If you are into driving simulators, you have surely met the funny-looking MG Metro 6R4. But that ugly-duckling body hides a very serious car, made to eat the other Group B competitors for dinner. It was based on the Austin Metro hatch, but the ties were incredibly loose. So, instead of the front-engine, front-wheel-drive architecture of the original, the 6R4 had a V6 engine in the middle, powering all four wheels. Its name is an abbreviation for “6 cylinder, Rally, 4 wheel drive”.
The best part is that MG made 205 street-legal homologation specials to comply with Group B rules. They were also quite special because most other Group B cars were turbocharged, with serious turbo lag. Not the 6R4, though, as its quad-cam 3.0-liter V6 produced 410 hp in race trim, while also being responsive at all times. Thanks to the AWD, it reached 60 mph in just 3 seconds.
The road-going version, obviously, got a detuned version of the engine with 250 hp, but even then, it easily overpowers the 2,205-pound curb weight, reaching 60 mph in mere 4.5 seconds. The frantic sounds of the V6, the differential buzzing behind your ears, and the hyper-responsive chassis just made everything more extreme. The 6R4, then, is not a car for the faint-hearted.
