Wednesday 5th January 2011

You Know You Want To... Metro 6R4

Powered-up Austin Metro shows WRC wannabees how it's done

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As the nation reels from the grip of the most extreme weather conditions since, er, last winter, it falls to PH to answer an age-old question. Just what is the fastest way from A to B when Mother Nature throws a wobbler?

It shouldn't take a brain scientist to work out that a rally car is the obvious answer - cross-country blasting on the slippy stuff is what they're all about. But even we'd admit that proposing a Group B rally car as an all-weather commuter may cause our more casual visitors to raise a quizzical eyebrow. True PHers, by contrast, will overlook any teensy practical compromises and immediately grasp the logic....

Just as well really because, after the briefest of lunchtime forays into our classifieds, we've decided a Metro 6R4 is the perfect antidote to Britain's winter motoring woes. In fact, we're amazed we haven't thought of it before.

The 6R4 (six-cylinder, rally car, four-wheel drive, in case you were wondering) has little in common with its supermini sibling, which to be fair is an important consideration if you're looking for a genuinely practical sporting hatch. That's what we mean about the teensy practical compromises.

The Metro's humdrum bodyshell was fairly brutally butchered in the quest for performance, with large portions being chopped off and replaced by more, er, shouty appendages. We're talking about a deep front air dam, novel front spoiler, flared wheel arches, a massive rear spoiler and air vents that lend the 6R4 more suck than a greedy piglet.

Underneath, the body has a structure to match the looks. Working with Patrick Head, Austin Rover took the 6R4's usefully compact shape and made it one of the most rigid cars of its type. It was then adorned with all the race spec appendages required for the lunatic world that was Group B rallying.

Being a 1980s rally car this little Metro packed a proper punch, and lurking beneath its portly middle quarters is the heart of a superhero. Well, a supercar anyway. Also credited with powering Jag's XJ220, the 6R4's 3.0-litre V64V (V6, four valves per cylinder, in case you were wondering) power unit was available in two states of naturally aspirated tune - Clubman and International.

The Clubman minced out a mere 250bhp but our spec of choice - International - was capable of a far more agreeable 380-410bhp, while apparently maintaining all the driveability of the smaller unit.

This example adds the icing to the proverbial cake, gracing the PH classifieds in Marlboro-esque war paint of lurid fluorescent orange on a bed of white. The competition-inspired paintjob does not, however, signify a past life of 'big offs' and mechanical misdemeanours, as the machine has been completely refurbished and never rallied.

It even comes complete with an MOT and, at a mere £75,000 for a piece of history with more street-cred than any Evo from I to X, there's only one thing stopping us from picking up the phone right now. Yep, that mere £75,000...

[AV12]

Legend.

[Leigh996tt]

^^^^^^

[FranKinFezza]

Awesome tool shame gp.B was killed off

Do 6R4's really command that kind of money now

[thinfourth2]

What no rollcage?

That must be the only 6R4 that hasn't been rebuilt 300 times by the rally/rallycross loonies

[GingerWizard]

FranKinFezza said:

Awesome tool shame gp.B was killed off

Do 6R4's really command that kind of money now

TBH i thought that was cheap, those engines are pricy items.......

[SubaruSteve]

So that is one of the road going showroom versions then? The interior looks nothing like the rally version:

http://gallery.brit-cars.com/showphoto.php/photo/9...

[Gwagon111]

The 6R4 was my second favourite group B car, behind the Lancia Delta S4. A good S4 stradale road car will set you back well over 100k .

Edited by Gwagon111 on Wednesday 5th January 07:49

[iain1970]

Looks like a road going version, I had a Metro MG Turbo way back when and I'm sure they had the same dash.

I vaguley remember Austin Rover selling the remaining 6R4s off at £9k each in the late '80s.

[Oddball RS]

No its not a 'road spec car' as such it is a 'clubman' car, as i remember the factory was stuck with about 75 of them when the rules changes at the end of '85?

If you were around then they were very cheap.

It has to be one of the best uses of PH space there can be, true UK Petrolhead legend.

[80quattro]

Theres no way thats the original shell. Not on a J reg. Might even have been a Metro van shell on that year, IIRC.

[entwisi]

When I was a teenager tehre was a Tuning garage near where I lived ( Ian Harrison Tuning, Accrington). He has IIRC a RS 200 and a 6R4 in his collection. TBH walking past that garage ( Which looked nowt like a performance tuning shop) was probably what sparked my PH'ness. There was always something tasty parked outside, porsche, ferarri, etc....

[Petrolhead_Rich]

Epic Vehicle, definitely on my list of cars to own!

£75k for something that eye-catching, rare and fast? Bargain!

Now if I start saving £75 a month I could own one in 83 years and 3 months!!

Of course I would be 106 years old so the perfect age to own a Metro!!!

[tdm34ds]

80quattro said:

Theres no way thats the original shell. Not on a J reg. Might even have been a Metro van shell on that year, IIRC.

They hung about for years un-registered so it's entirely possible that it's original

I sold A-R cars in that era and was lucky enough to be given a ride in one of the computervision
"Works" cars at a Dealer Event it was a vivid experience I can tell you

And yes if my 6 numbers came up it'd be in my lottery garage

[mrtwisty]

Oh yes. I'll have some of that please.

[TonyHetherington]

There was a 6R4 going round Silverstone on December 12th track day

[sprinter1050]

Hmmmm bliss. Would be a handy little tool that for the next batch of snow,ice etc.

(runs off to check Premium Bond numbers for January, buy Lotto ticket etc)

[Lord Pikey]

A few clips of a better time here..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFRhxsLfj-I

[[AJ]]

Lord Pikey said:

A few clips of a better time here..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFRhxsLfj-I

WARNING! Don't watch that unless you want to subject the rest of your day to incapacitating nostalgia and day dream.

Excellent clip, thanks for sharing.

[tamore]

[AJ] said:

Lord Pikey said:

A few clips of a better time here..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFRhxsLfj-I

WARNING! Don't watch that unless you want to subject the rest of your day to incapacitating nostalgia and day dream.

Excellent clip, thanks for sharing.

absolutely. and definitely don't watch the one on the right called 'Group B Monsters - tribute with pure engine sounds'!

[sumpoil]

LOVE the crappy standard 1.4 GTi steering wheel!! .... but a fantastic car.

Despite my rather flippant £20k comment on the enzo prototype (which i also think is fantastic), both cars are kind of similar in a way; hybrid (but not in the way that would exempt you from the congestion charge) frankenstiens monster-type things created from a standard car - but somehow they turn out to be extremely desirable ..... as usual though, nature got there first!

TO