A lot of people miss Group B rallying. The 80s era of rallying when the WRC was dominated by the FIA's Group B class. This allowed manufacturers to go wild, no longer held back by homologation or perfomace limits. The popular phrase "0 to 60 in 2.3 seconds on gravel" is used to express just how powerful these cars were. The Lancia Delta S4's engine was able to produce 1000hp during some tests. These are F1 levels of power on a hatchback blazing through country roads.

However nostlagia for Group B is mostly expressed by people around my age who weren't alive during this era of rallying. The cars were simply too fast and dangerous. Mechanics would find severed fingers inside the intake from crowds trying to touch passing cars. The drivers' reaction times were tested having to do their best to avoid crowds (especially during the Rallye du Portuglal).

Peugeot 205 performing a Scandinavian flick.

Despite having less power, the Group A cars that replaced Group B cars were already clocking in faster stage times in a few years. This is because the cars had improved handling. Reduced understeer made traction shennigans to produce oversteer, like the Finnish flick, unnecessary.

Group B rallying and even current day WRC cars have the "NASCAR problem". NASCAR orginally began as a stock car racing,where unmodified production cars were raced. This meant cars such as the Plymouth Superbird were built specifically for competition in NASCAR. These were cars that the average consumer could purchase. This problem in rallying is magnified today with cars only sharing a name with their production derived models, similar to NASCAR. Citroën does not produce a 6-speed, all wheel drive turbocharged C3.

Group A regulations were much more restrictive. Aside from certain internal engine part modifications, the cars were similar to production models, a 4 wheel drive, turbocharged car. Manufactures would also offer performance parts to enthusiasts wishing to improve their cars. A minimum of 2500 cars had to be produced for this class. Group A brought Japanese manufacturers such as Subaru, Mitsubishi and Toyota into the game. Group A cars such as the the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO and Subaru Impreza WRX. To everyone's surprise, when WRC rules were brought in, Tommi Makkinen won the '98 Drivers' Championship in his Group A spec Evo with Mitsubishi winning the Manufacturers' Championship.

Unfortunately most motorsport is dead now and no one cares about rallying anymore. Even F1 is struggling