Exactly- I mean I watched it over speakers rather than headphones, but yea. Watching a car TH-camr having a V6 and a straight cut gearbox screaming in your ear isn’t noise, it’s authenticity. Mic pops or other un-called for distortion might have been an issue, but this, this is just right and proper.
As a child, I suffered with nightmares. When I used to get them, I'd go to my dad in the study (he was in uni at the time), and we'd sit on the sofa and watch his Group B videos together until I fell asleep. This would have been about 2000/2001. I may not have grown up watching these cars race live, but the old recordings my dad made as a teenager made me a rally lover from the very start. I still watch those videos (now on DVD), and the Metro really was a strange beast. Awesome, but bizarre against its Lancia and Audi competitors. Like a tiny ferret on meth racing cheetahs.
Haha, Dan's my neighbor! Really awesome guy, been around that Car myself! You can always tell when he's getting it warmed up (but I can't complain, it's a beautiful sound) Fantastic video! So cool to have a piece of automotive history right near me
What a fantastic car, and nice to see out on the road not just tucked away in a private collection. Just checked its MOT history. For 3 years it had an advisory.... "Exhaust noisy (7.1.4)" - You don't say!
Omg that's amazing. I'm 51 and remember these fondly and the Birmingham super prix that my Dad and I used to go to. I had a Metro Turbo when I was about 19, so much fun 🙂
I had a metallic green 1.0L when I was 17. The gearbox sounded very similar to this one. And that's about it. Got it to an indicated 98 on the M8 once. The car shook so much the stereo fell off the underside of the dashboard.
I had a k-series 1.1L, it was a fun little car, and self-lowering when the shocks started losing gas...brilliant on B-roads and would show above 100 on a closed race track. 😁
Your screaming gearbox was the dropper gear which was notorious. I fixed quite a few by line boring the castings and fitting bronze bearings with improved oil catchers.
I've been at 90 in one once... no shaking though. I think your alignment was off! Or maybe unevenly worn tires. Which is not unusual in a self-lowering hydrogas metro... Even PoS cheap economy cars should track straight if everything's working.
Amazing video as ever, Mr Smith! Couple of things - 1. You cleared up why the wipers were up! 2. I’m SO GLAD you put that amazing sound over the closing minute! Was starting to worry we wouldn’t get to hear it! 3. You are supremely knowledgeable, but what makes you better than other presenters is that you genuinely gel, and you let the owner let his passion and story flow through. Makes for a really engaging 28 minutes which feels like 3 minutes. Excellent stuff.
BRILLIANT VIDEO Jonny Mr 6R4 the Welsh Wizard John Price Rallied a MG METRO 6R4 in over 165 Rallys 1988 to 2008. He was an Brilliant driver He did a lot of Rallying here in Ireland and Europe. R.I.P.
I rallied the Artix Metro 6R4 through 85-87. A great car when it didn't breakdown or catch fire! If you took it by the horns it wasn't that difficult to drive and could be quite forgiving but relax for a second and it would have you!! :)
My Favourite Beast of all time. When I was at college in the 80's one of the college lecturer had one as his daily drive. The carpark at leaving time was always an amazing place when this awesome car fired up.. Happy New Year ✌️
The cut down RV8 was only ever a stop gap solution while the V624V engine was being developed to enable the car development to run concurrently. It later evolved into the 3.5L twin turbo V6 used in the XJ220. They weren't particularly well built initially as the ARG apprentices were given the task to get the requisite numbers finished for homologation. Long under appeciated but not anymore.
Correct, and originally John Davenport actually wanted it to be V8 powered. David Wood was developing the V64V while they prototypes had the shorn Rover V8 lump. Rights for the engine were sold to TWR after the world rally programme wrapped up
V64V engines had Cosworth DFV internals so they could rev high enough to make comparable power to the turbo rivals.. (presently only half way through but haven't seen it mentioned yet..)
Ever since buying my first MG metro in the early nineties the 6R4 has been my dream car! However today I only learned of what 6R4 stood for 🙈😂 great episode 🙌
Just brilliant - the sound of a 6R4 at full chat will always make me grin from ear to ear. At age 11 I became a petrolhead after seeing 205T16, Sport Quattro, Delta S4 and 6R4 through Clumber Park on the '85 RAC. A few days later, Cropton forest in the dark, you could hear the 6R4 barking through the trees long before you saw the headlights - an unforgettable experience. Thanks to everyone involved in making this and keeping the legend alive!
One of the better LBS videos. A great tribute to the original and why (unless you are millionaire) you change out the original engine. Not too sure I want to run around with head phones but 100% necessary. Great stuff.
I took a ride in a 6R4 at Brooklands in about 2001. We were mixed in with all the super cars (Astons, ferrari etc.) The problem was we were on a short oval and the other cars were queueing up through the bends so they could powered down the straight and we wanted to be as fast through the corners. It was a great experience and this video has brought back the memory of the noise through the headset.
I saw this car last week at Lincoln castle. It made me cry with happiness....that car was my childhood.... so many smiles.... I wanted to thank the owner then for bringing it along. 😊
As a kid I lived beside an old aerodrome that rally teams would use for testing. Vividly remember a twin turbo 6R4 Rallycross car being tested and to this day no car has ever shocked/scared/excited me like it. Iconic vehicles
As a child I was stuffed into the passenger seat in D165 WVX “Mcreas 6r4” with him driving a short gravel stage just outside Perth and to this day is the best day of my life these cars arnt just cars their pieces of artwork.
Hey Jonny i CANNOT WAIT for YOU to do the TEST-DRIVE on the BRAND NEW MST 6R4. Fun-FACT i used to go out with the Daughter of the Engineer who did the Cooling system on these Beautiful 6R4s, He worked @ Calsonic Radiators South Wales.
This guy is a diamond, he is almost exclusively keeping the iconic 6R4 legend alive by taking the noisy, staggeringly rapid beast to car shows and TV specials. His TH-cam channel is great, showing off the car and all he does to keep a Group B animal alive and out there. The 6R4 is far and away my favourite of the many crazy Group B cars. It's looks are on a whole other level to the opposition with those crazy large box arches, the fact that it was based on such a humdrum car like the standard Metro. Best of all is that howling V6 soundtrack! The opposition was made up with turbo'd 4 cylinders, no match for the supercar sounding high revving V6 screaming around sideways. Love it!
Oh man the nostalgia of that in-car noise, i was just expecting to hear FLAT RIGHT INTO 4 LEFT CAUTION. It’s gives a true rawness and violence to the car. Another fantastic video!
My favourite Group B car ❤️ I used to watch Will Gollop throwing his 6R4 around Lydden Hill circuit in the early 90's... Amazing stuff! Thanks for the memories
I was there too. We were Rallycrossing the Leigh Lock and Safe Mini. I could never get enough of seeing Will Gollop (Whitstable Will) launch off the line like a missile. Happy days.
Back in the 80’s, I watched the 6R4 in competition on the RAC at Sutton Park special stage in Birmingham. I’ll never forget the noise of these things. You could hear the roar and bark of the exhaust from a very, very long way away. Great days!
I'm currently building a replica of one of these. Always loved them since I was a kid. This one is a nice example and I'm using the same engine to build mine 👍
Oh Jonny, you've done it again. Epic stuff. I've only ever seen a 6R4 once in the flesh. It was in the late eighties during the time when they were being sold off after group b got canned. The guy driving had a bit of a job getting it rolling so he gave some more revs and shot up the yard completely sideways. He drove back very slowly and was visibly shaking as he got out of the car. What a beast thes things are. Brilliant.
I did my apprenticeship for Tony pony racing uk. I turned up for interview in Malmesbury went in and saw Tony’s 6r4 from the 85 rac and I knew I was going to take the apprenticeship. And then Dave Appleby designed the dam4100 what that man doesn’t know about them isn’t worth knowing. Amazing car
I remember watching these on a VHS I had of Rally Cross! Always wanted to see an in depth walk around on a 6R4! Credit to the owner for using it and keeping it on the road for us all to enjoy. Jonny the sound was perfect, really added to the video!!! 👍
I love B-group cars. Insanity! I was always a Peugeot 205 guy because of my fellow Finns Timo Salonen, Juha Kankkunen & Matti Alamäki. The 6R4 has gotten very interesting, I think it looks the best of the B-group cars. Bonkers!
I never saw matti alamaki with a 205 i can remember he had a delta s4 which was an absolute pig. For me I always loved his yellow 4x4 911 with a 900bhp 962 engine
I remember paying £10 to ride as a passenger for two laps of Pembrey racing circuit many years ago in a clubman’s version. Awesome car, I Also saw Tony Pond driving the works car on a special stage up on Rhigos at 2 am one November morning in the RAC. The cars passed about 5 feet away going flat out on a straight.
I worked at auto plas early 80s me and two other guys made the rear visors in automotive clay on the rear screen then would plaster cast a mould for the epoxy resin tool,remember this car well sitting in and around the factory
Great video Jonny! Love anything Group B - I spent a few years co-driving in a John Price Rallying prepared Renault 5 Turbo 1 (HCJ280X) - loved it! John Price campaigned a 6R4 at a similar time, and I remember that the care was always difficult to start and very temperamental, but when it worked, boy did it work! Dan is a lucky guy! So are you, for being able to drive it! Nice work!
Hey at least it failed on warranty German cars fail 5 minutes after the warranty expires, but with British engineering you can be sure to have all your problems in-warranty.
My first Scaletrix was the Mighty Metro set and I've been fascinated by these ever since. Other than seeing the static at the odd motor show the only time I've seen them running was at the Bournemouth rally when I was growing. Great to see one being driven today.
Not as well known as the Audis and Lancias but these have always been my favourite of the Group B follys. My Dad often tells of the time he saw one approaching at full chat on a night stage of the RAC rally, spewing flames out the back, sideways through a sweeping left hander.
Takes me straight back to sleeping in the car following the RAC Rally in the Group B days, and awesome to be there in 1985 watching (and hearing) Tony Pond...and Malcolm Wilson I think in the 6R4. Might have to dig out the photos now! Pretty sure the V64V engine block was based on the Rover V8 with a pair of cylinders chopped off and think they got them to 410hp in the end...? Love the sound of a straight cut gearbox and a V6 and I'd like to think it's not as brain jarring in there as the audio suggests 😲😲. Great video once again Jonny and great that the owner invited all of us in 👍👍
What an astonishing car, completely brilliant. The word "visceral" springs to mind. Great upload :) ETA: I keep rewinding to the acceleration at 8:37; "It makes you feel sick, but it's great". Dan, you're a star :)
As a spotty 18 year old, there’s no way it handled or accelerated as fast as my 1.0 City X with the chocolate brown vinyl and houndstooth fabric interior. Well, not in my mind anyway!
Initially thought putting a Ford V6 into it was a shame, but listening to the running costs for the original engine, I can see the logic & it makes the car usable whilst retaining it's V6 dna.
One could say that it's just creative reading of the rally rule book. Ford owned Rover and it's a production Ford engine. That's practically a stock motor! 😁
@@AnttiBrax Ford never owned Rover, Land Rover had been split off the old Rover group by BMW and sold to Ford. This happened years after group B rallying. Also, this is technically an MG, which Ford never owned.
I love the fact that in todays green age and we shouldn't do that and you can't do this that there are enthusiasts out there like this man and he takes this mad mad car out on the road and drives it like it should be driven, I salute you sir! Great content as always Johnny.
Excellent as always. Always lusted after a 6R4 but made do with a Metro Turbo instead. Rally rep bug has never gone so now have a GR Yaris and a stripped out Zetec powered MK1 XR2. Shame we will never see such manufacturer lunacy again.
Seen this car many times and have met and spoke to Dan a couple of times. He is a great bloke keeping that car at its best and showing it to the world. I remember he did do a rally in it at cadwell park. First ever rally in a 6R4 and it was absolutely wet through I remember being soaked and I was competing as well in my rally car navigating for my best mate. And he drove it well and it sounded nuts.
Friend of mine that did hillclimbs had one of these in the late 90s... crazy thing that was so far removed from my mum's E reg 998cc metro it was unreal
I am lucky enough to have been at Birmingham superprix and to have seen the group B cars go through Sutton park on the RAC. Happy memories thanks Johnny for your excellent content.
Wow! For me this is one of the craziest, funniest rally cars ever because it is so wildly different from its incredibly humble road going counterpart. I think it looks amazing! Just a wee bit different from the 1.0 Metro City my other half used to own (which was still a really fun car to drive) This car puts a huge smile on my face even when it’s not moving :-)
Absolutely brilliant. Once again this superb channel brings content that isn't just super high-quality, it's informative and nostalgic and utterly interesting. Great to see someone who still drives and enjoys such an amazing machine that is so of it's time and we will never ever see its like again! Audio was absolutely fine. Hearing the screaming V6 is all part of it.
Great Vid. At 14 I was lucky enough to be driven up the road by Colin Malkin in the prototype 6r4 that was used in the TV show 'The Winning Steak'. I couldn't see over the Dash board and dad had quite a quick Tr7v8 rally car at the time. But nothing prepared me for the acceleration experienced in that era, Just took my breath away! When we got back my dad was eagerly awaiting his turn but they said they didn't have time. He wasn't a happy bunny 😂. Then Austin Rover lent us the show car version for that year's motorshow and I was tasked to look after it and make sure no one stole any thing out of it. Great days that at the time I took for granted.
Brilliant Jonny, can you imagine a mainstream volume OEM producing anything so low volume and so one off in nature for rallying today? Group B had a short but spectacular life, but what a legacy!
R-E-D who prepared them back at the time were based just a mile or so from me, as a kid it was a real treat to see them being trailered past my house now and then, and even better to hear them from time to time!
The 6r4 engine was not a Rover V8 with 2 cylinders chopped off, that was the development car, the finished car had a bespoke engine designed by a former cosworth designer and shared elements of the DFV Grand Prix engine. It later found its way, sporting a couple of turbos, into the Jaguar XJ220.
@@theant9821 what evolved from there? The 6R4 engine has nothing to do with the rover v8, the development car had that engine because that was what was available, they developed the chassis, suspension etc and the threw out the rover v8 once the v6 was ready for the finished car.
I love these cars , I passed my test in 89 and first car I bought was a MG Metro because of the 6r4 but mine was a piece of 💩 It spent more time in the garage until after around 7/8 weeks of ownership I blew a hole in the side of the engine on the M5 Racing some crumpet) Bloody loved that car
I can remember driving past Rover at Crowley and seeing a field full of new white 6R4Metros Apparently they were for sale for around £16,000. I was lucky to win a competition and was passenger in one at the rally cross circuit at Silverstone what a great car
I remember this on the news when they were being sold off lol.... My father was the proud owner of a standard ur quattro 10V around then or slightly before but remember thinking that this brand new rally car was for sale at around 15K, when the road going audi quattro SPORT was around 50K. Again, perhaps a few years either side! That was when rally driving was utterly incredible and ridiculously exciting but highly dangerous! From memory, the 0 to 60 was 3.4 seconds. Back then, that was phenomenal. Loving the RUNNING COSTS 😅🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 As far as the standard MG metro road going versions at the time lol.... Better off jumping up to the maestro turbo and praying for no rust 🤣😂😂 Strada abarth 130tc was, arguably, the better all rounder imo re dynamics. The good OLD days b4 our current bol...ks of a world 😔👍
I still have a pair of Scalextric 6R4s - probably as close as I’ll get to owning one. As a teen I did some marshalling for a rally at Chrystal Palace in the 80s. One of the 6R4s there had been rolled a few times and I’ll never forget seeing it taken away on a trailer - the car was basically flat!
Group B was a just few years before my time but, along with the Impreza one of my favourite all-time favourite rally cars. Purely because it's British, and because its donor is such an unlikely base for the mad machine that it became. What a truly brilliant little car.
My 3 favourite rally cars are similar to yours. In no order. Mk2 Escort(my 1st car). Impreza group A. 6r4. Just something about them that appeals to me more than other cars.
I'm behind on viewing so I'm catching up but when he first took off from a standing start your face Jonny was a bloody picture! Having been in some mental fast cars you could see this was very different and VERY, VERY special. Epic film team.. gave me goosebumps!
No. A 6r4 should never be electric. It's the kinda vehicle that needs to be kept making bang bang noises, not Greta Thomberg noises. Electric cars have their place no doubt. But not here
Fantastic video thanks. Used to see 6R4s often on local rallies. I had a integrale so I was biased towards the s4 but all group b cars were mental fantastic machines. The owner is a lucky man.
Ive watched this twice now. 2nd time i went and got my expensive headphones, Oh Boy !. What an assault on the senses this car is, they are very special indeed. Also good that a modern V6 can be retrofitted for cheaper running. Will help keep them on the roads.
I recognise that bridge you crossed Jonny, what a wonderful part of the country to have a go inside a 6R4 and on such a glorious day roo. Quite a rare special moment for you. Thankyou for bringing us along. 👍🏽
A 6R4 is one of a few things I'm determined to experience in life..... Nice to shirt Johnny..... shame most people are unlikely to register what su actually is!.... or stands for.... Ps...... see if you can wangle a factory tour of Burlen services in Salisbury...... that would be fascinating
Always liked the look on this one, especially with the louvres. First time I see a proper review of one. Very cool looking car. Fun fact that Auto-Plas means car pee in Dutch.
What was it like driving that sequential dog 'box on the road? Looked like you were coping just fine - were you using the clutch? Brilliant, iconic car - great video!
I’ve watched this video three times now and still not got bored. Dan the owner has a TH-cam channel and puts out some great content too.
Very kind of you to say so.... I'm helping bump up the views on this video too - keep watching it back, very well made indeed!
Ha! Thank you
What’s the channel name
@@marty3553 AutoPlas but look at the name on the first reply to my comment as that is the gentleman who owns the car and channel.
No need to apologise for the noise, sounds like all the great rallying videos I watched as a kid. Absolutely adds to it, but I'm weird like that.
Exactly- I mean I watched it over speakers rather than headphones, but yea. Watching a car TH-camr having a V6 and a straight cut gearbox screaming in your ear isn’t noise, it’s authenticity. Mic pops or other un-called for distortion might have been an issue, but this, this is just right and proper.
I believe there was some tongue in cheek action going on in that apology. 😁
"Sorry for the noise while we drive this *group B rally car.*"
The only thing missing is the sound of mud and stones rattling around in the wheel arches.
He betters apologizes for leaning on the car and touching the car all the time. I hate when people do that, just don’t touch somebody’s car.
@@williamwilliams8145 and Jonny frantically reading pace notes.
As a child, I suffered with nightmares. When I used to get them, I'd go to my dad in the study (he was in uni at the time), and we'd sit on the sofa and watch his Group B videos together until I fell asleep. This would have been about 2000/2001. I may not have grown up watching these cars race live, but the old recordings my dad made as a teenager made me a rally lover from the very start. I still watch those videos (now on DVD), and the Metro really was a strange beast. Awesome, but bizarre against its Lancia and Audi competitors. Like a tiny ferret on meth racing cheetahs.
" A ferret on meth racing cheetahs" 😂
What a perfect description!
Haha, Dan's my neighbor! Really awesome guy, been around that Car myself! You can always tell when he's getting it warmed up (but I can't complain, it's a beautiful sound)
Fantastic video! So cool to have a piece of automotive history right near me
Cheers Dan! An understanding neighbour is a very lucky thing!
What a fantastic car, and nice to see out on the road not just tucked away in a private collection.
Just checked its MOT history. For 3 years it had an advisory.... "Exhaust noisy (7.1.4)" - You don't say!
Tony Pond's third in the Metro's debut in the 85 RAC rally was an outstanding drive!
Omg that's amazing. I'm 51 and remember these fondly and the Birmingham super prix that my Dad and I used to go to. I had a Metro Turbo when I was about 19, so much fun 🙂
I had a metallic green 1.0L when I was 17. The gearbox sounded very similar to this one. And that's about it.
Got it to an indicated 98 on the M8 once. The car shook so much the stereo fell off the underside of the dashboard.
I had a k-series 1.1L, it was a fun little car, and self-lowering when the shocks started losing gas...brilliant on B-roads and would show above 100 on a closed race track. 😁
Now you've experienced what it was like for Chuck Yeager to approach the speed of sound!
Your screaming gearbox was the dropper gear which was notorious. I fixed quite a few by line boring the castings and fitting bronze bearings with improved oil catchers.
I've been at 90 in one once... no shaking though. I think your alignment was off! Or maybe unevenly worn tires. Which is not unusual in a self-lowering hydrogas metro... Even PoS cheap economy cars should track straight if everything's working.
@@thesunreport Was that 100 kph or 100 mph?
The smile on your face, driving it, says it all. What an awesome experience!
Amazing video as ever, Mr Smith! Couple of things - 1. You cleared up why the wipers were up! 2. I’m SO GLAD you put that amazing sound over the closing minute! Was starting to worry we wouldn’t get to hear it! 3. You are supremely knowledgeable, but what makes you better than other presenters is that you genuinely gel, and you let the owner let his passion and story flow through. Makes for a really engaging 28 minutes which feels like 3 minutes. Excellent stuff.
Many thanks! Although very unwarranted praise. The cars and the owners are the stars and tell the stories, I’m just along for the ride.
BRILLIANT VIDEO Jonny Mr 6R4 the Welsh Wizard John Price Rallied a MG METRO 6R4 in over 165 Rallys 1988 to 2008. He was an Brilliant driver He did a lot of Rallying here in Ireland and Europe. R.I.P.
I rallied the Artix Metro 6R4 through 85-87. A great car when it didn't breakdown or catch fire! If you took it by the horns it wasn't that difficult to drive and could be quite forgiving but relax for a second and it would have you!! :)
Any relation to the John Bowe that drove the Shell Sierra around the same time?
Best rally baby ever . If you had the stones
I’m very late commenting among the many hundreds of other comments, but just wow! Thank you for finding this and sharing it!
"Bonkers" was the word going through my head as well! Thanks for bringing this to us, and props to the owner for his commitment!
My Favourite Beast of all time.
When I was at college in the 80's one of the college lecturer had one as his daily drive. The carpark at leaving time was always an amazing place when this awesome car fired up..
Happy New Year ✌️
The cut down RV8 was only ever a stop gap solution while the V624V engine was being developed to enable the car development to run concurrently. It later evolved into the 3.5L twin turbo V6 used in the XJ220. They weren't particularly well built initially as the ARG apprentices were given the task to get the requisite numbers finished for homologation. Long under appeciated but not anymore.
That's an interesting thing I've never heard before. 🤔
Correct, and originally John Davenport actually wanted it to be V8 powered. David Wood was developing the V64V while they prototypes had the shorn Rover V8 lump. Rights for the engine were sold to TWR after the world rally programme wrapped up
nd thos e engines eat through their components like there was no tomorrow - no parts available now.
V64V engines had Cosworth DFV internals so they could rev high enough to make comparable power to the turbo rivals.. (presently only half way through but haven't seen it mentioned yet..)
Never ran two turbo's... block was jag v6. Thats where similarities end between xj220. 👍
Ever since buying my first MG metro in the early nineties the 6R4 has been my dream car! However today I only learned of what 6R4 stood for 🙈😂 great episode 🙌
Just brilliant - the sound of a 6R4 at full chat will always make me grin from ear to ear. At age 11 I became a petrolhead after seeing 205T16, Sport Quattro, Delta S4 and 6R4 through Clumber Park on the '85 RAC. A few days later, Cropton forest in the dark, you could hear the 6R4 barking through the trees long before you saw the headlights - an unforgettable experience. Thanks to everyone involved in making this and keeping the legend alive!
One of the better LBS videos. A great tribute to the original and why (unless you are millionaire) you change out the original engine. Not too sure I want to run around with head phones but 100% necessary. Great stuff.
I took a ride in a 6R4 at Brooklands in about 2001. We were mixed in with all the super cars (Astons, ferrari etc.) The problem was we were on a short oval and the other cars were queueing up through the bends so they could powered down the straight and we wanted to be as fast through the corners. It was a great experience and this video has brought back the memory of the noise through the headset.
I saw this car last week at Lincoln castle. It made me cry with happiness....that car was my childhood.... so many smiles.... I wanted to thank the owner then for bringing it along. 😊
As a kid I lived beside an old aerodrome that rally teams would use for testing. Vividly remember a twin turbo 6R4 Rallycross car being tested and to this day no car has ever shocked/scared/excited me like it. Iconic vehicles
As a child I was stuffed into the passenger seat in D165 WVX “Mcreas 6r4” with him driving a short gravel stage just outside Perth and to this day is the best day of my life these cars arnt just cars their pieces of artwork.
Hey Jonny i CANNOT WAIT for YOU to do the TEST-DRIVE on the BRAND NEW MST 6R4. Fun-FACT i used to go out with the Daughter of the Engineer who did the Cooling system on these Beautiful 6R4s, He worked @ Calsonic Radiators South Wales.
This guy is a diamond, he is almost exclusively keeping the iconic 6R4 legend alive by taking the noisy, staggeringly rapid beast to car shows and TV specials. His TH-cam channel is great, showing off the car and all he does to keep a Group B animal alive and out there. The 6R4 is far and away my favourite of the many crazy Group B cars. It's looks are on a whole other level to the opposition with those crazy large box arches, the fact that it was based on such a humdrum car like the standard Metro. Best of all is that howling V6 soundtrack! The opposition was made up with turbo'd 4 cylinders, no match for the supercar sounding high revving V6 screaming around sideways. Love it!
That’s very kind of you Dave
Oh man the nostalgia of that in-car noise, i was just expecting to hear FLAT RIGHT INTO 4 LEFT CAUTION. It’s gives a true rawness and violence to the car.
Another fantastic video!
My favourite Group B car ❤️
I used to watch Will Gollop throwing his 6R4 around Lydden Hill circuit in the early 90's... Amazing stuff!
Thanks for the memories
I was there too. We were Rallycrossing the Leigh Lock and Safe Mini. I could never get enough of seeing Will Gollop (Whitstable Will) launch off the line like a missile. Happy days.
A magnificent car and a magnificent film. Top work, Jonny.
Back in the 80’s, I watched the 6R4 in competition on the RAC at Sutton Park special stage in Birmingham. I’ll never forget the noise of these things. You could hear the roar and bark of the exhaust from a very, very long way away. Great days!
They certainly were mate, I used to catch about 3 buses to get to Sutton Park from Acocks Green, loved seeing the rally cars
I'm currently building a replica of one of these. Always loved them since I was a kid. This one is a nice example and I'm using the same engine to build mine 👍
The cabin noise + headset audio is actually quite fitting and a welcome addition
Holy moly! Now this is an episode that will be watched until the end!
Oh Jonny, you've done it again. Epic stuff. I've only ever seen a 6R4 once in the flesh. It was in the late eighties during the time when they were being sold off after group b got canned. The guy driving had a bit of a job getting it rolling so he gave some more revs and shot up the yard completely sideways. He drove back very slowly and was visibly shaking as he got out of the car. What a beast thes things are. Brilliant.
I did my apprenticeship for Tony pony racing uk. I turned up for interview in Malmesbury went in and saw Tony’s 6r4 from the 85 rac and I knew I was going to take the apprenticeship. And then Dave Appleby designed the dam4100 what that man doesn’t know about them isn’t worth knowing. Amazing car
I remember watching these on a VHS I had of Rally Cross! Always wanted to see an in depth walk around on a 6R4! Credit to the owner for using it and keeping it on the road for us all to enjoy. Jonny the sound was perfect, really added to the video!!! 👍
Lucky enough to see all the group B period in rallycross. Awesome time
Used to see these all the time on the harry flatters and the mewla,will never ever forget the sound of these screaming over the epynt ranges
What a stunning example, thank god for guys like Dan who look after rare, difficult cars like that .
What a car !
Always remembered Will Gollop ringing the neck of his 6R4 on the rallycross courses
Stunning
Snap! My ex brother-in-laws mum ran Wills fan club, I've some great memories of him flying round Brands Hatch in his beast!
I love B-group cars. Insanity! I was always a Peugeot 205 guy because of my fellow Finns Timo Salonen, Juha Kankkunen & Matti Alamäki. The 6R4 has gotten very interesting, I think it looks the best of the B-group cars. Bonkers!
I never saw matti alamaki with a 205 i can remember he had a delta s4 which was an absolute pig. For me I always loved his yellow 4x4 911 with a 900bhp 962 engine
Another fantastic video Johnny 👏🏻👏🏻
What a car, much respect for keeping it on the road and using it.
Thanks to the owner and TLB team for showcasing it.
I remember paying £10 to ride as a passenger for two laps of Pembrey racing circuit many years ago in a clubman’s version. Awesome car, I Also saw Tony Pond driving the works car on a special stage up on Rhigos at 2 am one November morning in the RAC. The cars passed about 5 feet away going flat out on a straight.
What a lovely guy….. so appreciate him letting you show us!!! Well done guys 👍😎👍
Thank you!
I remember this car and the Auto-Plas factory in Hawkwell, Essex. Watched it on many rallies around Essex in the 80s. Love it.
That's awesome!
I worked at auto plas early 80s me and two other guys made the rear visors in automotive clay on the rear screen then would plaster cast a mould for the epoxy resin tool,remember this car well sitting in and around the factory
Absolutely bonkers car. And absolutely captivating video. I remember seeing one at the end of the 1986 RAC rally in Bath. Noisy af. Nice one Jonny.
"It's so un-Metro" with a 6R4 pic needs to be a Late Brake Show t-shirt
Great video Jonny! Love anything Group B - I spent a few years co-driving in a John Price Rallying prepared Renault 5 Turbo 1 (HCJ280X) - loved it! John Price campaigned a 6R4 at a similar time, and I remember that the care was always difficult to start and very temperamental, but when it worked, boy did it work! Dan is a lucky guy! So are you, for being able to drive it! Nice work!
I had a metro once, head gasket blew, driving it home from the garage when buying it. Was very pleased
Hey at least it failed on warranty
German cars fail 5 minutes after the warranty expires, but with British engineering you can be sure to have all your problems in-warranty.
My first Scaletrix was the Mighty Metro set and I've been fascinated by these ever since. Other than seeing the static at the odd motor show the only time I've seen them running was at the Bournemouth rally when I was growing. Great to see one being driven today.
I loved this, giggling like a child here. Thank you.
My favourite Grp B car! The clubman/road cars have the standard MG Metro dash and door cards which are so out of place
Not as well known as the Audis and Lancias but these have always been my favourite of the Group B follys. My Dad often tells of the time he saw one approaching at full chat on a night stage of the RAC rally, spewing flames out the back, sideways through a sweeping left hander.
Takes me straight back to sleeping in the car following the RAC Rally in the Group B days, and awesome to be there in 1985 watching (and hearing) Tony Pond...and Malcolm Wilson I think in the 6R4. Might have to dig out the photos now!
Pretty sure the V64V engine block was based on the Rover V8 with a pair of cylinders chopped off and think they got them to 410hp in the end...?
Love the sound of a straight cut gearbox and a V6 and I'd like to think it's not as brain jarring in there as the audio suggests 😲😲.
Great video once again Jonny and great that the owner invited all of us in 👍👍
What an astonishing car, completely brilliant. The word "visceral" springs to mind. Great upload :)
ETA: I keep rewinding to the acceleration at 8:37; "It makes you feel sick, but it's great". Dan, you're a star :)
Thanks!
What an amazing car, and an amazing owner for keeping it on the road.
Johnny’s smile says it all … childhood nostalgia goals right there 🙌🏻
I once had a ride in a 6R4 with Jon Price at the wheel.
That was an experience I will never forget.
Full 2.5 International Goodmans engine.😍
Is that the Jon Price that did tarmac rallies in a white Manta before the Metro?
@@stevehartland7003 Jon price drove Renault 5 Turbo 1&2's before he moved to Metros.
The Snowman Rally is my home event. There is not always snow in February, but there can also be lots of snow and ice in the hills.
As a spotty 18 year old, there’s no way it handled or accelerated as fast as my 1.0 City X with the chocolate brown vinyl and houndstooth fabric interior. Well, not in my mind anyway!
My rover metro 1.1s was similarly speedy back in the day.
Only just watched this been away 👍 thanks Johnny absolutely brilliant 😊 that noise😊😊
Initially thought putting a Ford V6 into it was a shame, but listening to the running costs for the original engine, I can see the logic & it makes the car usable whilst retaining it's V6 dna.
One could say that it's just creative reading of the rally rule book. Ford owned Rover and it's a production Ford engine. That's practically a stock motor! 😁
@@AnttiBrax Ford never owned Rover, Land Rover had been split off the old Rover group by BMW and sold to Ford.
This happened years after group B rallying.
Also, this is technically an MG, which Ford never owned.
@@paulqueripel3493 With that attitude, you would suck at rally. 😉
Sat here lapping this up….Thankyou for a little gem…..👍🇮🇲💪
I love the fact that in todays green age and we shouldn't do that and you can't do this that there are enthusiasts out there like this man and he takes this mad mad car out on the road and drives it like it should be driven, I salute you sir! Great content as always Johnny.
I love this car. The design, the sound, the history it has. Amazing!!!
Excellent as always. Always lusted after a 6R4 but made do with a Metro Turbo instead. Rally rep bug has never gone so now have a GR Yaris and a stripped out Zetec powered MK1 XR2. Shame we will never see such manufacturer lunacy again.
I think this is my favourite LBS episode. Thanks Johnny - It’s one of my all-time hero cars. You did it justice!!
We aim to please, so thanks for the feedback Mark. 🤘🏽
Having worked on a 6R4… 95% of the noise in the cabin is straight cut gear noises… horrendously loud. 😍
But much more efficient at transmitting power from one gear to its mate ... 😈
Seen this car many times and have met and spoke to Dan a couple of times. He is a great bloke keeping that car at its best and showing it to the world. I remember he did do a rally in it at cadwell park. First ever rally in a 6R4 and it was absolutely wet through I remember being soaked and I was competing as well in my rally car navigating for my best mate. And he drove it well and it sounded nuts.
Very kind of you thank you! Doing out best to keep it out there and at Cadwell we were just doing our best to keep it on the tarmac 🤦🏻♂️
Dear lord those running costs! Completely ok with the non period engine, makes sense to keep it usable/drivable, rather than a museum piece
Exceptional content team and more noise, less talking… Great bloke and he has his own TH-cam. Hands down best episode yet 🚗🚗
Thank you! 👍
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 Fabulous machine 👍🏻
Kudos to the owner for keeping it going. A true classic. 👌👍
Memories of my (late 80s) passenger ride in a 6R4 on tarmac at Pembrey? Brutal noise, mind warping grip and violent brakes. Wonderful. Nice vid' LBS.
Friend of mine that did hillclimbs had one of these in the late 90s... crazy thing that was so far removed from my mum's E reg 998cc metro it was unreal
I am lucky enough to have been at Birmingham superprix and to have seen the group B cars go through Sutton park on the RAC. Happy memories thanks Johnny for your excellent content.
Wow! For me this is one of the craziest, funniest rally cars ever because it is so wildly different from its incredibly humble road going counterpart. I think it looks amazing! Just a wee bit different from the 1.0 Metro City my other half used to own (which was still a really fun car to drive)
This car puts a huge smile on my face even when it’s not moving :-)
Absolutely brilliant. Once again this superb channel brings content that isn't just super high-quality, it's informative and nostalgic and utterly interesting. Great to see someone who still drives and enjoys such an amazing machine that is so of it's time and we will never ever see its like again!
Audio was absolutely fine. Hearing the screaming V6 is all part of it.
Great Vid. At 14 I was lucky enough to be driven up the road by Colin Malkin in the prototype 6r4 that was used in the TV show 'The Winning Steak'. I couldn't see over the Dash board and dad had quite a quick Tr7v8 rally car at the time. But nothing prepared me for the acceleration experienced in that era, Just took my breath away! When we got back my dad was eagerly awaiting his turn but they said they didn't have time. He wasn't a happy bunny 😂. Then Austin Rover lent us the show car version for that year's motorshow and I was tasked to look after it and make sure no one stole any thing out of it. Great days that at the time I took for granted.
My mate has the show car
The noise of the engine and mics took me back to yesteryear. Fab episode, great car, good company and a channel on the up up up.
Brilliant Jonny, can you imagine a mainstream volume OEM producing anything so low volume and so one off in nature for rallying today? Group B had a short but spectacular life, but what a legacy!
R-E-D who prepared them back at the time were based just a mile or so from me, as a kid it was a real treat to see them being trailered past my house now and then, and even better to hear them from time to time!
The 6r4 engine was not a Rover V8 with 2 cylinders chopped off, that was the development car, the finished car had a bespoke engine designed by a former cosworth designer and shared elements of the DFV Grand Prix engine. It later found its way, sporting a couple of turbos, into the Jaguar XJ220.
David Wood was the engineer 👍
obviousy but development has to start somewhere and it started with the rover v8 and evolved from there.
@@theant9821 what evolved from there? The 6R4 engine has nothing to do with the rover v8, the development car had that engine because that was what was available, they developed the chassis, suspension etc and the threw out the rover v8 once the v6 was ready for the finished car.
Great video and car. Really enjoyed hearing Dan's info and stories about the car.
I would love to see a video with a Vauxhall Lotus Carlton! Love the 6R4!
It is on the list Lewis...
Really really cool feature Jonny. Over here in Canada we obviously dont see these, but of course we know how cool they are. TY for this experience.!
I love these cars , I passed my test in 89 and first car I bought was a MG Metro because of the 6r4 but mine was a piece of 💩 It spent more time in the garage until after around 7/8 weeks of ownership I blew a hole in the side of the engine on the M5 Racing some crumpet) Bloody loved that car
My blown MT engine is still sitting buried in my parents front garden lol. (It decided to blow a hole in the block just cruising on the motorway.).
The use of the term 'crumpet' alone deserved a like.
very special car and thanks to these enthusiasts we can all still enjoy them either virtually or at the odd event. Great episode thanks !
I can remember driving past Rover at Crowley and seeing a field full of new white 6R4Metros
Apparently they were for sale for around £16,000.
I was lucky to win a competition and was passenger in one at the rally cross circuit at Silverstone what a great car
Canley
@@TheLRider Canley was Triumph, near Coventry, Cowley was Morris near Oxford, now BMW MINI.
@@john1703 Ha ha you're right. I knew it wasn't Crowley.
I remember this on the news when they were being sold off lol....
My father was the proud owner of a standard ur quattro 10V around then or slightly before but remember thinking that this brand new rally car was for sale at around 15K, when the road going audi quattro SPORT was around 50K. Again, perhaps a few years either side!
That was when rally driving was utterly incredible and ridiculously exciting but highly dangerous!
From memory, the 0 to 60 was 3.4 seconds.
Back then, that was phenomenal.
Loving the RUNNING COSTS 😅🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
As far as the standard MG metro road going versions at the time lol....
Better off jumping up to the maestro turbo and praying for no rust 🤣😂😂
Strada abarth 130tc was, arguably, the better all rounder imo re dynamics.
The good OLD days b4 our current bol...ks of a world 😔👍
I still have a pair of Scalextric 6R4s - probably as close as I’ll get to owning one. As a teen I did some marshalling for a rally at Chrystal Palace in the 80s. One of the 6R4s there had been rolled a few times and I’ll never forget seeing it taken away on a trailer - the car was basically flat!
Group B was a just few years before my time but, along with the Impreza one of my favourite all-time favourite rally cars. Purely because it's British, and because its donor is such an unlikely base for the mad machine that it became. What a truly brilliant little car.
My 3 favourite rally cars are similar to yours. In no order.
Mk2 Escort(my 1st car).
Impreza group A.
6r4.
Just something about them that appeals to me more than other cars.
I'm behind on viewing so I'm catching up but when he first took off from a standing start your face Jonny was a bloody picture! Having been in some mental fast cars you could see this was very different and VERY, VERY special.
Epic film team.. gave me goosebumps!
Now that’s a car where an EV conversion should be made illegal, we need to preserve this level of insanity for generations to come. Top bloke!
No. A 6r4 should never be electric. It's the kinda vehicle that needs to be kept making bang bang noises, not Greta Thomberg noises. Electric cars have their place no doubt. But not here
@@RobsonRoverRepair That's exactly what he said m8
Hrrrrm. Someone find a base stock Metro and put Plaid running gear in it, but no wings...
@@RobsonRoverRepair Greta Thomburg should be drawn and quartered..
Fantastic video thanks. Used to see 6R4s often on local rallies. I had a integrale so I was biased towards the s4 but all group b cars were mental fantastic machines. The owner is a lucky man.
Ive watched this twice now. 2nd time i went and got my expensive headphones, Oh Boy !. What an assault on the senses this car is, they are very special indeed. Also good that a modern V6 can be retrofitted for cheaper running. Will help keep them on the roads.
Cacophony is a fitting description
Great video, the owner is a nice guy. Not big headed because he has a beast of a classic rally car. Cool he saw this actual car as a kid as well.
Thank you, very kind of you
Why did we stop doing bonkers. Bonkers is best. Bonkers is the way
I recognise that bridge you crossed Jonny, what a wonderful part of the country to have a go inside a 6R4 and on such a glorious day roo. Quite a rare special moment for you. Thankyou for bringing us along. 👍🏽
👍🏻
A 6R4 is one of a few things I'm determined to experience in life.....
Nice to shirt Johnny..... shame most people are unlikely to register what su actually is!.... or stands for....
Ps...... see if you can wangle a factory tour of Burlen services in Salisbury...... that would be fascinating
SU Carburettors. Am I correct? 🤔
I remember this actual car as I used to work for auto plas as sales manger and Steve Harris who drove it. Glad to see it again.
Awesome!! Met Steve a few times and chatted with him. Lovely guy.
Always liked the look on this one, especially with the louvres. First time I see a proper review of one. Very cool looking car. Fun fact that Auto-Plas means car pee in Dutch.
Car pee!
What was it like driving that sequential dog 'box on the road? Looked like you were coping just fine - were you using the clutch?
Brilliant, iconic car - great video!