MG Metro 6R4

Austin Rover wanted the Metro — Britain’s everyday supermini of the 1980s — to compete at the very top of rallying. The result was one of the strangest and best-loved Group B cars: boxy, with spoilers everywhere, and a naturally aspirated V6 that sounded like a racing car.

MG Metro 6R4 — indicative

Name6R4 = six cylinders, rally, four-wheel drive
Engine2,991 cc V6 (V64V), naturally aspirated, mid-mounted
Powerapprox. 250 hp (Clubman), approx. 380–410 hp (International)
Drivefour-wheel drive
Weightapprox. 1,000 kg
DevelopmentAustin Rover Motorsport with Williams Grand Prix Engineering
Best WRC result3rd, 1985 RAC Rally (Tony Pond/Rob Arthur)
Grouve Sport documentary

Episode 5 — The British Challengers: MG Metro 6R4 & Ford RS200

The Metro 6R4 and the Austin Rover team.

No turbo

While almost every rival relied on turbocharging, Austin Rover chose a naturally aspirated three-litre V6. It gave instant response with no turbo lag, but less peak power than the turbos of Peugeot and Lancia. Austin Rover developed the car together with the Williams Formula 1 team. Sources link the V64V engine to engine designer David Wood. The programme was led by John Davenport, Austin Rover’s director of motorsport. See Austin Rover.

Results

On its world championship debut, the RAC Rally of November 1985, Tony Pond and co-driver Rob Arthur finished third behind the two new Lancia Delta S4s. 1986 went badly: the V6 proved fragile and the car retired often. It never finished in the top three again. Alongside the ‘International’ works cars, Austin Rover built around 200 ‘Clubman’ examples for homologation, many of which competed in national championships.

A 1986 MG Metro 6R4. The distinctive front splitter and roof wing made the little Metro unmistakable.
A 1986 MG Metro 6R4. The distinctive front splitter and roof wing made the little Metro unmistakable.Photo: MrWalkr via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

A city car with a 3.0-litre naturally aspirated V6, developed with Williams. Third on its debut, then dogged by reliability problems.

After 1986

After 1986 the 6R4 remained a popular car in national rally championships, where privateers valued it because it was relatively simple to maintain.

Tony Pond and Rob Arthur on a Tuscan gravel stage; they later retired after an accident.Photo: Carlomarzetti via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

European and national championships

Didier Auriol won the 1986 French championship in a Metro 6R4, winning five rounds and beating François Chatriot’s Renault on number of wins after they tied on 119 points. Tony Pond won the 1986 Manx Rally, with David Llewellin second in another 6R4. See the French championship.

Results in the World Rally Championship

World Rally Championship podiums of the car (all evolutions), year by year (1982–1986). win 2nd 3rd

1982
0wins
0 podiums
1983
0wins
0 podiums
1984
0wins
0 podiums
1985
0wins
1 podium
1986
0wins
0 podiums

0 WRC wins · 1 podium finishes, 1982–1986

Photo gallery 4 photos

Historic Group B cars photographed at events, demonstrations and museums; each caption states where and when.

1984 Austin Metro 6R4 at Rétromobile 2017
1984 Austin Metro 6R4 at Rétromobile 2017Photo: Thesupermat via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
1986 MG Metro 6R4
1986 MG Metro 6R4Photo: Calreyn88 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
1985 MG Metro 6R4
1985 MG Metro 6R4Photo: Calreyn88 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Two opposites from the final Group B year: the MG Metro 6R4 with its naturally aspirated V6, and the turbocharged Peugeot 205 T16.
Two opposites from the final Group B year: the MG Metro 6R4 with its naturally aspirated V6, and the turbocharged Peugeot 205 T16.Photo: Andrew Basterfield via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Further resources

All Group B resources →

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Sources

  1. Wikipedia (EN), MG Metro 6R4 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG_Metro_6R4
  2. Wikipedia (EN), 1985 World Rally Championship — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_World_Rally_Championship
  3. Wikipedia (EN), Group B — Beyond WRC — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_B

All text is original writing for Grouve Sports Management Group, based on the sources above. Facts checked on 21 October 2026.

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Thumbnail photos on this page: Alf van Beem (Wikimedia Commons, Public domain); SG2012 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0); Brian Snelson from Hockley, Essex, England (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0); MrWalkr (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); _morgado (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0); Calreyn88 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).