Group A is a set ofmotorsport regulations administered by theFIA covering production derivedtouring cars for competition, usually intouring car racing andrallying. In contrast to the short-livedGroup B andGroup C, Group A vehicles were limited in terms of power, weight, allowed technology and overall cost. Group A was aimed at ensuring numerous entries in races of privately owned vehicles.
Group A was introduced by the FIA in 1982 to replace the outgoingGroup 2 as "modified touring cars", whileGroup N would replaceGroup 1 as "standard touring cars". During the early years there were no further formula for production based race cars. Cars from multiple Groups could contest theWorld Rally Championship for Manufacturers for example until 1997 when the specificWorld Rally Car formula was introduced as the only option. In recent years Groups A and N have begun to be phased out in eligibility in championships though they continue to form the homologation basis for most production based race car formulae including theGroups Rally which must first be homologated in Group A. Both Groups N and A, and the details of their differences are described in the FIAs International Sporting Code and several of its Appendices J articles.[1][2][3][4][5]
To qualify for FIA approval, 2,500 identical models have to be built in 12 consecutive months.[5] The homologation period lasts for every subsequent year of production and seven years after the year that less than 10% (250) are produced in one year and the model is considered out of production by the FIA.[2] Evolutions of the series production model homologated are permitted with a ET (Evolution of the type) extension applied.[2] Before 1993 the initial production requirement was 5000.[6]
However, not all manufacturers who built such models sold them all, some stripped the majority of them to rebuild them as stock models or used them to allow teams to use modified parts. One such example of this was Volvo with the 240 Turbo in 1985, an evolution of a model first homologated in 1982. After they had produced 500 such models, Volvo stripped 477 cars of their competition equipment and sold them as standard 240 turbo roadcars. As a result, afterFISA's failed attempt at finding an "Evolution" car in any European countries, Volvo were forced to reveal the names of all 500 "evo" owners to be permitted to compete.[7]
Due to the smaller car markets of Australia and New Zealand, a deal was struck betweenFISA and theConfederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS) so that Australian manufacturers only had to produce 1,000 base models of the various cars which they wished to homologate for racing, though the racing models still had to comply with the additional 500 Evolution number. UltimatelyHolden was the only Australian car manufacturer to homologate cars for racing in Group A with their variousV8 poweredHolden Commodore's, the evolution models first coming fromPeter Brock'sHDT Special Vehicles, and later theTom Walkinshaw ownedHolden Special Vehicles (HSV) set up in 1987 to replace the HDT.
Fortouring car competition, vehicles such as theBMW 635 CSi andM3,Jaguar XJS, various turboFord Sierra, theV8Ford Mustang, the turboVolvo 240T,Rover Vitesse, variousV8Holden Commodores, various turboNissan Skylines, including the4WD, twin turboGT-R,Mitsubishi Starion Turbo,Alfa Romeo 75 (turbo) andGTV6, variousToyota Corollas and theToyota Supra Turbo A were homologated. In theEuropean Touring Car Championship, Group A consisted of three divisions, Division 3 – for cars over 2500cc, Division 2 – for car engine sizes of 1600–2500cc, Division 1 for cars that are less than 1600cc. These cars competed in standard bodykits, with the production-derived nature required manufactures to release faster vehicles for the roads in order to be competitive on the track. Tyre width was dependent on the car's engine size.
The FIA continued to promulgate regulations for Group A touring cars until at least 1993,[8] however Group A survived in touring car racing in domestic championships until 1993. The GermanDeutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) switched to a 2.5LClass 1 formula in 1993, while in Japan in 1994 theJapanese Touring Car Championship organisers followed suit and switched classes like most other countries who had adopted theBritish Touring Car Championship-derivedSupertouring regulations. Many of the redundant Skylines found a new home in the form of theJGTC (Japanese GT Championship) with modified aerodynamic devices, showing its competitiveness whilst being up againstGroup C, former race modified roadcars and specially developed racers, like theToyota Supras during the earlier years.
TheConfederation of Australian Motor Sport had originally announced in mid-1983 thatAustralia would adopt Group A from 1 January 1985 to replace the locally developedGroup C (not to be confused with FIAGroup C racing cars) rules that had been in place since 1973. A class for the new Group A cars was included in selected Australian Touring Car endurance races in late 1984, prior to the replacement of Group C for 1985. The category would be officially termedGroup 3A Touring Cars from 1988.[9] From1993, CAMS replaced the existing Group A-based category with a new formula which would also be designated Group 3A Touring Cars.[10] This was initially open to five litreV8 powered cars and two litre cars (later to become known asV8 Supercars andSuper Touring Cars respectively).
Hillclimb competitions still use Group A as a touring car class across Europe, while inAustralia Group A is now a historic class, though only actual cars raced from 1985 to 1992 (complete with log books) are allowed to compete.
Under Group A in theWorld Rally Championship, the cars used were modified road cars, often based onturbocharged,four wheel drive versions of small cars such as theLancia Delta Integrale,Ford Escort RS Cosworth,Toyota Celica GT-Four,Nissan Pulsar GTI-R,Subaru Impreza WRX,Mazda 323 GT-R and theMitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
The cars are modified for greater power and torque, and fitted with suspension and tyres specifically suited to the conditions of the specificrally, which may take place entirely on asphalt roads, different consistencies of gravel and dirt roads and even snow/ice-covered roads on some rallies held in northern Europe.
By 1990, Group A cars exceeded the performance of the defunct Group B cars on many events, because although they had far less power they had better handling and traction. They were also much safer.
Group A is still used as the basis for most rally competitions around the world, but the most competitive cars are limited-production prototypes, known askit cars (which competed in theFIA 2-Litre World Rally Cup),World Rally Cars,Super 1600 andSuper 2000.
The last car to use the old Group A homologation requirement in the WRC Manufacturers' championship was theMitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI. Group A cars could continue to enter WRC rallies until 2018 and can still enter the FIA's regional rally championships today.