Colin McRae’s Metro 6R4 Group B rally car is up for sale, and we must have it

Four decades ago, MG’s engineers had a fun day off and created this: a fire-spitting, fog lamp-heavy Group B rascal dubbed the ‘6R4’. And now, courtesy of Bonhams, your opportunity to own Colin McRae’s own 6R4 has just appeared.

The steroidal Scrappy Doo of course benefited from a bespoke space-frame chassis and shared but a few panels with the original car, somewhat mercifully. It was designed in collaboration with Williams, who helped to completely revise the internals: four-wheel drive instead of front-wheel drive, six cylinders in place of four and a rear-engine layout as opposed to front.

At peak configuration, the nat-asp 3.0-litre 90-degree V6 puts out over 400bhp. That engine also gets twin-cam heads modelled on Cosworth’s DFV Formula One V8. And as if that wasn’t enough, the 6R4 has a five-speed dog-box manual, adjustable LSDs and viscous coupling technology, pinched straight out of Williams’ workshop. 

That wild body was also wind tunnel tested, so those sharp extensions ahead of its nose, the oxygen-gulping vents out wide, and the slick rear wing are all tried and tested for an assault on the World Rally Championship. 

An assault which didn’t last very long, mind, since the Group B class it was built for was canned after just four years amid safety concerns. The 6R4 only competed in the final two years, with a best result of third at the 1985 Welsh Rally.

Still, a detuned version of the 6R4 continued to race at national level, winning various titles on the way. It then transitioned over to European rallycross and proved a force there as well, taking the championship in 1992. 

McRae purchased this chassis at some point thereafter and used it as a Course Car throughout the Colin McRae event stages in '98. Unfortunately, it caught on fire while he was toiling away in the garage one day, and moved it on.

Its current owner of 16 years has since completed a full restoration job and made a few mechanical changes along the way. These include an ECU upgrade, a new power distribution module and fresh differentials. 

Not a bad way to spend £250,000, we reckon.