Thanks for that Mike. Having driven an ex works Quattro and a clubman 6R4, I can testify that the earphones are more for protection than communication as I still couldn't hear any instructions through them over that glorious noise.
I love that little squeel when there is a gear change .I went a couple of times in the early 80s and the popping and flames where outstanding .I bet they where great times for you .The skill level of driving is mindblowing .
The squeal is the compressed air blowing back through the turbo compressor when the throttle is shut. It's often called 'waste gate chatter' but its not, it's a byproduct of anti lag features to try and keep the power available while the turbo spools up. What? I can do technical.... I was the brains of the outfit and spent all my nights reading the map and trying not to puke so I never got to drive stages, just the road bits in between. Getting to play with the Group B and Group A monsters was more along the lines of icing really and being in the right place at the right time. I'd like to see a formula un team say "have a go if you like." Though. That's what was great about rallying up to that period. It was the advent of sponsorship the likes that created the beasts in that video that turned it über professional and out of reach. To progress to the next level we figured we'd need sponsorship to just under £10.00 per mile and that was 1986 pounds. We just couldn't afford to factor it into our lives at that point. We both had new mortgages and Colin had a new family so we drifted away from it. Sold the rally car and the numpty that bought it wrote it off the next week on the road. About five years ago Colin phoned me and said he had a sniff at a 6R4 and if he could get it did I fancy stepping back in time. I jumped at it but the deal never materialised.
