant with a more powerful turbocharged engine and improved aerodynamics. The car's success continues with multiple victories, leading to Teimo Salinan securing the driver's championship. However, the paragraph also recounts tragic accidents involving Group B cars, raising questions about their safety and ultimately leading to the cancellation of Group B. Despite these tragedies, pjo Talbert Sport continued to compete, winning several more events and securing another manufacturer's title, with UA Kenan also claiming the driver's title.
🏆 Legacy of the pjo 205 T16: The End of an Era
The final paragraph reflects on the legacy of the pjo 205 T16, which became the most successful car in Group B rally history with two manufacturer titles, two driver titles, and 16 event wins. It discusses the plans for the 405, which was intended to be an extended version of the 205 T16 to meet the requirements of the proposed Group S class. However, these plans were thwarted by the cancellation of Group B and the tragic deaths of rally drivers, which marked the end of an era in rally racing. The paragraph concludes with a look back at the achievements of the pjo 205 T16 and the impact it had on the sport.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Group B Rally
💡pjo 205 T16
💡Jean Todt
💡Homologation Special
💡Mid-Engined
💡All-Wheel Drive
💡Ari Vatanen
💡Talbot Sport
💡RAC Rally
💡Group S
💡Lancia Delta S4
Highlights
Group B rally era was characterized by extreme power, speed, and danger.
Poujoulat Talbot Sport (PJS) achieved unprecedented success with the 205 T16, winning two drivers and two manufacturers' titles within 5 years.
The development of the 205 T16 began with the Project M24, aiming to replace the 104 and incorporate expertise from the Talbot marque.
PJS saw the marketing potential of having their new hatchback compete in the thrilling Group B rally series.
Jean Todt was appointed to lead PJS Talbot Sport, bringing his experience as a rally co-driver and future motorsport management legend.
The 205 T16 was designed with a mid-engine, four-wheel-drive layout, influenced by Audi's Quattro and Renault's 5 Turbo.
The car was eligible for the 2 to 2.5 L class with a minimum weight of 890 kg, maximizing weight distribution and performance.
PJS had to build a homologation special to meet Group B rules, which required at least 200 road-legal production cars.
The T16's silhouette racing car design was primarily a steel frame with a thin composite veneer to resemble the road car.
The 205 T16 faced aerodynamic and handling challenges, requiring modifications for increased downforce and stability.
Ari Vatanen achieved the T16's first win at the Finnish rally, marking a significant upset against Audi's dominance.
Despite competing in only half of the 1984 season, PJS finished third in the manufacturer standings, setting the stage for a full season entry.
In 1985, the T16 continued its winning streak with victories in Monte Carlo, Sweden, and Portugal, showcasing its dominance.
The introduction of the Evo 2 variant of the 205 T16 increased power to 550 horsepower and introduced aerodynamic and frame improvements.
Timo Salonen secured the driver's championship for PJS with five wins, making the 205 T16 the most successful car in Group B rally.
The tragic accidents in the 1986 season, including the deaths of Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto, led to the banning of Group B.
PJS planned to adapt the 205 T16 for the proposed Group S class, but these plans were halted by the cancellation of Group B.
Transcripts
rot B rally was an era of
extremes extreme power extreme speed
extreme danger so what did it take to be
the best to take on Madness and win to
cheat death and laugh in the face of
physics trusting their wrath would be
repelled by a mere steel cage pjo
finding more success than anyone else
won two drivers and two manufacturers
titles in the short 5 years of Group B
insanity but nothing lasts forever this
is the story of the pjo 205
t16 far away from the brutal rally
stages that would soon Propel pjo to the
top of motorsport's toughest series a
new family hatchback was in development
project M24 started in the late 1970s
was P's internal code for the car that
would repl the 104 following the 1977
collapse of chlery Europe PSA Pau
Citroen had hoovered up the pieces
absorbing Sima and The Roots group who
had experience building small family
hatchbacks additionally within the
assets of the roots group was the little
known talber mark and it will become
clear soon why I mention it with newly
acquired expertise and production
facilities P's 104 successor would be
everything that it needed to be
practical reliable enough and cheap so
how did it end up being the fastest
rally car in the world during
development of the 205 pau's now hotly
anticipated new hatchback Talbert
managed to pick up a WRC manufacturers
Championship with a Chrysler Lotus
Sunbeam WRC which was at the time
governed by the group four rules was
about to undergo a major rule change the
promise to make rallying the most most
electrifying sport money could buy a
ticket to and pjo like many others saw
the huge marketing potential of having
their new hatchback be the star in what
would surely be an exceptionally popular
sporting spectacle Talbert had proven
they could make that dream come true and
so the pjo chairman formed pjo Talbert
Sport and feeling that its leader should
be French experienced rally co- driver
and future Motorsport management Legend
Jean Todd was quickly put in charge with
the 205 not expected to be available to
buy until 1983 Pau Talbert sport were
not in any rush to develop their new
rally car project M24 rally wasn't
initiated until late 1981 and progress
was slow with most of the work happening
at Talbert's Coventry headquarters in
the UK but word came from above that
this project was of utmost importance to
Pou and so development was moved mov to
France where things began to move a lot
more quickly with the opportunity to
reinvent Pou is a motorsport brand and
with the accounting department convinced
of the adage of what wins on Sunday
sells on Monday the project had a near
infinite budget the goal was clear make
the fastest possible car within the
confines of the rules oh and make sure
it looks a little bit like a 205 the
road goinging 205 being an affordable
hatchback was even in its sportiest
trims front-wheel drive the days of
front-wheel drive were long over in
rally P's French Rivals of Renault had
chosen to convert their Renault 5 turbo
into a mid-engined rear wheeel drive
rally car but p w about to start dealing
in half measures the engine moved to the
middle like the R5 but power would be
sent to all four wheels much more like
Audi's Quattro that power would come
from a 1.8 L turbocharged in line four
which would be mounted transversely to
maximize the weight distribution benefit
of mounting the engine in the middle
once applying the forced induction
displacement multiplier the car was
eligible for the 2 to 2 1/2 L class
which had a minimum weight of just 890
kg while the M24 rally by now called the
205 turbo 16 often shorten to just t16
was designed to look a lot like the
normal 205 for the sake of aiding sales
the cars had pretty much nothing in
common as such poo like most everybody
else competing in group b would need to
build a homologation special the group b
rules stipulated that all competing cars
must be based on a road legal production
car of which at least 200 examples had
been made the term homologation special
refers to cars that were built solely
for the purpose of homologating a team's
racing cars not exactly in the spirit of
the rules but all of that went out the
window pretty quickly the racing t16 was
little more than a silhouette racing car
a steel frame dressed in a thin
composite veneer of perso 205 that
served to make it look a little bit like
the road car and as sailable ad space
the brutal machine that lived underneath
was built for just one purpose to win
the Hope was to have the car homologated
for Group B rally competition by the
beginning of the 1984 season The
Pedestrian 205 had gone on sale in 1983
but the company couldn't build the t16
homologation cars fast enough in order
to meet the January 1st homologation
requirement this unfortunately left Pou
late to the party in 1984 starting the
season from the fifth event at the Tor
cour the car managed to finish an
impressive fourth on debut in the hands
of Jean Pierre Nicholas issues around
the cars aerodynamic downforce and
strange inair characteristics were
reaffirmed by the drivers the feeling
was that the car needed more downforce
and the fact that the engine had been
mounted off to one side predominantly
behind the passenger seat meant that
anytime the car was in the air it had a
tendency to try and roll on its side the
car didn't score any points at the
following event and the two events after
that it didn't compete at all as the
team set about trying to solve its
strange handling characteristics but
modifications were limited in scope due
to the homology requirements of any
major changes round nine was the Finnish
rally and the pjo 205 t16 in the hands
of legendary Finnish rally driver Ari
veran managed its first win an upset to
the Audi team who had up to this point
in the season being dominant with their
Audi Quattro and drivers Volta roll hanu
Micha and drivers Championship leader
Stig Blan the next event the Sano rally
in Italy saw vonin take his second
victory in the 205 t16 a statement of
intent by the POU team that they were
ready to fight at the very front of the
field pjo chose not to contest the Ivory
Coast rally as it didn't contribute
towards manufacturer Championship points
that year as venan had missed too many
events that year because of pu's late
start he didn't have a chance at
fighting for the driver's Championship
but the final event of the year the RAC
rally in Wales did count towards
manufacturers Championship points and
the event Was Won by vonin and his
co-driver Terry Harryman to end their
debut season on a high despite only
competing in half of the championship
points scoring events in 1984 Pou
managed to finish an impressive third in
the manufacturer standings and hopes
were high that with a full season entry
pjo Talbert sport might be able to take
the fight to 1984's winners Audi despite
Audi's upgraded Quattro S1 being
unveiled in late 1984 vonin continued
his winning streak into early 1985
winning the first event of the season in
Monte Carlo pjo Talbert sport had built
a rocket ship of a rally car and it
looked unlikely that anybody would be
able to catch them Audi had finished
second to Pou in the first event and the
story repeated itself at event number
two in Sweden as well with AR Vin taking
a second victory at the third round in
Portugal the 205 would once again win
but this time it wasn't in the hands of
venan rather his teammate teimo salinan
who claimed a decisive victory over
second place which was a by now very
outdated rear wheeel drive luncher 037
Audi had been relegated to third the
fourth event was the Safari rally in
Kenya and is known to be one of the
toughest events on the WRC calendar the
205 five didn't come close to troubling
the podium in this event but nor did
their main competitor Audi the event Was
Won by Toyota and the Celica TCT at the
Tor course the fifth event of the Season
tragedy struck luncher driver AOA was
killed when his 037 collided with a tree
the event was tragic and it wouldn't be
the last tragedy to beset the sport the
Tor course Was Won by Jean ragnotti in a
Runo five Maxi turbo the tragic accident
in Corsica raised questions over the
safety of Group B cars but the
championship marched forward and nothing
was done round six was the Acropolis
rally in Greece where teimo salinan
grabbed his second win of the season for
pjo with reigning drivers Champion stick
blest coming second for Audi it seemed
all but certain pjo would be taking that
Crown away round seven in New Zealand
and again salinan took Victory only
narrowly beating his teammate Ari vtin
the team had also introduced the new Evo
2 variant of the 205 t16 in New Zealand
the upgrades included a new turbocharger
and a new engine cooling system which
together pushed the car's power from
around 350 horsepower to 550 although in
a vent trim that would be limited to 500
for reliability reasons additionally
there were changes made to the frame to
increased stiffness and additional Arrow
parts were added to improve aerodynamic
characteristics and handling round eight
in Argentina would see disaster strike
for the pjo team as one of their cars
suffered an enormous accident aranan had
a colossal crash at near full speed the
flimsy composite Bodywork of the
silhouette racing car fell away
shockingly easily but thankfully the
roll cage managed to save both his and
his co- drivers lives
at the same event teimo salinan would
take yet another Victory and not just of
the Argentinian rally but of the entire
driver's Championship with five wins up
to that point he had become unbeatable
in the driver's standings and Pou was
one step closer to achieving the
Motorsport Glory they had been so
desperately hoping for despite having
already won the driver's Championship
salinan didn't let up fighting hard to
take yet another win in his home rally
in Finland at the following event once
again beating Audi who could only manage
second place Audi would exact their
Revenge at the following event in Italy
snatching Victory thanks to vter R but
it was already over pjo Talbert sport
reigned Supreme at the final event of
the season however a new Challenger
emerged the long anticipated larger
Delta S4 dominated the RAC rally scoring
a one to finish on debut All Eyes would
be on lancher going into
1986 the fight was on round one in Monte
Carlo Was Won by Henry toyan and the new
blisteringly Fast lancha Delta S4 pjo
who had recently done the same thing to
Audi came a distant second place round
two in Sweden saw Pou catch a lucky
break with Henry toyin's brand new Delta
S4 suffering an engine failure handing
P's UA Kenan the victory with the other
Delta S4 of Marco alen managing a very
close second place the following event
was the Portuguese rally one of the
sports darkest ever days the driver of a
competing Factory Ford RS200 lost
control of his car going around a corner
something you'll have noticed about
Group B was the crowd's affinity for
closeness to the track undoubted ly this
was a thrilling spectator experience but
everybody involved especially event
organizers who were responsible for
making sure the events are safe should
have known better the car barreled into
the crowd three Spectators were killed
30 more were injured all of the factory
drivers immediately withdrew from the
event leaving only some Privateer
entries left competing the event Was Won
by Rena 5 Maxi turbo following the
horrendous accident in Portugal the
writing was on the wall for Group B at
least in its current form despite the
tragedy the championship moved on the
next event was in Kenya which was won
again by Toyota the following round was
the famous Tor course in France a th000
kilom of twisting turning tarmac across
just 24 stages Henry toyan and the
lancher Delta S4 with the favorites to
win toyan and his co-driver Sergio
crusto were setting blisteringly fast
stage times when on a particularly
secluded part of the rally the car left
the track and plummeted into a ravine
being caught by a tree both occupants
were killed in the accident and for FEA
the sports governing body this was the
final straw they announced that group b
would be banned from 1987 and also
announced a development freeze on all
current cars for the remainder of the
1986 season Jean Todd head of Pau
Talbert sport was furious at this
announcement his team had a car that
they believed would be competitive for
years to come and he decried the fact
that FEA had promised at least 2 years
of notice before any major rule changes
F's rebuttal was that the current
situation was untable the 1986 season
powered on pjo ended up winning the Tor
to course and the following two events
in Greece and New Zealand in the hands
of uar Kenan lancher driver Mickey bazon
would take victory in Argentina before
defending Champion teimo salinan would
take Victory again in his home rally in
Finland with fellow Finn and fellow pjo
driver UA Kenan taking second place
lancha took back victory in Italy but
were beaten again in W in the end Pou
came out on top claiming a second
consecutive manufacturer's title and P
driver uar Kenan got the driver's title
too this made the pjo 205 T6 the most
successful car in group b rally with two
manufacturers titles two drivers titles
and a total of 16 event wins beating
Audi's single manufacturers title two
drivers titles and 13 overall event wins
it had been known since 1985 that FEA
was exploring the possibility of
replacing Group B with a a more
prototypes class in
1988 du group s many of the established
Group B manufacturers were working hard
on their group s follow-ups which would
require only 10 cars for homologation
Pau had been working on ways to further
improve the 205 t16 in order to compete
in group s but the engineers couldn't
find their way around one specific issue
the
wheelbase they knew that longer cars
were more stable and despite its
appearance the 205 t16 had been one of
the longer cars competing in group b but
it just wasn't long enough they wanted
to make it longer without distorting the
shape so much as to make the 205 badge
even more laughable than it already was
and Pou was launching a potential
solution to this problem in
1987 the
405 the plan was to do exactly what
they' done with the 205 and build a
competition spec version of the 405
really was based on the 205 t16 and they
extended the chassis in order to drive
sales of the new car but all of that
came to an end with fe's cancellation of
Group B and the proposed group s in the
wake of Henry toyen and and Sergio
cresto deaths to hear launcher's full
rally story check out this video on
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a like and until next time goodbye
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