Automakers far and wide use the letters RS to
connote some of their most hardcore performance models. Ranking high among them
is Ford, which applies them today to the Focus RS. But that's not the one we
want; this is.
It's an RS200 from 1986, but not just any RS200:
it's an RS200 Evolution rally car from the heyday of Group B, and it's coming
up for auction.
One of just 24 made, this nimble little mid-engined
rally car packs a 2.1-liter turbo four sending over 600 horsepower to all four
wheels – significantly more than the 500 featured in other rally-raiding
examples, or the 250 in the road-going version.
With composite bodywork styled by Carrozzeria Ghia
and built by Aston Martin's Tickford division, the RS200 Evolution was capable
of rocketing to 60 mph (96 km/h) in three seconds flat, setting a
Guinness-certified world record that stood for 12 years.
Chassis number 00105 is headed for auction at Bond
Street in London on December 2, where it's anticipated to sell for upwards of
£200k. You can check it out in these images provided courtesy of Bonhams, and
while you're doing that, we'll be digging through our sofa cushions for spare
change to scrounge together an opening bid.
