The retired Irish rally driver, Billy Coleman was doing passenger runs in one of these and an RS200 near my home in the late 90's. I was lucky enough to win the draw for a run in them. He didn't hold back and it was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.
@purwantiallan50898 ай бұрын
How old Billy Coleman is in 2024?
@Backpfeifengesicht458 ай бұрын
@@purwantiallan5089 I'd say late 70's. I'd say he was about 50 at that event.
@jamesdolan13758 ай бұрын
@@purwantiallan5089 77 or 78
@NVProlog8 ай бұрын
I swear, over in Ireland someone knows someone who’s a rally driver
@pathurley868 ай бұрын
@@NVProlog lol, 100% true, I know a few
@bennyb.17429 ай бұрын
The fact the it was technically a "kit car" is the most British thing ever.
@redradhako9 ай бұрын
"Metro 6R4 just came too late to the party" RS200: "first time?"
@purwantiallan50898 ай бұрын
Nissan 240SX & Bluebird S1600: Another Worthy Opponent
@Murr1sson9 ай бұрын
It might have achieved little, but it lost in a graceful and entertaining way to still be a favorite of mine.
@purwantiallan50898 ай бұрын
The 6R4 also has the similar amount of bhp like the Lancia Rally 037.
@davekennedy63159 ай бұрын
The MG 6R4 is by FAR my favourite Group B racer. It has THE greatest soundtrack with that 8000rpm screaming 3.0ltr V6 and the maddest look of all, a Metro with the biggest box arches ever seen and all wings and spoilers! Plus that engine was SO good that it was bored out to 3.5ltr and fitted with two turbos to produce the worlds fastest production car with the Jaguar XJ220 (542bhp or even 680bhp with the XJ220S limited TWR car!) Plus Will Gallop also twin turbo`d his 6R4 for Rallycross after Group B was banned with his car running over 900bhp!!!!
@tjroelsma8 ай бұрын
Brilliant as that engine may have turned out to be in its later iterations, it was simply the wrong engine for a rally car. BL reasoned that a big, beefy normally aspirated V6 would be better for rallying because of its much broader torque band, but they underestimated the advantages their competitors 4-cylinder and 5-cylinder turbo engines had: less weight and much higher peak power, resulting in a better power-to-weight ratio. They quickly figured that out, but by then the Group B class was over.
@amp8889 ай бұрын
I'm fortunate enough to have seen, and heard, a couple of them in person and they definitely didn't disappoint. Still some of the best-sounding rally/competition cars ever produced.
@purwantiallan50898 ай бұрын
Along with SAAB TURBO 95?
@juim1j9 ай бұрын
Thank you for making Joaquim Santos justice. It's true, the blame isn't on the driver, but one has to understand, back then there were much less means of communication/technology, so I guess it would be harder for event organisers to control where spectators could go, even with the presence of authorities. I can safely say, I've been to the Rally de Portugal several times, and not once do I remember not seeing our national guard, GNR, present to control the presence of spectators. This tragedy was not in vain.
@leeneal69698 ай бұрын
Was a different time. Anyone that compares current times to then are just downright deluded.
@AloneRacecar8 ай бұрын
The Metro 6R4 is definitely one of the most recognizable rally cars of its time! While yes it may have struggled achieving WRC glory, it’s nice to hear that the car made itself at home in the competition of Rallycross racing.
@alaricbragg78439 ай бұрын
Thank you for this great video. 🙂 Ironically, the Metro 6R4, while failing to win @WRC level, had a fondly remembered second life as a rallycross winner!
@Your-Local-RX-Guy8 ай бұрын
Same with the Ford RS200. Both are simply phenomenal cars back when Rallycross was on top of the world.
@VanWinger8 ай бұрын
4:06 The GM 3.8 Litre is a cast iron V6 derived from the Buick/Rover Aluminium V8, and so this engine in various generations is quite ubiquitous and legendary in the US. Buick Grand National added a turbo, and it's also been factory supercharged in Pontiac, Chevrolet, and Oldsmobile guises. A derivative V6 engine was even run at Indianapolis in 1984 qualifying spectacularly amidst a field of V8 power.
@neilmchardy90619 ай бұрын
The 6r4 engine was troubled with timing belt issues rumoured to be caused by routing problems. That said it was the only manufacturer that produced 200 rally cars and eventually sold them all the others produced production versions which bore only slight resemblance to the rally versions. I was on one of the first events which was the tour of Cumbria and I was astounded by the noise of it, I could hear it 20 minutes before it appeared on the section. Happy days.
@briankay47139 ай бұрын
Another superb Group B rally documentary .. Your diction is clear and concise and the footage you have is mind blowing..... 6r4 finishing 3rd to possibly the 2 quickest rally cars ever built...is no shame ...
@ritarossweisse_9 ай бұрын
My morning has been blessed with another automobilistic video.
@IanRB268 ай бұрын
The 6R4 is bonkers and I absolutely ADORE it.
@GuntanksInSpace9 ай бұрын
I didn't know that the 6R4's engine ended up somehow as the XJ220's. Neat tidbit!
@flynnoconnor28179 ай бұрын
The Metro was easily the most lovable Group B car. I watch the old VHS recordings and its impossible to not root for the little MG.
@yaboileroy5619 ай бұрын
I have an 6r4 at work, had it years it's in an absolute state not ran in over 15 years but I still smile every time I walk round back of workshop and it's just sat
@danross85659 ай бұрын
Any plans to restore it?
@adamthers18818 ай бұрын
That's criminal
@scotty1978788 ай бұрын
I can smell something?? 🤥 🐂 💩
@harperl34889 ай бұрын
Best informative racing video creator on YT
@AlysZara9 ай бұрын
I have to say, I used to have zero real care for Rally, you've made it interesting to learn about for me now, thanks
@prodmoee9 ай бұрын
Always pumped when u drop a video lil bro keep it up
@b62boom18 ай бұрын
I was a teenager during the Group B years. Nothing compares to the sound that would come thundering through the forest, your soul would be shaken! I had a soft spot for the 6R4, but the Lancia Delta was in another league.
@JakeFromFarm243jdbalXD0-2gNhsC9 ай бұрын
I really really love your content! You're one of the few if not only creator who does documentaries of cars that are not usually talked about but still have a lot of history to tell such as this video. Keep up the great work! I always look forward to your next video 😁
@JulianEspeche89 ай бұрын
Fully agree with your tangent on blame. Sadly, it's common for organizers or agencies to hold others accountable, just to avoid bad press o to avoid paying the consecuences. Not just motorsport, but in most things I hope that someday they realize that owning up to a mistakes can be used to learn and to improve things for the betterment of everyone
@DropkickNation9 ай бұрын
Bullshit. Not that organizers are not to blame, but if you happen to be stupid enough to stand IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD while a 500 BHP WRC car is shooting at you with 100MPH, you are 100% absolutely to blame. Both parties are guilty.
@markthibault85799 ай бұрын
The 6R4 is still my favourite Group B car. The sound it makes from the NA V6 is epic compared to the more muffled notes of the turbocharged cars in the rest of the events. The boxy aggressive look just completes the package.
@RandomnessTube.Ай бұрын
I don't know the ins and outs of motorsport all I know is an icon when I see one I was born in 83 and have always loved this car nothing on the road has ever looked so rare fun and dangerous at the same time this channel is amazing.
@EvanMoon9 ай бұрын
Awesome video. Thanks for making this.
@takumifujiwara139549 ай бұрын
YES!! Finally a video on my all-time favourite rally car! Thank you @automobilistic!
@mhh75449 ай бұрын
Top quality episode, as always.
@victor9sur7689 ай бұрын
The 6r4 at lydden hill was a great show, still is at classic RX events
@llewcalonogryffedd61529 ай бұрын
Another great video! I'm sure this channel will be a great success
@Coffee_2829 ай бұрын
Please keep making videos on these rally legends. They are very good and detailed.
@RobJaskula9 ай бұрын
What a drive by Tony Pond at the 85 RAC
@tiagomagalhaes10098 ай бұрын
GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT THE 6R4. GOOD JOB!! The best is the opinion about the organization of WRC this was the main cause for the ending of group B. People were crazy , because they let them to be. Not becasue of the cars or drivers or even circuit. But because of who organized the events. WELL DONE!!!
@jamieoconnor19169 ай бұрын
Great work Sir another fantastic informative piece 😊i love your channel i have learned a great deal from your videos , even though the car wasn't very competive i still love the 6R4 its a legend in my book 😊keep up the spectacular work brother respect 😊
@15DEAN19959 ай бұрын
Metro 6r4 is one of my favourite group b cars, it and the quattro sounded so good
@richierottweiler9237 ай бұрын
Just subbed. Brilliant content, it takes me back to my childhood
@sneak_gt48 ай бұрын
the will gollop 6R4 will always be my fave growing up watching this around brands hatch was amazing. Cant wait to see it at the Lydden hill festival "if its there"
@black.phoenix.9 ай бұрын
Finally someone says what I been for years saying. I am Portuguese, and I hate that the Rally that was done in my country was the beginning of the end for Group B but your tangent is exactly what I've been for years preaching, since I know perfectly well how much of the things were organised in my country back in the day, with lots of cut corners and safety as an idea in the back of the head because it reduces the overall revenue. Currently is way better but there is still a lot more to do so. Any fan of any category of racing who disses and downplays changes that improve safety to both the spectators and the drivers because "racing always was a dangerous sport and drivers know well, and they still want to compete" is not a real fan. Same as the ones in the their "rose coloured glasses" see the Turbo era and the 90s of the F1 and the Group B of the WRC as pinnacles of motorsports and everything after that only turn the sport less enthusiastic and mundane while forgetting the drivers and spectators who lost their life's while competing, for their own enjoyment.
@matejmechl93459 ай бұрын
Absolutely amazing content. I love rally so I hope for more rally content...thank you very much
@sambarker79308 ай бұрын
Whilst they might not be everyone’s favourite, I think everyone likes the 6R4
@James-cs2wi8 ай бұрын
Always wanted one of these in kit form❤❤❤❤😊
@testicat84629 ай бұрын
That 4wd river hatchback at the beginning looked sick didn’t even know they existed
@millennialchicken9 ай бұрын
Always been fond of the 6R4. One of BL's underdog success stories.
@Phil-ww1dv7 ай бұрын
Well done again, laddie. The MG Metro is my favourite as well. Bloody pity.
@montevallomustang9 ай бұрын
Saying the spectators had no responsibility is like saying if I stand in the middle of the road and get hit by a car, it's the city's responsibility since they didn't stop me. I think the spectators share the responsibility with the organizers, but not the driver.
@robinv27589 ай бұрын
Well yes and no, obviously the fans are partially to blame but in this particular accident everyone was off the road and considering there were no rules against it that meant they were allowed to do it. If the organisers did actually ban spectators from being there and they went there regardless then it's fully to blame on them, a while back a family lost their 2 kids that way in a local rally a while back because the family refused to move despite officials telling them
@tokyosmash9 ай бұрын
My favorite car of all time, not road car or race car, just car.
@MSJChem8 ай бұрын
Great video, very informative.
@vernongoodey50968 ай бұрын
Saw most of them at Brands hatch rallycross events normally in early December. Like you say it ended up in the XJ220 with a class win at LeMans (although disqualified after the race for doing as they were told by the ACO, they have never given the trophy back!)
@therealmudafuka72009 ай бұрын
This was my favorite Group B car, why? the sound.
@miaouew8 ай бұрын
neat looking little rallycar. Never seen it before today
@purwantiallan50898 ай бұрын
I still remembered this iconic MG METRO 6R4 from Colin McRae Rally 3. Wish they added it on GT2 A SPEC MOD.
@ewrsteading2358 ай бұрын
There are still a few 6R4s running in the UK, Mark Jasper still rallies one every so often. Having been lucky enough to do numerous rallies in three different 6R4s they do have a certain charm - they're agricultural, very small, exceptionally hot, exceptionally noisy but fun. In tarmac spec their braking was more impressive than their acceleration. Once all the body panels are removed (after, say, hitting a tree 😓) you realise how small the Metro bodyshell is!!
@Marvdogger28 ай бұрын
Ponds car was withdrawn from the Monte in 1986 it didn't retire.
@DoubleDeckerAnton8 ай бұрын
Just found your channel. Your presentation and professionalism, reminds of the B1M channel.
@ChrisFaa8 ай бұрын
Thank God. A young youtuber who can speak well, naturally, and without that hideous - every sentence has the same inflection - intonation up in the middle - down at the end. Good Luck young sir. May you do well.
@deanothemanc52817 ай бұрын
Bit like a phoenix from the flames, it rose to be a major success in rallycross throughout the 80s and 90s.🎉
@badwolf22238 ай бұрын
Was lucky enough to be down at competition department and see a field of 6R4’s
@tomlepski83068 ай бұрын
A superb and very well researched video, just like all the others you have made. Nonetheless, I disagree with just one part of the narrative, that the Portugese fans were not to blame for the accident. They were to blame, 100% they were to blame. Joachim Santos Ford RS200 was not the first car on the road and the fans OUGHT TO HAVE REALISED THERE WAS A RALLY ON and with high speed cars on the tracks. They invited calamity upon themselves, like exitedly crossing a flooded river oblivious to the fact you could be swept away. All the same may the souls of those who lost their lives rest in eternal peace.
@pokefrosch6179 ай бұрын
the car looks like a modern WRC Rally 1, but with 80s design
@farhan.a46119 ай бұрын
Video idea: renault rs01 "the first ever turbo charged f1 car"
@Leedslad318 ай бұрын
NY500 motoring cafe near Pickering in North Yorkshire has a Clubman 300 spec MG Metro 6R4 on display. Great place to visit!
@ClassicTrialsChannel8 ай бұрын
Still one of the best looking and sounding rally cars
@Flying_Fetus9 ай бұрын
A lot of the spectators have SLR cameras and personal photography was at a peak during that time. Could you imagine group B today? It'd probably be much the same except the spectators would have their backs to the cars trying to get themselves in the frame too. It would look very different, but very much the same I feel. Losing a finger in a radiator grill would be the ultimate clout.
@samacw9 ай бұрын
I remember seeing one in the MGOC shop as a kid. Tiny cars really.
@jimmy3people09 ай бұрын
it's important to remember that just because hundreds of spectators swarming the course while a snarling turbocharged beast careens towards them _looks_ cool, that doesn't mean it is *_anywhere_* close to a good idea. the inclusion of that sidebar is very much appreciated.
@aident06429 ай бұрын
Where you talk about the crash is so important and why we have FIA safety degiagtes and Yellow and Red cards for organisers in modern rally.
@Hamsteren919 ай бұрын
The fact that fingers were found by mechanics in the cars. Maybe the organizers should have organized security to remove the public bystanders from the actual road. It wasn't the cars that killed group b. It was the spectators and the organizers.
@julianturberfield71019 ай бұрын
Unless you had organizers lined up every 100ft or so along the route, people would be sneaking into viewing spots all along the route. It's not a closed-off racetrack where you can easily control the entrances and exits, it's forests, lanes between people's houses or just normal public roads to name a few.
@Leathersladekitchen8 ай бұрын
Pretty sure the 6R4 V6 wasn’t a cut down RV8, it’s a myth, I think the engine was basically a one off
@automobilistic8 ай бұрын
As I say in the video, the test car used the cut down V8, the finished car used an original one-off V6
@watanabeisamu14618 ай бұрын
MG metro turboはグループBCarです エンジンV6 3Lコンパクトに造られていて素晴らしいRacingエンジン音は最高で トラブルに悩まされてレースでは戦果を残せずにグループBは終わりクラシックラリーで出場し 活躍しています♪頼もしい車です。
@martjackson79428 ай бұрын
This is what I've been saying about the crowds for years, the only safe rounds were in the UK as they were kept away from the tracks.
@Finch72459 ай бұрын
It won so much nationally it’s probably the most successful group b car
@jstewlly47479 ай бұрын
Your right it's was organizers fault Group B died when Lancia, Audi were finding fingers in the car because people wanted to touch the car that's insane!!!!!!!!
@RLRSwanson8 ай бұрын
Nice video. Just to add a little more to the XJ220 arc of the story and sort of to just how, lets say in a very BL way, they got of the ideas and bits and bobs spot on but then fell completely apart on others and didn't get things sorted. Will Gollop and others later demonstrated that the 6R4 could be devastatingly fast and rugged to a degree and TWR/Jaguar believed enough in the potential of the engine to develop it into the powerplant for the XJR-10 and -11 before sticking it into the XJ220. Also to be fair. Peugeot was already much farther along than anyone else with the evolution of the 205T16 as a rally car, as was Audi with their visually and soundwise spectacular but developmentally mistepped and results wise completely underwhelming S1E2, while Lancia and in particular Ford were in the same "we missed the boat" club with Rover. Lancia though had probably done their homework better and built something that while being a temperamental and fragile death trap, had the speed to be very competitive straight out the gates and then be developed into something a bit more robust and even quicker with Fiorio throwing money at it.
@terrarium126 ай бұрын
honestly the 6r4 has always been my favourite group b car, if group b had lasted longer and they had the chance to make more adjustments to the 6r4, i think it really could have done better
@christianellegaard71208 ай бұрын
These Group B stories are fascinating and fun to hear. But they are all missing the the idea behind the Group A,B,C classifications. The idea, as I remember it, was that groups should be used across all FIA sports car classes. Group A was stock. Group B was homologated. Group C was prototype. And the specs were guaranteed frozen across a number years. The point was to make it easier and cheaper for more manufacturers to get into sports car racing. It was a great idea. The problem was that the specs where too loose, allowing the engineers to take the cars well beyond the expected performance levels. It is a shame that the rally troubles caused the whole group concept to cancelled. There were several other Group B cars that we never saw race because of the tragic events of Group B rallying. Such as Ferrari F40, Porsche 959, Jaguar XJ220 and Mercedes 190. A notable Group C we did get to see was the Porsche 962.
@Midtable18819 ай бұрын
True definition of a pocket rocket.
@testicat84629 ай бұрын
11:30 totally agree with you. That being said with the little rallies I’ve been to, it’s 10x more fun being on the road😬🤫👀
@leelindsay8 ай бұрын
Favourite rally car this 1
@infidelcastro51298 ай бұрын
Second best looking rally car ever 😊
@deepinthewoods80789 ай бұрын
12:37 So you got these cool specs from the great Cesare Fiorio!!
@DropkickNation9 ай бұрын
The Metro 6R4 has easily one of my favorite engine noises ever made. ❤
@RZM_Valkyrie8 ай бұрын
Have you thought about doing a video on the Peugeot 908? Such a cool car
@doughnuts879 ай бұрын
I'd love to see an hear one of these, it's my favorite rally car ever, though I'm stuck in the states an I'm a bit young/broke to actually travel. Still love it though.
@DavidSmith-gx5mu9 ай бұрын
I wish this car was in Gran Turismo 😓
@MultiVogon8 ай бұрын
Teenage me, driving around in my mum's MG Metro, I was a rally god (only in my head of course). It might not have been as fast or as cool looking as a 6R4, but at least it was just as unreliable... 🤣
@alexshank14148 ай бұрын
XJ220 should have been a V12 from the XJ-8/9.
@MrAckers758 ай бұрын
Still the best sounding rally car ever made
@NeoGeo8229 ай бұрын
Such a fascinating car I wonder if there are any running today.🤔🤔
@camryt8 ай бұрын
It might've achieved little, but the noise it made might be the best out of Group B.
@firefightszz4 ай бұрын
I understand why FISA chose to disband group B. But it will forever keep me up at night thinking that if they just made changes to event rules and making the teams run proper roll cages, the series might’ve been able to live just that little bit longer.
@robinv27589 ай бұрын
Regulating fans has been such a massive improvement in terms of spectator safety for rallying, unfortunately however some do still ignore it. Not too long ago in a local Belgian rally a few people were in a no spectating area and despite being told to move multiple times they refused, in the end it cost the lives of 2 teenagers when a car crashed and rolled straight into them. Obviously investigations were done but in the all necessary safety regulations were followed and those spectators simply refused to follow the rules
@o.faruksavaf9 ай бұрын
can you make videos about opel rally cars please I really enjoy watching your video and an opel manta 400 and opel ascona 400 video would be astonishing (ascona 400 won 1982 drivers title with rohl)
@majestik77369 ай бұрын
@automobilistic what glasses do you wear? Those are cool.
@grafgeo91949 ай бұрын
Great content, but the sound quality varied a lot. Is it just my ears or did you filter out the high tones in some voice overs?
@Iamthestig420699 ай бұрын
Motorsport is a blood sport. Just a bunch of rich kids driving around in circles if there is no element of danger.
@Солдат13716 ай бұрын
Did you know that the metro 6R4's V6 was used in the XJR-11
@JessInThe9999 ай бұрын
Do you take suggestions? The bit about rallycross made me realize the history of it is seldom talked about
@bozobaz309 ай бұрын
Tell me you wish you was born in the 80s without saying you wish you were born in the 80s
@ruddgrandprix-speedrunraci85159 ай бұрын
It seems accurate. Sounds like me when I make a level pack in zeepkest. Too little too late.
@gmain19778 ай бұрын
N/A Group B car, looks cool. What is that red Group C looking diecast car on your table??