Group 5 & Silhouete Racing Cars

But clearly sholdnt be in first place.
Zakspped based in Germany ,picked up the Lotus Europa  and changed it into a strang elooking group 5 car.
It only mostly only raced at DRM and the resultd were far from good.
Always driven by Harald Ertl

Besides many wins on DRM starting from 1979, this was the only Group.5 car to ever win the 24 HOURS of LE MANS in the same year with a car prepared by Kremer Competition.

In 1980 the K3 Porsches also beagn to race in the US at IMSA setires in the GTX class.

A story of success that lasted till 1984, though in WMC and Le Mans they last appeard in 1983

One of the most beautiful Group 5 cars ever built, that was Ferrari´s first REAL attempt in group 5 cars after some  races with its predecessor the Ferrari 512 Gr.5

Raced in several occasions at Le Mans, WMC and IMSA

One of the most BEAUTIFUL cars ever made in Group 5.

However the car almost only raced on DRM . the German Championship for super sport cars.

Prepared by German Ford developer Zakspeed it´s beauty leaves one brathless

The Lancia Beta Montecarlo was one of Lancia´s most seuccessful wellknown sport cars.

With it´s 037 Rallye version in WRC, or even at Touring Car Group B championships, to the Group 5 Silhouete version , knowned as LANCIA BETA MONTECARLO TURBO, that raced not only at 24 Hours of Le Mans, but also on DRM, WMC.

Several scuderia´s used it from the usual Martini Racing to Brescia Corse and many others.

However in general it´s performance was slightly poorer than the Porsches 935

This was perhaps the most iconic Group.5 car ever created.

It only did a few races in 1978, but due to it´s amazing lines , wideness and length, the car was named as "Moby Dick" the White Whale.

It did well on 24 Hours of Le Mans qualifying on that same year, however not good wnough in the race for the Group 6 Alpine-Renaults that won that same year.

With a Fantastic Top Speed at Mulsanne but so no good in accelaration,  it never raced again as a Porsche official team Car, , but it was used in other variants by several private teams , at WMC, Le Mans and IMSA, named sometimes as 935-L or 935-81

Not to be confused with its brother, the BMW M1 Group B or Group 4, the Group 5 car was a variation with much more power, and became BMW´s attempt to finally win in the Group 5 Class I races, after some success in 1976-77 with the SCL Turbo Gr.5 in the class early days and presences mostly in the class 2 with less power models such as the BME 2002 Turbo Gr.5 and the #20 Turbo Gr.5.

Very fast car with several scuderia´s using it, from Sauber to Schnitzer on several racing series, from Le Mans 24 Hours to WMC, IMSA and DRM

Later or a wider version would come to apeear developed by March and Oreca

The car that dominated the very first years of group 5 racing till the K3 appeared in 1979

Throughout the years, the car camr to have many evolutions, and variants, like the 935-77, the 935-79. 935J, 935-80 or 935 M16 /mainly on imsa) and the JLP variations

Its the most well known group 5 racing car in the world

Italian drivers Finotto and Facetti, decided to invest in a new version of the Ferrari 512 BB Silhouete, a car with such aerodynamics that could reach higher speed than the dominating Porsches 935 K3 and beat them.

The car was baptized was Karma, but also as the PORSCHES 935 KILLER.

It did beat them often in qualifying, however it had several liability problems, and did not come to finish most of the races it started.

The car raced at Daytona 24 Hours, and several WMC races like Silverstone, Kyalami, Nurburgring, Mugello and even at a DRM race in Salzburgring.

Great lines, awsome speed, but poor liability.

Still an Icon

Starting to race in Japan, with 254i , Mazda´s group 5 version of the Famous super successfull RX-7, came to evolve and race at Le Mans, to return with its evolution the 254-i.

An iconic car in group 5 racing, baptizes for its shape as the "MoonCraft"

The GTX car is the one similar to Group 5 specifications. Wider, londer and with bigger spoilers.

In 1976 on the early days of Group 5 Racing, this was the only car to match and fight against the reigning Porsches 935.

The car raced mainly at Le Mans and WMC, appoearing at IMSA, with a slighter different version named CSL WIDEBODY IMSA

DeTomaso was an Italian Manufacturer with a strong name in the 70's.

Begining with the GTS version of this car, quite succesful, in Formula 1 the attempts prooved to be poorer so DeTomaso decided to invest in the evolution of the Pantera model in sportcars racing,moving on to the Group 4 wider body, and finally this attmpt in 1979 and 1980 within the Group 5 specs, that did not work so well at Le Mans, but less badly at WMC races such as Mugello.

An ecolution was called the Group C car, but prooved to be a total disaster.

The very first BMW´s attempt in group 5 racing, fighting alongside Zakspeed Fords Escort for Div.2 crown on DRM.

The car only raced in the German series and once at a WMC event

Nissan´s most iconic Group 5 car.

Almost only raced in Japan , but it also did a race at Kyalami.

Succesful in japan, not so much on international series, it is still probably´s one of the Japanese Group 5 cars most well known

Later on it had a 1 time try with no success of a wider, not so tall version renamed Group C

His Le Mans appearances were poor, and the only makor result was achieved at a WMC race in Silverstone.

Still, for many an iconic car for its unique looks

The K2 was not as successful as expected , but after the feeble attempt with the K1, this car came to be very important as a devlopment process for the upcoming , K3 , that was the to become the only group 5 car to win at Le Mans.

The square front lights  was what distinguished in naked sight from the others in the 935 family

On the early 80's both March and OReca ina  partnership with BMW, decided to recreate a wider, heavier more powerful version of the BMW M1 Group 5.

The results were not the best, but the car is still one of the iconic cars in the class, having raced at Le Mans, WMC and IMSA

So long, this Nissan was great in strights for high speed, but hard to drive accelarating exiting turns.

Also almost only raced in Japan, where it also had a cousin, the Nissan Gazelle Group 5, that did not have as much success as the Silvia version, pretty popular for group 5 racing fans.

Lotus major attempt in Group 5, the car raced mostly in the UK and on some occasional WMC races.

Failing to Qualify at Le Mans, but with some results at Silverstone.

A new version also made a DRM debut

Zakspeed first big attempt in group 5 With Ford was the Escort.

After a Group 2 success, a wider more powerful version came out , with Group 5 specifications for Class 2 where it fought for glory alongside BMW and Lancia, mainly in DRM, but also ina  few WMC races

From the Camaro Generation II, to le Mans was brought the Wider, longer GTX version, alongide the GTO car.

It had poor results, and at IMSA racing also did not show much success, still had an unique design

On the very last stage of Group 5, the 935 was to meet its final versions.

The Porsche 935 K4 ,that was used mainly at DRM, and with a new bodystule at IMSA, and the FABCARS, of Bob Akin and others, wider and with a strange bodyshape,the cars were not as successfull as its predecessors.

Based on the super succesful Touring Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV car, this group 5 version only raced at DRM with poor results, later on an evolution came but the results were again disastrous.

however in the Australian Super Sedan championship a slighter different version had some wins and good results