Lada Samara EVA

[Ferrer]

Lada's attempt at a Group B car.

[pimento]

Wow.. I never knew they tried.. how bad was it?

[Matra et Alpine]

It never competed. They were close to starting the 200 productino model run when GroupB was cancelled.

BUT as it follows the spaceframed mid/rear engine with lightweight body panbels to make it look like a car of all the other GroupB cars there's a good chance it might have been competitive More in the style of the 037 than the Delta. So woudl have only had a short time in the sun even if it had been built.

That's not the best pic of it ....

[pimento]

That's true! Shame it was never developed, it would've been awesome to see it out there.

[faksta]

It raced as a 'zero' car at least. I'm not into the history of our rally, but it did. The one that was never completed (or at least I think so) was Samara S-Proto - an evolution of EVA which should have had 4WD transmission. Also, that was not an official Lada project, it was performed in Vilnius at EVA (previously VFTS) of Stasys Brundza, a very successful Soviet rally driver. He now has EVA in his private collection.

[faksta]

To complement my message, there were several examples of the car built. Brundza has two of them currently.

Brundza drove it at 1988 (others say 1987 ??? Once again, I'm not a rally fan) Rally Finland as a 'zero' equipage to demonstrate the car. It was also showcased during Rally Greece in a similar manner around the same time.

[Matra et Alpine]

I think the ones run were all prototypes of the later Samara ?
But as far as I was aware nonw of the final decision GroupB planned machines ever made it.
Neither the EVA in it's "037 capability" or in the clearly required AWD to actually compete in GroupB.
Still think the front shots are quite pretty.

[faksta]

You mean, all were pre-production mules? I suppose, yes. With the demise of Gr.B the development of this car has stopped. Also, in USSR we could have had our own classification or some loopholes allowing the car to run with 2WD or in a different class - don't know for sure (once more noting that I don't know much about rally).

[Ferrer]

Wow, how much response has this obscure car!

This EVA/VFTS people are the same that are responsible for the Sport 2105 I posted earlier in its thread.

[Matra et Alpine]

there were loopholes created in the UK to allow them to come back into competition but NOT in their full works power. 6R4s are still seen in national/club rallies here. Many cars ended up in rallycross where they were modified for even more speed and a lot ended their reers as crumpled heaps at the sides of said tracks

[Matra et Alpine]

Difference I think is the 2105 was a copy of a 124 that was then rebuilt to be a rally car.
I mean if you were going to copy a 124 they might at least have done the spider

[faksta]

Spiders were not the type of a car Soviet people needed. Waste of petrol. Period.

[henk4]

Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine

Difference I think is the 2105 was a copy of a 124 that was then rebuilt to be a rally car.
I mean if you were going to copy a 124 they might at least have done the spider

the original Fiat 124 became the 2101, the other versions are derivatives.

[Matra et Alpine]

Chers Pieter. I just see the same shape in them all Fiat weren't particulalry specatular in their designs at the time --- except for the spider/coupe of the 124 for sure and esp in the abarth rally spec .... drool

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine

Fiat weren't particulalry specatular in their designs at the time --- except for the spider/coupe of the 124 for sure and esp in the abarth rally spec .... drool

Dino, 850 Spider, 850 Coupé, 500?