I’m bringing this argument back for just a second. Watch this video. This is what gets my blood pumping. The early nineties marked the dawn of what I’m going to call the “technology era” of rally. The Subaru Impreza was one of the top cars of the decade, due to its low center of gravity, excellent drivetrain packaging and light weight.
Probably the biggest advancement in rallying at the time was anti-lag systems for turbochargers. The increasingly intelligent computer control systems for engines meant that you could use a large turbocharger for huge power, while using ignition timing and throttle control to decrease the amount of lag that is typically associated with large turbochargers. The early turbo anti-lag systems relied less on computer control than current systems, however, and were a bit crude. In order to work effectively, the anti-lag had to be tuned very aggressively. So aggressive in fact, that the car tended to accelerate when you let of the gas. Exactly what you want when hammering into a tight corner on a narrow gravel road lined with trees that hate you.
But the drivers made do, and adapted their driving styles to cope with the way the cars behaved. And got faster, to the point that the WRC cars eventually surpassed the speed of the famous group B cars of the mid-eighties on most rallies. And the cars sounded crazy. Popping, crackling, and spitting flames on overrun and when downshifting. The Impreza will be remembered as one of the most famous rally cars of all time, with a unique sound that helped define rally in the nineties.
For more learning, check out the wikipedia article here
Enjoy, and yes, this kills turbos.
Related posts:
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
While I agree these beasts sound awesome, I’m not sure they are up at the top all time for me.
I have more of these to come, just trying to get caught up!
{ 1 trackback }