MG Metro 6R4

History

Austin Rover handed its Group B programme to Williams Grand Prix Engineering, and the result shared almost nothing with the shopping Metro beyond doors and silhouette. The 6R4 (6-cylinder, Rally, 4WD) used a bespoke 3.0-litre 90-degree V6 — designed in-house, naturally aspirated when every rival chased boost — mounted amidships, with permanent four-wheel drive and aggressive aero whose front splitter and rear wing made the little car look like a rally cartoon.

The NA choice traded top-end power for instant response and reliability; in works International trim the V64V gave around 410 hp. Tony Pond's third at the 1985 RAC Rally on debut suggested real promise, but the 1986 season brought engine gremlins, and Group B's ban ended development before the concept matured.

The masterstroke, in hindsight, was the homologation split: 200 Clubman cars in ~250 hp tune sold to privateers at sensible money. Those cars made the 6R4 the backbone of British national rallying and rallycross for a decade — and the reason 6R4 ownership remains realistic today, with specialist support, remanufactured parts and an active competition scene in historic rally and hillclimb events.

Palmarès

Works highlights: third at the 1985 RAC with Pond, national rally wins through 1986, then a long rallycross afterlife including European and British rallycross success with 600+ hp evolutions (Will Gollop's 1992 European title the summit). In privateer hands the Clubman 6R4 won British national championships and remains a front-runner in historic categories.