The Rally Supercars

Sports Seen, £10.99.
Remember Group B? All those lightweight technological marvels which brought Formula One acceleration to forestry roads? This is a tribute to a period in rallying’s history which was as spectacular as it was fraught.

This is intended to portray vibrant images of Audi Quattros, Peugeot 205 T16s and Lancia Delta S4s shattering the tranquility of the countryside in Scandiwegia and elsewhere. In addition to the nominal stars of the show, however, there is a plethora of spectacular footage featuring everything from Lancia 037s to (briefly) a Group 4 Escort . . .

As a consequence, the tape appears a little muddled at times, though the breathtaking action sequences provide more than adequate compensation. In-car film from Walter Röhrl’s Quattro in Portugal is exceptional, with cameras pointing at hands and feet as well as out of the screen. The vantage points chosen by rally spectators often lead one to believe that they are a sandwich or two short of a picnic; on this evidence, the Portuguese are at least a bakery in arrears.

Tacked on at the end is a brief tribute to the Ford RS200, which is rather superfluous in this context. It was to rallying what Norwich City are to football; neat and attractive, but seldom victorious in major events. SA