Sadev gearbox (ST75 / ST82 / ST90)

By the RCN editorial team · Updated July 2026

Sadev is rallying's transmission standard: the French maker's sequential gearboxes and transmissions equip generations of rally, rallycross and circuit machinery — with the ST-series 'boxes the default spec sheet line across the R5/Rally2 world.

Sadev2000sRally / rallycross transmission standard

History

Sadev grew from French transmission engineering into world rallying's default supplier: sequential dog-boxes and complete 4WD drivelines (gearbox, diffs, driveshafts) engineered for gravel abuse, adopted through the 2000s by customer rally programmes and then baked into the R5/Rally2 generation — numerous homologated cars carry Sadev ST-series units as factory fitment, alongside the marque's rallycross supercar and circuit catalogues.

The ST family became the recognisable shorthand: ST75 and ST82 lines in 2WD and junior categories, ST90 variants in 4WD rally machinery — five-speed sequentials with integrated or matched differentials, paddle or lever actuation by application, all built around field-serviceable internals because rallying's service parks demand it.

For the used market Sadev-equipped means predictable: rebuild networks exist across Europe (France, UK, Scandinavia), ratio and final-drive options are catalogued, and a unit's history — hours since rebuild, which specialist, what internals — prices it far more than age. Standalone boxes circulate constantly as teams update, making Sadev spares among the most liquid transmission assets in rallying.

Palmarès

Factory fitment across the R5/Rally2 generation's homologated cars and world rallycross supercars; WRC-class category and championship results throughout the 2000s–2020s wherever customer 4WD rallying runs — the quiet constant of modern rally results sheets.

What to check before you buy

Hours-since-rebuild is the price: sequential rally boxes are consumable-rich (dog rings, selector barrels, bearings), so demand the rebuild invoice, builder name and internals list — 'recently rebuilt' without paper is worth nothing. Match the exact unit (ST75/82/90 variant, ratio set, diff spec) to your car's homologation or intended class; mismatched final drives turn bargains into paperweights. Check casing condition (gravel impacts, sump plate), pump and cooler circuit on 4WD units. Standalone spares — ratio sets, driveshafts, diffs — hold value; complete documented take-outs from updating teams are the classic smart buy.

Did you know

Sadev supplies complete 4WD drivelines, not just gearboxes — many Rally2 cars are French from clutch to hub without the badge saying so.
Service-park rebuilds are a design requirement: an ST-series box strips to dog rings between rally legs with hand tools and discipline.
The marque's rallycross units survive launch-control starts at full boost repeatedly — transmission abuse circuit racing never imagines.