Audi's Worst Nightmare

Summary

The 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

00:00

🏎️ 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.

05:01

🏁 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.

10:02

🔧 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.

15:03

🏆 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.

Keywords

💡Group B Rally

Group B Rally refers to a class of rally racing that was known for its high speeds, extreme power, and the dangerous nature of the competition. It was a period marked by technological advancements and intense competition among manufacturers. In the script, Group B is depicted as the setting for the rise of the pjo 205 T16, which became one of the most successful rally cars of its time.

💡pjo 205 T16

The pjo 205 T16, often shortened to T16, is a rally car developed by pjo Talbert Sport. It was designed to compete in the Group B rally championships and is highlighted in the script as a symbol of extreme performance and success, winning multiple titles and setting a record for event wins within the Group B category.

💡Jean Todt

Jean Todt is mentioned as an experienced rally co-driver and future motorsport management legend who was put in charge of pjo Talbert Sport. His leadership was instrumental in the development and success of the pjo 205 T16, showcasing the importance of skilled management in the high-stakes world of motorsport.

💡Homologation Special

A homologation special is a car built primarily to meet the requirements for racing in a particular class, such as Group B. In the script, it is mentioned that the racing T16 was essentially a homologation special, designed to look like the road-going 205 for sales purposes but mechanically very different, with a focus on performance rather than road legality.

💡Mid-Engined

Mid-engined refers to a car design where the engine is located in the central part of the vehicle, typically behind the driver but ahead of the rear axle. The script notes that the pjo 205 T16, like its competitor the Renault 5 Turbo, was mid-engined, which contributed to its exceptional handling and performance in rally racing.

💡All-Wheel Drive

All-wheel drive, or AWD, is a drivetrain configuration where all four wheels of a car receive power from the engine. The script mentions that the pjo 205 T16 was equipped with AWD, which gave it a significant advantage in traction and stability on various rally terrains.

💡Ari Vatanen

Ari Vatanen is a legendary Finnish rally driver who is mentioned in the script as having won the Finnish rally in the pjo 205 T16. His victory was a significant milestone for the car and the team, demonstrating the T16's competitiveness against other leading rally cars of the time.

💡Talbot Sport

Talbot Sport was the motorsport division of the Talbot company, which was responsible for developing and managing the company's rally racing efforts. In the script, Talbot Sport is highlighted as the entity that took on the development of the pjo 205 T16, leading to its success in the Group B rally championships.

💡RAC Rally

The RAC Rally, now known as the Wales Rally GB, is a prominent event in the World Rally Championship. The script mentions the RAC Rally as the final event of the season where pjo Talbert Sport won, contributing to their manufacturer's title in their debut season.

💡Group S

Group S was a proposed successor to Group B, focusing on prototype racing cars with fewer homologation requirements. The script discusses the plans of pjo to adapt the 205 T16 for Group S competition, extending the chassis to improve stability and performance, before the cancellation of Group B and Group S due to safety concerns.

💡Lancia Delta S4

The Lancia Delta S4 is another rally car mentioned in the script, which was introduced as a new challenger to the pjo 205 T16. It was known for its speed and performance, winning the RAC Rally in its debut and becoming a significant competitor in the final years of Group B racing.

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

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