When Group B was cancelled following the tragic 1986 season, some manufacturers looked for alternatives to race their rally cars. Peugeot turned to Rally Raid and the Pikes Peak Hill Climb with mildly modified versions of the dominant 205 T16. For 1988 the car involved into the 405 T16 courtesy of a fresh set of carbon-fibre and Kevlar body panels. The car's debut in the Paris-Dakar rally was a disappointment, although the day was saved for Peugeot by one of the earlier 205s. For Pikes Peak a special version was prepared with a huge wing and rear-wheel steering. Shattering the existing record, Ari Vatanen won the race, which was captured in the fantastic short movie 'Climb Dance'. The sophisticated machine would go on to take another win at Pikes Peak and back-to-back Paris-Dakar victories before Peugeot turned their attention to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In recent years, Peugeot has sold several of the 405 T16s, including this Pikes Peak version, which finished second in 1988 and took the victory in 1989 in the hands of Robby Unser. We captured the wild Peugeot at the Goodwood Festival of Speed back in 2007 and again in 2011.
Also at Goodwood in 2011 was this rarely seen Alfa Romeo 750 Competizione. It was built in conjunction with Abarth and Boano with an eye on competing in the popular under-1500 chassis class. As a result the 750 features a chassis and body that is unique to this model. It is believed that at least two were constructed but they were only tested in period and never raced. The reason was that the production-based Alfa Romeo racers were already very competitive, so there was no real need for a separate competition car. The 750 Competizione is the sole surviving example and is today part of the Alfa Romeo Museo Storico collection.

Enjoy the links:

1955 Alfa Romeo 750 Competizione - Images, Specifications and Information

1988 Peugeot 405 T16 Pikes Peak - Images, Specifications and Information

1988 Peugeot 405 T16 Grand Raid - Images, Specifications and Information

2011 Volkswagen Buggy Up! Concept - Images, Specifications and Information