Daihatsu Charade DeTomaso 926r

Here is another rally car, this time done by request. And it is one is one I don’t think I would have ever known about if it weren’t for that request. The Daihatsu Charade DeTomaso 926r; a Group B car you probably haven’t heard of.

Daihatsu?

If you’re like me, MCM has probably led you to believe that Daihatsu is nothing more than a Blue Turd factory. But as it turns out, some Diahatsus were not as blue and turd-like as most of us may think. One of them was in fact a Group B car. And that Group B car was the 926r.

Engine

This Daihatsu used the CB70 DOHC turbo inline 3 engine. The CB70 was originally 993cc, but for it’s Group B counterpart, it was reduced to 926cc. This was done to fit into the sub 1300cc category. You might be thinking that 993 already fits, which is exactly what I’m thinking as well. I really don’t know why they had to do this. The Daihatsu’s power plant sat in the middle of the car, and delivered a rather underwhelming 118 horse power to only the rear wheels. However, the entire car only weighed in at 800kg.

Interior

Unlike the hard corners and busy instruments of the interior on most Group B cars, the 926r’s interior was almost luxurious. A mixture of red fabric and grey suede leather resulted in an interior that was rather pleasant to look at. This interior could have been on a street car and be considered nice.

Conclusion

While the 926r is not as crazy as the 222D, it was not any less interesting to read about, and share to the community. If anyone has any suggestions for lesser known, preffereably rally cars, please do tell.