Group B is shorthand for a short, transformative World Rally Championship era. It is best understood through its rules, its 1982–1986 competition window and the safety failures that ended it, rather than through a single “most dangerous car” claim.

What was Group B?

Group B was the top rally formula in the World Rally Championship from 1982 to 1986. The WRC history records the period as the move from the earlier rear-wheel-drive era into a new generation of powerful competition cars.

The cars people mean by “Group B”

The era is associated with machines including the Audi Quattro, Peugeot 205 T16, Lancia Delta S4, Ford RS200 and MG Metro 6R4. They were developed for a very different regulatory environment and should be considered as individual homologation stories, not as a single technical formula.

Why the formula ended

The 1986 season was Group B’s high point and breaking point. The WRC’s 1986 season archive records the fatal accidents at Rally Portugal and Tour de Corse, followed by the decision to ban Group B from the following WRC season. The FIA also records that Group B ended as a championship formula in 1986.

How to read a Group B history critically

  • Separate the regulation from the individual car’s specification and event result.
  • Check the year and rally before repeating a performance or reliability claim.
  • Do not turn fatal events into spectacle; they were a catalyst for changes in safety and regulations.

Championship sources reviewed 16 October 2026.