Group A

In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and the Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed technology and overall cost. Group A was aimed at ensuring a large number of privately-owned entries in races.

Group A was introduced by the FIA in 1982 to replace the outgoing Group 2 as "modified touring cars", while Group N would replace Group 1 as "standard touring cars".

Homologation

To qualify for homologation, a minimum of 2500 cars of the competing model have to be built in one year, out of 25,000 for the entire range of the model (eg: 2500 Subaru Impreza WRX, out of 25,000 Subaru Impreza. Up to 1991, the requirement was a minimum of 5000 cars in one year, without regards to the entire range, but the FIA allowed "Evolution" models to be homologated with a minimum of 500 cars (eg: BMW M3 Sport Evo, Mercedes-Benz W201 Evo). Rules also required some of the interior panels to be retained, e.g. interior door panels and dashboard.

However, not all manufacturers who built 500 such models sold them all, rather strip the majority of them to build them as stock models or used them to allow teams to use modified parts. One such example of this was Volvo in 1985, after they had produced 500 such models, Volvo stripped 477 cars of its competition equipment and sold them as standard 240 turbo roadcars. As a result, after FISA's failed attempt to buying a "Evolution" car at any European countries, they were forced to reveal the names of all 500 "evo" owners to be permitted to compete. The other example was Ford, after selling off their entire RS500 stocks, they read the rulebooks and found themselves that rather than using either the Sierra Cosworths or the RS500s, they could use the body that of the basic 3-door Sierra, which Ford was discontinuing, and use their Evolution equipment on them. Nowadays, these cars are treated as any other model in the range.

Touring Cars

For touring car competition, vehicles such as the Ford Sierra Cosworth and Nissan Skyline GT-R were provided. Group A consisted of four categories, Division 3 - for cars over 2500cc, Division 2 - for car engine size that are between 1600-2500cc , Division 1 for cars that are less than 1600cc. These cars competed in standard bodykits, with the production-derived nature required manufactures to release faster vehicles for the roads in order to be competitive on the track. Tyre width were dependant on the car's engine size.

Group A stopped being used in touring car racing in 1994, when the German Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) switched to a 2.5 L class 1 formula, while in Japan by that year as the JTCC organisers followed suit and switched classes like most other countries who had adopted the BTCC-derived Supertouring regulations, many of the redundant Skylines found a new home in the form of the JGTC (Japanese GT Championship) with modified aerodynamic devices, showing its competitiveness whilst being up against Group C, former race modified roadcars and specially developed racers, like the Toyota Supras during the earlier years. While in Australia in order rid the Skyline dominance, organisers adopted both a 2-litre Supertourer category and a five-litre V8 engine powered series later to be called V8 Supercars. Hillclimb races still use Group A as a Touring Car class across Europe.

Rallying

Under Group A in the World Rally Championship, the cars used were modified road cars, often based on turbocharged, four wheel drive versions of standard small cars such as the Lancia Delta Integrale, Subaru Impreza WRX and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The cars are further modified for greater power and torque, and fitted with suspension and tyres specifically suited to the conditions of the specific rally, which may take place entirely on bitumen roads, different consistencies of gravel and dirt roads, and even snow-covered roads on some rallies held in northern Europe. Group A is still used as the basis for most rally competitions around the world, but the most competitive cars are limited-production prototypes, known as World Rally Cars and Super 1600. The last WRC car to use the old Group A homologation requirement was the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI.

Series that used the Group A formula

Australian Touring Car Championship 1984-1992
British Touring Car Championship -1990
Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft 1984-1990
All Japan Touring Car Championship 1985-1993

The Cars

External links

Frank de Jong's Group A ETCC section

FIA | Rally racing | Touring car racing | World Rally Championship