The astra 4s

[caul pope]

So how many were there? and how many are there now?

Please help, I need to know more about the forgoten legend!

[Steve Heley]

Meadys the 4s stalker, but i think there are 2, the Vauxhall one and one in a German Museum... John Welch had one, but i believe he recently sold it to Audi..

[caul pope]

What I'd pay to have a raz in a 4S!
From what I can gather it was created in 1985/86, it was 4wd and had 340 bhp.
Any ideas who actually produced it?

[Steve Heley]

We used to have a 4 page article about it... maybe Allen can repost it..

[caul pope]

That would be cool. I've done numerous searches for the almost mythical beast.

[caul pope]

Just came across this;
http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=63700
Has anyone else come across this mig site before? ;)

[Jon S]

definatly an interesting car

what magazine was that writeup in?
what a filthy beast

[Allen Mead]

That's the girls' version, the man's version ran 740bhp and 500lb/ft......

[REMUS]

is that some mental group B special stage car or somthin?

[carmad]

wooooooooooooo i want one

[Allen Mead]

Nope, no group B, British Rallycross, yes. There were 4 cars produced in total orginally Group S/Paris-Dakar cars.

[Allen Mead]

When the cars were originally built in Germany, they didn't even have a budget for an engine or even what engine was going to be used!

As you may be aware, the Manta 400 engine was used, Opel turbocharged it while vauxhall supercharged it in conjunction with SRE iirc.

John Welch bought 2 of the cars, one was written off, the other was used in the British Rallycross.

But before this happened, the 4 wheel drive system was designed in cunjuction with John Welch and Martin Schanche of X-trac. This effectively put X-trac on the motorsport map!

The ultimate incarnation of the 4S was run by John Welch. At one stage it was running a ford engine after the Manta 400, this produced approximately 500 horse power. Then, this was swapped in favour of the carlton 2.3L Diesel block, do you want to read that again? Yes I said it was a 2.3L carlton Diesel block. This was strocked back to 2.1ltr. Turbo wise, it ran an ex formula 1 BWW turbo and manifold along with a few other trick bits 'n' pieces. This, in it's last incarnation produced 740bhp and 500lb/ft.

It goes to show how good the gearbox and 4 wheel drive system is in that one of the 2 mk4 rally cars that Tony Bardy bought from Norway is running one, now that is a good testament as to how good these are!

This is again, one of rallying's greatest 'if onlys' If only vauxhall had put their money where their mouth is, maybe they would be as competative as ford and be running in the WRC....... food for thought.

[weekenny]

what magazine was that writeup in?


It could have been Autosport but I cant remember sorry

[caul pope]

Nice one Allen. You certainly seem to know your stuff!
Ever come across any other mk2s with a longitudely monted engines?

[Allen Mead]

yes, a rwd one, it's in an old issue of CCC

[caul pope]

Sounds like fun. Wheel rear drive action from a mk2! A bet that would confuse a few people who weren't in the know when the back steps out and the tyre smoke starts billowing from under the flat rear arches!