Rally Legend Walter Röhrl Just Turned 70 And Has A Kick Ass Stable Of Cars

If you know anything about rally, you know the iconic Audi Sport Quattro S1. Though it never saw great success, its character inspires gearheads to this day. A bit less well known is a man named Walter Röhrl who piloted the five-cylinder face melting rally machine. Röhrl was active in WRC from 1973-1987, taking part in 75 rallies in total. He took two championships: one in 1980 in a Fiat 131 Abarth, and the other in 1982 in an Opel Ascona 400. His birthday is March 7th.

In an interview with Motor Trend, Röhrl describes his stable of cars: A Porsche 911 Turbo, a Carrera GT, and a ’94 911 RS. Well after his racing days, Röhrl still appreciates a fine car, even taking his car to the track for Porsche club racing. Röhrl has let go of his old racing cars, saying that they’re “too difficult to keep running.” On his 911 RS, he spoke warmly of how “it slides, its aircooled . . . exhaust is quite noisy.”

Happy birthday to a legend and a rally hero. Walter Röhrl remains an inspiration today; someone who tamed the wild beast of Group B rally. He’s also the first driver to finish the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in less than 11 minutes. On gravel.

Check out the video below for some raw footage of Röhrl driving his Sport Quattro S1. Röhrl shows us how to pilot a 500-hp all-wheel-drive turbo rocket on roads that barely allow the width of the car, keeping the turbo spooled through the corners for a quick exit.

Source: Motor Trend