I couldn't find a dedicated thread for the group C cars, and eventho I am much into rallying (which doesn't really fall into the scope of this forum), I also love the group C cars, which are more relevant here. Group C represented this for me:
- great variety of engines (flat 6, V8, V10, V12, turbo, N/A, etc.)
- very different looking cars (Peugeot 905, Mercedes C9, Lancia LC2, etc.)
- top drivers from different horizons (F1, rally, touring cars, etc.)
This was a time where there was a lot of freedom in the regulations, the cars were really fast (a bit like these days where LMP1 are more or less as fast as the F1 cars), but you could recognize the cars just by their sound, or their distinctive livery. There was a lot of manufacturers, the racing was fierce, eventho I didn't watch all this on TV because I was too young, I just love that time and these cars.
See how many cars were entered in this category that lasted from 1982 to 1992 (more or less, depending on the country and championship).
For sure there was C1 and C2 (even C3 I hear), but I think the focus should be on the C1 cars, the top class, as this is where you will find most of the very interesting stuff. So feel free to share pictures and stories here, I will start with the following picture that I find just lovely. Cars under cornering load, nice colours, and Michael Schumacher at the wheel of the Mercedes.
For me that group C time can be divided into 3 parts:
- Raise of endurance racing and Porsche (1982-1985)
- Manufacturers war and the next step (1986-1990)
- The F1 wannabe formula and its end (1991-1992)
And 3 cars that symbolize these 3 periods.
Porsche 956
Sauber-Mercedes C11
Jaguar XJR14
The R&D put in these cars was just monumental. The aerodynamic performance of these machines was phenomenal. You just have to browse Mulsanne's Corner's aero database to get an estimation of what they achieved back then. I hope we will make this thread live with nice (detailed) pictures of these cars to see why and how they were so fast!
For the people doing the KVRC 2015 competition, these cars surely are a great inspiration!