Group 4 (motorsport)

Group 4 referred to regulations for sportscars and grand touring (GT) cars used in racing and rallying, as regulated by the FIA. The group was introduced in 1954 and was replaced by Group B for the 1982 season.

Production requirements Prior to 1966, the FIA's Group 4 classification applied to Sports Cars which were in compliance with FIA Appendix C regulations. It also included recognised Series Touring Cars, Improved Touring Cars and Grand Touring Cars which had been modified beyond the respective Group 1, Group 2 or Group 3 regulations under which they had been homologated.Article 252 of the FIA’s Appendix J regulations, 1962 Retrieved from www.fia.com on 11 February 2009Article 252 of the FIA’s Appendix J regulations, 1965 Retrieved from www.fia.com on 11 February 2009

First announced in October 1964 to give Manufacturers time to prepare, beginning with 1966, an overhaul of FIA categories saw Group 4 Sports Cars redefined such that they were now subject to a minimum production requirement of 50 units in 12 consecutive months and had to be fitted with all equipment necessary for use on public roads. This saw the Shelby 427 Cobra Mk3, the Ford GT40 Mk1 and Ferrari 250 LM homologated in early 1966, despite controversy in the case of the Cobra and Ferrari. The day after Ford's 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans win the FIA announced a 5000cc engine capacity limit applied for 1968 and allowed the homologation of the Lola T70 by including earlier open top cars to be counted toward the total. In April 1968, faced with small Group 6 Prototype fields, the minimum production requirement of Group 4 was reduced to 25 units for the 1969 season.M.L. Twite, The World's Racing Cars, 1971, page 109 This led Porsche to build a run of 25 12-cylinder Porsche 917s for homologation in April 1969, followed by the Ferrari 512S in January 1970. These new types were basically Group 6 Prototypes with 5 liter instead of 3 liter and thus competed for outright wins.

For 1969, Appendix J of the FIA International Sporting Code defined groups for Touring cars, Grand Touring cars and Sports cars as follows: (numbers between brackets are required minimum production in 12 consecutive months).Appendix J 1969, Art. 251, Art. 252 on www.fia.com

Group 1: series-production touring cars (5,000) Group 2: touring cars (1,000) Group 3: grand touring cars (500) Group 4: sports cars (25) Group 5: special touring cars Group 6: prototype-sports cars

For 1970, the limited production sports car category was renamed from Group 4 to Group 5János L Wimpffen, Time and Two Seats, 1999, page 710 and, in the same year,M.L. Twite, The World's Racing Cars, 1971, page 99 Group 4 became the class for special grand touring cars with minimum production of 500 in 12 consecutive months Appendix J 1971, Art. 251, Art. 252 on www.fia.com

For 1971, the relevant FIA classifications were as follows: Group 1: series-production touring cars (5,000) Group 2: touring cars (1,000) Group 3: series-production grand touring cars (1,000) Group 4: special grand touring cars (500) Group 5: sports cars (25) Group 6: prototype-sports cars

In 1976, the Group 4 production requirement was reduced to 400 in 24 months.Appendix J 1976, Art. 251, Art. 252 on www.fia.com

Sports car racing

In 1966 and 1967, the Group 4 Sports Cars were mostly sold to and entered by privateers to play a supporting role to the Group 6 prototypes. While factory-entered prototypes like the 7.0L Ford GT40 Mk.II and Mk.IV raced for outright victories, the 4.7L GT40 Mk I entries were competing for Group 4 class wins.Ford GT40 MkI 289 on QV500.com Indeed, competitors in the two categories were competing for two different championships, with similar looking cars, the Group 6 cars for the International Championship for Sports-Prototypes and the Group 4 cars for the International Championship for Sports Cars.

For 1968, the rules were changed, so that prototypes were limited to 3.0L, but sports cars of up to 5.0L could still be entered. It was also announced that the minimum production figure for the Group 4 sports cars would be reduced to 25 cars for 1969. With larger engines than the sophisticated prototypes, the simpler and mostly older Group 4 cars were now in contention for outright race wins. An updated old Ford GT40 Mk.I chassis was the winner at Le Mans in both 1968 and 1969. Porsche began work on a production run of 25 cars for the Porsche 917. Ferrari, with some financial help from Fiat, produced the similar Ferrari 512S.1970 Ferrari 512 S on QV500.com

For the 1970 season, the Group 4 Sports car category was renamed and became Group 5 Sports Cars, and Group 4 designation was applied to a new Special Grand Touring category. The new Group 4 was contested by production based cars such as the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, Porsche 911 Carrera RS and the De Tomaso Pantera.

The Group 4 GT category was replaced by a new Group B GT class for 1983.János L Wimpffen, Time and Two Seats, 1999, page 1347

Rallying

The Group 4 regulations were also used as the basis for the World Rally Championships until they were replaced by the Group B regulations. In the mid-1970s to early 1980s rallying, it was necessary to produce 400 identical cars for homologation as a Group 4 rally car. Notable cars included the Ford Escort RS1800, Fiat 131 Abarth, Lancia Stratos HF and the Audi Quattro.

List of FIA Group 4 homologated cars No. Marque Model Type Image Start End 220 Shelby Cobra Roadster 427 January 2, 1966 January 2, 1966 221 Matra Djet 5S MB 8S January 1, 1965 January 1, 1965 222 Alpine A110 1300 February 1, 1966 February 1, 1966 223 Panhard 24 BA February 1, 1966 February 1, 1966 224 Ford GT40 Mk I February 2, 1966 February 2, 1966 225 Ferrari 250 LM Berlinetta February 1, 1966 February 1, 1966 227 Ford Taunus P5 Hardtop April 15, 1966 April 15, 1966 228 Tunex Diva GT April 16, 1966 April 16, 1966 229 Abarth 1300 OT April 15, 1966 April 15, 1966 230 Abarth 1000 OTR Coupé April 30, 1966 April 30, 1966 231 Saab Sonett II 234 Ferrari 275 GTB 4 April 1, 1967 April 1, 1967 235 Lamborghini 350 GT April 1, 1967 April 1, 1967 236 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 April 1, 1967 April 1, 1967 237 TVR MkIV 1800S July 1, 1967 July 1, 1967 238 Lotus Mark 47 January 1, 1969 January 1, 1969 239 Ferrari 308 GTB 4 April 1, 1967 April 1, 1967 240 Lola T70 Mk III February 1, 1968 February 1, 1968 241 Abarth 1000 SP March 1, 1969 March 1, 1969 242 Marcos 1300 GT March 1, 1968 March 1, 1968 242 Lamborghini Urraco P250 July 1, 1975 December 31, 1981 244 Chevron GT May 1, 1968 May 1, 1968 245 Lamborghini P400 Miura June 1, 1968 June 1, 1968 246 Alfa Romeo 33 Spider January 1, 1969 January 1, 1969 247 Ferrari 206 GT January 1, 1969 January 1, 1969 248 McLaren M6 GT August 20, 1968 249 Porsche 910 January 1, 1969 January 1, 1969 250 Porsche 917 May 1, 1969 May 1, 1969 251 De Tomaso Mangusta April 1, 1969 April 1, 1969 252 Abarth 2000 April 1, 1969 April 1, 1969 253 Ferrari 365 GTB 4 Daytona June 1, 1969 June 1, 1969 254 Ferrari 512 S July 1, 1969 April 1, 1970 255 Chevron B16 Cosworth January 2, 1970 January 2, 1970 624 Alpine A110 1600 January 1, 1970 December 31, 1970 625 Alfa Romeo GTA Sprint January 1, 1970 December 31, 1977 626 Porsche 914/6 March 1, 1970 October 1, 1971 627 Ferrari 246 GT January 1, 1971 February 1, 1973 628 Citroën SM Type SB April 1, 1971 July 1, 1971 629 Range Rover Classic April 1, 1971 January 1, 1972 630 Renault 12 Gordini R1173 October 1, 1971 January 1, 1972 632 De Tomaso Pantera January 1, 1972 July 1, 1972 633 Ferrari 365 GTB 4 January 1, 1972 December 31, 1979 634 Lotus Europa Twin Cam April 1, 1972 July 1, 1972 637 Porsche Carrera RS March 1, 1973 July 1, 1973 638 Renault 17 TS April 1, 1974 October 1, 1974 639 Maserati AM122 Merak May 1, 1974 December 31, 1981 646 Aston Martin V8 April 1, 1976 December 31, 1981 631 Alfa Romeo Montreal January 1, 1972 April 1, 1972 640 Lancia Stratos HF October 1, 1974 December 31, 1981 644 Opel Kadett C GT/E October 1, 1975 February 1, 1976 645 Porsche 911 Turbo January 1, 1976 January 1, 1977 647 Abarth 131 Rally April 1, 1976 December 31, 1981 648 Ferrari 308 GTB November 1, 1976 December 31, 1981 649 Vauxhall Chevette HS2300 November 1, 1976 December 31, 1981 650 Ford Escort RS April 2, 1977 January 1, 1982 651 Alpine A310 V6 April 1, 1977 January 1, 1978 652 Saab 99 Turbo Combi Coupé January 1, 1978 October 1, 1978 653 Lotus Esprit April 1, 1978 December 31, 1981 654 B.L. Triumph TR8 April 1, 1978 December 31, 1981 655 Panther Lima October 1, 1978 December 31, 1981 656 FSO Polonez 125 PN January 1, 1979 April 1, 1980 657 FSO Polonez January 1, 1979 April 1, 1980 658 Saab 99 Turbo Sedan February 1, 1979 April 1, 1979 659 Audi 80 1600 February 1, 1979 December 31, 1981 660 Porsche 924 Turbo February 1, 1979 April 1, 1979 661 Daimler-Benz 450 SLC 5.0 April 1, 1979 December 31, 1981 662 Chrysler Sunbeam Lotus April 1, 1979 January 1, 1980 663 Toyota Celica 2000GT Rally RA45 June 1, 1979 December 31, 1981 664 Renault Argentina 12 Alpine July 1, 1979 December 31, 1981 665 Morgan Plus 8 July 1, 1979 December 31, 1981 666 Opel Ascona 400 November 1, 1979 December 31, 1981 668 Alfa Romeo Alfetta Turbodelta February 1, 1980 December 31, 1981 669 Renault 5 Turbo September 1, 1980 April 1, 1981 670 BMW M1 December 1, 1980 December 31, 1981 671 Audi Quattro 2145 January 2, 1981 January 1, 1982 672 Porsche 924 Carrera GT January 1, 1981 December 31, 1981 673 Daimler-Benz 500 SL January 1, 1980 December 31, 1981 674 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT 6 2.5 January 1, 1981 October 1, 1981 675 Mitsubishi Lancer 2000 Turbo A176A April 1, 1981 December 31, 1981 676 Talbot Matra Murena 2.2 August 1, 1981 December 31, 1981 677 Volkswagen Golf Mk I 16S December 1, 1981 December 31, 1981

In addition, cars were homologated for Group 4 as variants of Group 3 cars. Before 1976, this was possible using a "100-off rule":Robson G., The Works Triumphs: 50 Years in Motorsport, 1993, J H Haynes & Co Ltd, . clause bb of Art 260 of Appendix J to the FIA's International Sporting Code 1975 (invoked from Art 266). This rule only required production of 100 of a "bolt-on option kit" of parts, not the production of any modified cars as homologation specials, but was deleted after 1975 and approved components banned "Effective from the end of 1977".Robson G., "Ford Escort RS1800" Rally Giants, page 16, Veloce Publishing Ltd, 2008, , 9781845841409. Such an approval applies to the Group 4 16-valve TR7, the multi-valve head (and other parts) from the Group 1 Dolomite Sprint being approved as "valid for Group 4" on 1 Oct. 1975 in amendment 1/1V to the Group 3 TR7 homologation papers and reapproved (following production of about 60 16-valve TR7 Sprints in 1977) on 1 Feb. 1978 in amendment 10/8v.RAC TR7 Homologation papers number 3071.

Groups 1-9

Group 4 (motorsport)

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