Developing a drivetrain solution for the Ford RS200
CHALLENGE
When the FIA introduced the Group B regulations in 1982, it allowed for and promoted the development of the most powerful and sophisticated rally cars built to date. The technical development opportunities presented by these new regulations, together with the growing popularity and coverage of motorsport in the media, meant that the Group B rally attracted some of the world’s biggest OEMs to showcase their engineering prowess.
That is why Ford entered the fray in 1984. The OEM sought to develop a new generation of drivetrain with the power and performance required to effectively compete in Group B. It would need to cope with the unique and varying demands of different surfaces, grip levels and shock loadings all a characteristic of rallying. In addition, Ford were also determined that this vehicle would deploy 4WD technology to compete with existing offerings from Peugeot and Audi.
APPROACH
It was from this brief that the Ford RS200 for competition was developed. The OEM brought Ricardo (Formerly Ferguson Formula Developments Ltd) on board to support the development for the drivetrain solution.
Born from the ashes of the Ford RS1700T, Ricardo and its partners developed a unique drivetrain architecture. It took power from the mid-mounted 1.8l Cosworth BDT 4-cylinder engine forwards to a front mounted 5 speed transaxle incorporating both the centre and front differentials. A driveshaft connected to the front transaxle also took power backward to the rear wheels through a rear-mounted viscous coupling differential. This supported attainment of a 50:50 weight distribution, vital for optimised vehicle dynamics.
RESULTS
Despite Ford's relatively late entry to the highly developing world of Group B, the RS200 delivered success and podium finishes for the OEM. This included a podium finish for Kalle Grundel on home turf at the 1986 WRC Rally of Sweden.
Unfortunately, Group B presented many challenges to the safety of both the drivers and the spectators, and by the end of 1986, Group B was abolished by the FIA. However, the legend of the mighty RS200 was already well established and its legacy would lead Ricardo to continue to deliver excellence and innovation at the forefront of topflight rallying to this day.
Ricardo is proud to still have a handful of the team who were present back in the mid 1980's to this day delivering programmes at the forefront of world motorsport. We continue to offer world-class engineering expertise in the motorsport transmission market, representing the best of the impressive choice that UK manufacturing can offer to the motorsports industry.