Both Jimmy and Colin McRae ran RED Sierra Cosworths during 1989, Colin a Group N car and Jimmy a Group A. Despite a good result in New Zealand (using a Group A Sierra) Colin’s season was peppered with crashes, mainly because the ‘showroom’ 300bhp Group N Cosworth lacked the brakes and chassis to handle its power.
A move into the even more powerful, but better handling, Group A car modelled here seemed perverse initially but produced three impressive drives that showed Colin had the pace and stability to be quicker than his Dad in identical machinery; Colin really had a future in top flight rallying.
The McRae/Ringer Sierra Cosworth is modelled as it started the 1989 RAC Rally. The pair used the same car on the Manx, retiring from third place when a differential casing cracked, and on the Audi Sport Rally where they finished third overall. Although hopes were high on starting the RAC, they rolled gently on SS13 then, in Keilder, crashed out of the rally into another parked Sierra which had been caught out by the same tricky bend.