Friday 11th March 2011

Pic Of The Week: Audi And Michele Mouton

Rallying's First Lady has been promoting the new RS3. We prefer to think of her doing this...

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'Still the best'. This was Michele Mouton's pronouncement at the end of a deeply cringeworthy promotional video for the Audi RS3 that we were shown earlier this week in the pre-test drive press conference at the car's launch in Monaco.

The idea, presumably, was to emphasise the link between Audi's glorious rallying past and its latest RS model - using the legendary rallyiste, holding the launch in a famous rallying town, etc. But the effect was to highlight just how far Audi has moved from those original early 1980s rallying heydays.

For while Mme Mouton - who was runner-up in the 1982 World Rally Championship, let's not forget - made her name furiously pedalling an Audi Quattro around the world's special stages, the car itself was changing the face of rallying forever.

Thirty years on, the RS3 is a far more sober, less game-changing proposition, and Mouton is older, more corporate - she was even wearing a suit in the video we saw. Oh, and the Monte Carlo rally is no longer a WRC event.

Still the best? Michele, you will always be a legend, but steer clear of the corporate videos, please - we prefer to think of you doing this (on the way to fourth place in the 1982 San Remo rally).

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[thewheelman]

Mouton & the Audi Quattro, two legends & great memories of my childhood watching motorsport on tv, got me well on the way to the car junkie i am today. Great picture, i have some nice pics of the Group B Audi speeding up Pikes Peak.

[LuS1fer]

Was she wearing a cricketer's suit - was she Mouton dressed as Lamb?

I'll get me coat.....

[thewheelman]

LuS1fer said:

Was she wearing a cricketer's suit - was she Mouton dressed as Lamb?

I'll get me coat.....

Hahahaha, that made me chuckle

[epom]

LuS1fer said:

Was she wearing a cricketer's suit - was she Mouton dressed as Lamb?

I'll get me coat.....

[mightymouse]

New screen background

[dugsud]

Last time I saw Mouton in a Quattro it was upside down

[soad]

That's a great shot! Liking it loads

[qwick]

Wasn't that the time Louise Aitken-Walker was racing too?

[jbforce10]

Audi. Still the best?

From a rally perspective (which I assume is Michèle's pitch), with just 2 WRC manufacturers titles actually bagged, Audi may well be the best in her eyes, but to many they're only the best after Lancia, Fiat, Peugeot, Subaru, Toyota, Ford & Citroen, all who have won more WRC manufacturers titles. In fact (and according to Wiki), out of the winning manufacturers, only Renault/Alpine, Talbot and Mitsubishi have won fewer manufacturers titles in the sport than Audi at WRC level.

So, "Audi, still 8th best or 4th worst" would be more appropriate.

Viva Lancia.

[LuS1fer]

jbforce10 said:

Audi. Still the best?

Viva Lancia.

Viva Las Vegas more like

[havoc]

jbforce10 said:

Audi. Still the best?

From a rally perspective (which I assume is Michèle's pitch), with just 2 WRC manufacturers titles actually bagged, Audi may well be the best in her eyes, but to many they're only the best after Lancia, Fiat, Peugeot, Subaru, Toyota, Ford & Citroen, all who have won more WRC manufacturers titles. In fact (and according to Wiki), out of the winning manufacturers, only Renault/Alpine, Talbot and Mitsubishi have won fewer manufacturers titles in the sport than Audi at WRC level.

So, "Audi, still 8th best or 4th worst" would be more appropriate.

Even taken in context (the time the Quattro was competing), it wasn't the best - it only won as much as it did because it was the first 4wd rally car and as such enjoyed a technological advantage over the competition for around a year - once launched the 205 T16 wiped the floor with it, the Delta S4 ditto, and the other Group-Bs put in rather a good showing too.

That said, the Sport Quattro was an exceptional car, and the Pikes Peak version was pure, sublime lunacy!

[JMC1]

She has to be the best women racer. Absolutely Fab in that Quattro

[uggies]

great pic
always wondered what understeer looked like in extremis

[gf15]

I seem to remember that she was fastest / one of the fastest up the hill at Goodweed FoS, a few years ago in the Audi against F1 and other serious machinery.

Seriously fast & very very impressive.

[GravelBen]

uggies said:

great pic
always wondered what understeer looked like in extremis

Looks like hugging the apex pretty tightly under power in that photo...

[joz8968]

LuS1fer said:

Was she wearing a cricketer's suit - was she Mouton dressed as Lamb?

I'll get me coat.....

That works on 2 levels...

...In that a cricket sweater looks a bit like a Lamb's wool 'pelt'. Plus also, the England legend, Alan Lamb.

Well done lol.

Edited by joz8968 on Saturday 12th March 10:05

[43034]

Background changed

First time in a while too, this was the predecessor http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/jalopnik/200...

[K17LER]

Michelle is an absolute legend, there aren't enough women in motorsport. She inspired me to do a rally driving course and enter a few competitions when I was younger. Sadly I didn't have the money or talent to get into it more seriously so I went in for endurance rallying instead

[jbforce10]

LuS1fer said:

Viva Las Vegas more like

Shhh. I'm still in denial of the whole Chrysler deal.