Published on: Jan 18, 2016 @ 16:47 Originally Published in: 2014 (old website) (C) Jay Auger - website owner & author Notice: Any form of duplication methods (including but not limited to copy/paste of text and screen capture) of the website's content is strictly forbidden.
INTRODUCTION
The previous generation G10 Charade had been used for rallying in Group 1 from 1978 then in Group A from 1983. The little front wheel drive “hot hatch” was a favourite amongst the entry-level category in “Safari” endurance rallies thanks to its rugged and dependable Japanese design. To continue on this trend, the more capable G11 Charade Turbo was homologated in Group A in January of 1984. Daihatsu, in partnership with De Tomaso, also wanted to homologate the car into Group B to help boost the car’s image even further.
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HISTORY
While the fire-breathing Group B/12 supercars gathered most of the attention and are responsible for the legendary fame behind Group B, they actually are but a very small portion of the cars that got homologated over the Golden Era‘s short history. It is a common oversight to forget the more humble B9-10-11 classes that provided the low-powered, cheap to buy, entry level cars with possibilities at improvement and a chance at a class win apart from the overcrowded Group A competition.
In Group B, due to the FISA’s regulations for forced induction engines, the Charade Turbo’s 993 cc engine would have disadvantageously put the car into the B/10 displacement class (993 x 1.4 = 1390 cc) and reduce its potential at victory by being pitted against more powerful opposition. As such, the engineers simply de-stroked the 3-cylinder engine to 926 cc which permitted the little hot hatch to be included into the lowest “B/9” category (926 x 1.4 = 1296 cc) instead. However, such a change demanded re-homologation, hence two hundred “926 Turbo”s with the smaller “CE” engine were produced in October of 1984 for that singular purpose. The car was thus officially homologated into Group B on January 1st 1985.
The Daihatsu Charade 926 Turbo was seen in only four World Rally Championship rallies during the Group B era. The first was entered by Ashok Pattni (#35) in the 1985 Safari Rally and driven to a B/9 (B/5 national) class win alongside its Group A counterpart, hence continuing on the success of the car at the tough endurance event.
Two local dealership 926 Turbo entries participated in the 1985 New Zealand Rally, driven by Glenn McIntyre and Graeme De Pina, respectively. McIntyre would finish in 34th place overall while De Pina bettered him to a 17th place overall, but both ending up on the class podium.
Privateer Kauko Mäkelä competed with a 926 Turbo in both 1985 & 86 Finland “1000 Lakes” rallies, finishing 29th overall while scoring the B/9 class win (1985) and finished 31st overall to a second place class podium (1986). The Finn proved that the diminutive 3-cylinder car could reach some decent speeds at the fast-paced event.
Little is known about the specifications of the rally cars themselves but since these were entry-level cars it is expected that they were very close to the homologation model in specs. The 926 Turbo, due to its small displacement class, was allowed to compete even after the ban of Group B up to the expiration of its homologation at the end of 1989, sparingly seen in national events.
For 1986, Daihatsu was planning the even more powerful and purposeful mid-engine “926R” version of the Charade for Group B competition, please CLICK HERE for more information about that particular car.
RALLY CAR SPECIFICATIONS
| Group/Class | B/9 | Homologation number: B-268 (click # to view papers) |
| Years active | 1985-86 | Homologation
|
| Engine | ||
| Type | CE60 I-3, SOHC 6v, gas | front, transverse |
| Displacement | 926 cc | WRC x 1.4 = 1296 cc |
| Compression ratio | 8.0:1 | |
| Output power – torque |
|
|
| Materials | block: N/A | cylinder head: N/A |
| Aspiration |
|
Boost: 7 psi |
| Ignition | N/A | |
| Cooling system | water-cooled | |
| Lubrication system | wet sump | N/A |
| Transmission | ||
| Type | front wheel drive | 5 speed manual |
| Gearbox ratios | Final: 4.64 | N/A |
| Differential ratios | N/A | N/A |
| Clutch | N/A | |
| Chassis-body | ||
| Type | G26 based on steel monocoque G11 chassis with roll cage. 3 door hatchback steel bodyshell | |
| Front suspension | struts, coil springs | |
| Rear suspension | struts, coil springs | |
| Steering system | N/A | N/A |
| Brakes |
|
N/A |
| Dimensions | ||
| length: 3635 mm (143.1 in) | width: 1575 mm (62.0 in) | height: 1390 mm (54.7 in) |
| wheelbase: 2310 mm (91.3 in) | front track: 1340 mm (52.8 in) | rear track: 1310 mm (51.6 in) |
| Rims – tires |
|
|
| Curb Weight | 690 kg (1521 lb) | |
| Weight/power | N/A | |
| Fuel tank | N/A | |
HOMOLOGATION VERSION
Nuove Innocenti was a well established Italian car maker when it was taken over by British Leyland in 1972. Due to major financial troubles the brand was brought back to Italy by De Tomaso. In 1982, De Tomaso would partner with Daihatsu to supply the G11 Charade chassis and the CB60 series of engines. This unlikely marriage, first thought of as a “publicity stunt”, made for an excellent combination of Japanese technical know-how with upscale Italian “hot hatch” style.
The De Tomaso Turbo was based on a regular Charade Turbo but with minor exterior and interior changes to make it more similar in appearance to the previous generation Innocenti Turbo. On its part, Daihatsu took full advantage of Japanese enthusiasm for imported products, especially from Italy, which was in effervescence at the time and marketed the car accordingly.
Only two hundred “926 Turbo”s were produced in October of 1984 specifically to satisfy Group B rally homologation. These special cars had a slightly decreased engine capacity from 993 cc to 926 cc to be able to compete in the lowest B/9 category (with the 1.4 multiplication factor imposed on all forced induction engines in Group B). They can be easily identified from other Charade Turbos by their unique “Turbo 926” decals on both sides of the car.
ROAD CAR SPECIFICATIONS
| Class | Supermini / B / Subcompact | Homologation number: B-268 (click # to view papers) |
| Production | 1984 (200 units) | |
| Engine | ||
| Type | CE60 I-3, SOHC 6v, gas | front, transverse |
| Displacement | 926 cc | |
| Compression ratio | 8.0:1 | |
| Output power – torque | 75 HP @ 5500 RPM | 80 lb-ft @ 3500 RPM |
| Materials | block: N/A | cylinder head: N/A |
| Aspiration |
|
Boost: 7 psi |
| Ignition | N/A | |
| Cooling system | water-cooled | |
| Lubrication system | wet sump | N/A |
| Transmission | ||
| Type | front wheel drive | 5 speed manual |
| Gearbox ratios | Final: 4.64 | N/A |
| Differential ratios | N/A | N/A |
| Clutch | N/A | |
| Chassis-body | ||
| Type | G26 based on steel monocoque G11 chassis. 3 door hatchback steel bodyshell. | |
| Front suspension | struts, coil springs | |
| Rear suspension | struts, coil springs | |
| Steering system | N/A | N/A |
| Brakes |
|
N/A |
| Dimensions | ||
| length: 3635 mm (143.1 in) | width: 1575 mm (62.0 in) | height: 1390 mm (54.7 in) |
| wheelbase: 2310 mm (91.3 in) | front track: 1,340 mm (52.8 in) | rear track: 1310 mm (51.6 in) |
| Rims – tires |
|
|
| Curb Weight | 690 kg (1521 lb) | |
| Weight/power | N/A | |
| Fuel tank | N/A | |
VIDEOS
REFERENCES
(C) Article by Jay Auger – website owner, main author & chief editor
- Images & videos are the property of their original owners
- All homologation papers are the property of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA): SOURCE
-
DISCLAIMER / LEGAL NOTICES
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