Absolutely agree. Our Marston Sunbeam Club & Register stand won 1st prize for a Club stand at April's Classic Bike Show at Stafford and Guy(as guest of honour) was handing out the awards. In the past, whoever was handing out the awards just said , "Well done" and that was it. As we received ours, Guy was asking questions about our stands and our very old bikes and was interested. Really Top Bloke is Guy. Nice to hear a V6 being given some stick and a really lovely video, so well done. I used to watch Tony Pond and Malcolm Wilson giving the Works 410 bhp 6R4s the beans during the last RAC Rally in the final days of Group B cars. Greatest Rally era in my view.
That's brilliant - congrats on the award! Glad you liked us giving the car a bit of a run out. I grew up watching the Group B days, went to Clumber for the 1985 RAC to see the Metros debut in the World Champs - the bug for it never left!!
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 I think many of us are still in 1985/6 Tony was the man. Nice that people are keeping these cars going, still gives out goosebumps :)
Love guy Martin ever since his TT days,this bloke is a true national treasure,his curiosity to look and learn and admire anything is ore inspiring... Love to watch him in everything he does,he's amazing,I would love a teacher like him when I was in school... Keep your curiosity up guy,the world would be so dull without u in it... ❤
What a fantastic bloke he is, they should call him Mr Engineering!! His eyes were clocking everything, you could almost hear the cogs in his head wuring ! Great video Dan 👍🏴😉
Certainly a gent, a real nice guy and it was brilliant to get to get a change to spend 5 mins chatting after we had a drive. Glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for the kind words.
Close your eyes, go back to ‘85 on a cold dark early morning in the ‘Kielder Forest’ & all you hear is a 6R4 hitting 9000 rpm down the forest tracks…❤️❤️❤️
I was thinking about that too. Do they still have events like the Lombard RAC rally. We used to love those events. We used to go all over the place watching those. Atmosphere was brilliant.
I have been over to the IOM for work a few times... would LOVE to bring the car over and play in the lanes. It wouldn't be fast, but it would tick a bucket list item off!
As a young man many years ago went to the british car show at earls court where the 6R4 was unveiled in this country for the first time.Then watched them being rallied at Lydden hill for many years,one of the best sounding cars ever by a mile and one of my all time favourites.
I raced bikes many moons ago and I met guy in the IOM and had a good gab with him ,what a great fella he is ,his knowledge is immense and i dont think i have ever met anyone with more enthusiasm we had a few mutual acquaintances and i could have spoke to him for hours about anything engine, i showed him my one owner from new 73 ,900 Z1B and he absolutely loved it, iam so glad he packed in racing bikes he was running out of luck in my opinion and we have lost to many great men to the track lately plus i and everyone else is enjoying Guy's adventures on other things ,keep on going GUY we love you on the box fella your a Diamond and an all round good lad
There was a guy ran a 6R4 at Gurston Down hill climb - he was the only one who could get all 4 wheels off the ground over deer leap, which is only a few yards after a 90° right hand corner - amazing power and agility. Qn awesome vehicle.
Guy is such a lovely man. He's just an ordinary bloke who loves anything mechanical and going fast. The fact he's famous doesn't seem to bother him. I had an Aunt who had a tatty old 1 litre Austin Metro. When you compared it to the 6R4 the difference is mind bending!
Definitely a lovely guy, really enjoyed getting the chance to chat with him for 5 mins. And yes the difference in a Metro and a 6R4 is ridiculous isnt it!
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 Can u remember the advert “Two cars ? Well it’s three actually Ron” 😂 That was the kind of poop a good friend and I were up too in are last couple of years at school. We took a MK4 cortina that had hit something head on, flipped onto its roof, slid and stoved the back end in. When it left our little council garage, it went through the Kings Lynn car auction as a MK5 cortina 🤣😂. I’m glad I went to sea on the trawlers, cos putting dodgy motors back on the streets, could have got us into a lot of trouble. Still we were never skint as kids and the only 14 year olds who drove ourselves to school 😂✌️
I was a guest at the Grampian Forest Rally recently. Typical guy who thinks I can get down the road a bit. My first passenger ride was in a MG3 Class car driven by 18 year old Thomas Milne....jeez that was an eye opener. I was totally humbled by the skill, the speed, the whole slideways and loud experience. Later that day I went out with Johnny MacKay in an Evo with sequential box and 350ish BHP. That was mind warping stuff. I know at 57 that my hands and feet could not be trained to keep up with the demands. Being thrown backwards under acceleration so hard my feet left the floor and floating in the harness under braking on gravel was something I'll never forget. Rally boys and girls got the mad skills.
The quick rally guys are something else aren't they! Sounds like a fantastic day out to me though. I am sure this car has done the Grampian Rally as it was based in Scotland from 2005-2015.
@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 Air cooled Porsche 911 does. My dad has owned one and a water cooled 911. Plus another 6 Porsche. Scary cars. I love the 6R4, especially watching this exact car on Car SOS and David Gillanders 3 x championship winning 6R4 being completely rebuilt. Plus a Ford Sierra Saphire Cosworth 4x4.
Love a Porsche.... cheers for watching the video and following the antics of this car on on SOS - if you search 'Top Gear Dad's Cars' we were on there too!
Well done great video 👏👏👏 I am 76yrs old and I saw the group B cars come threw Kielder Forest a 27 mile stage first time I saw a group B car it was frighting the ground was shaking after the last car came threw the track was like a ploughed field 👏👏
They were an incredible change when the Group B cars came out weren't they, moving to 4 wheel drive made such a huge difference, not to mention the power they gave them. Really pleased you like the video and thanks for commenting.
Driving/riding in these cars is a real experience. I was lucky enough to have a close mate that owned and rallied one in the early 2000's. He did some amazing work on improving the cars chassis dynamics and it was a beast to be a passenger in when he was testing it where we lived. We even had Colin McRae, (another 6R4 owner), fly down and land his helicopter on our farm whilst he visited my mate to talk 'Metro's'. Sadly he lost his life on his bike at the Nurburgring Ring in 2007. Great video.
Glad you liked the video, that's a great memory to have there of your time in a 6R4 and with Colin dropping in to see your mate. Sorry to hear of his accident.
@@Norton1531 Unfortunately yes, he was the first rider in a small group to hit the Porsches dropped fluid. His name was Chris Woods, and he was a fantastic rider and driver and the cleverest bloke I've ever met. We all still miss him. (it was 2007)
@@d2cdl I think I stayed at the same guesthouse when I went over. There was a big map of the ‘Ring on the wall there where people wrote about incidents on the places on the map where the incidents happened. I remember reading on it about your friend. Think the landlord was called Brent.
Thought you were taking it steady and that it looked slow until I spotted the MPH reading! Thats shifting!! Yep, Guy Marting is a real bloke, listened to his Autobiography, well worth it.
@@jolyonnew4638 yeah the car is so capable it stays smooth and planted but we are up at 98/99mph on the straight every lap and it feels fast in the car for sure. Great autobiography that isn’t it!
Love 6R4's! At first when I heard there was a Jag engine in it I was a bit disappointed but then hearing those figures....😱. Love Guy's genuine enthusiasm for everything!
Three legends together. Everytime I watch your channel and you talk about it. I always think of that Leyland advert. That was made up of stuff they could lay there hands on.
Ha yes I like it... so many parts were used all over - I think the Lotus Espirit door handles were off a Morris Marina originally for example. Loads of stuff like that went on!
@@georgeclarke163 not after he nearly died in a horrible crash...in my eyes he's a legend...the guts he has to hop on bikes after that makes him a legend
These old group B cars have to be seen to be believed, saw a rs200 years ago on the road near Hayes around 1996, the speed and power were unforgettable!
When the Circus came to NZ they used to race our club autocross while they were in town and you didn't just see them and hear them but you could feel these little monsters !
Saw some (don’t know if can use alternative or genuine engine) in the forests of whinlatter, and grizedale about 20 yrs ago, and on a several of occasions in kielder a few yrs later. They’re getting very scarce now. I see less and less on the historic rally scene. Those sounded amazing! No popping turbo anti lag, just revs. I can totally understand the logic in an alternative engine to the cut-down xj220 built engine, and that transmission is very difficult to service or repair. Better to keep it as economical as possible (relatively). Nice video!
20 years ago and in competition, they would definitely be with original engines. There are only a small number about with engine swaps, but those tend to be the ones still getting out regularly. Really glad you enjoyed the video - hopefully we have some others on the channel you'll like!
I can remember seeing a field full of white 6R4 parked up at Cowley when they were outlawed and I think they were up for around £16,000 each. Then later in the early 2000 I was lucky enough to be taken around the Silverstone rally cross course in one such a great experience
Fantastic experience! The full run of 200 of them was stored in the compound at Longbridge, seemed like loads as they could not shift them but 200 is a tiny production run in modern terms. They were a bargain at the clearance price though.
I have the front chin spoiler off a 6R4, in COMPUTERVISION livery, that got knocked of a 6R4 on the North West Stages Rally about 2012. I contacted the owners and asked if they wanted it back. It was quite damaged. Never heard another word about it, so I still have it sat in my house.
Standing in the rain, sometime after 11pm on the West side of the isle of Mull in October fed up, cold, wet........ then you hear John Price in the 6R4 from about 1/2 a mile away, and we forget about the weather As the road winds up though a forest to our front, the engine note rises and the hair on the back of our necks rises too! Then the lights come over a rise and that V6 bellows past us the ground trembles to the noise and suddenly all our discomfort disappears
They make a special sound, watching the '85 RAC as a child was what got me hooked, on always supporting them over the Audi's Peugeots & Lancias! John Price was such a love guy, and an incredible talent in a 6R4!
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6, John Price definitely knew how to pedal a 6R4. He was a leg-end. As did the Stojanov brothers. I marshalled the Promenade Stages Rally many times, and the early 2000s to the early 2010s, there were multiple 6R4s out competing. The rally runs around link roads on New Brighton Promenade, and there'd be 6R4s coming at you at full chat from all directions. It gave me a twitch in my Ys. Salad days. There were some proper oddball cars out on that event too. A RWD bike engined Mini, a Mk2 Escort running a Mazda rotary (which slaughtered the 1400cc class until the MSA changed the regulations), a Rover V8 engined 3 door Sierra Cosworth clone, and one time, a mid-engined, RWD, 3 door Mk2 VW Golf, running a 5.7 litre Chevrolet V8. One time, there was a white RWD Sierra Sapphire Cosworth which had the wick turned WAY up, which just boiled it's rear tyres everywhere. I suspect the turbo inlet resistor might have 'fallen off.' It arrived at my junction far too quick, the driver threw it in sideways, somehow got it through the junction, and then laid black stripes about 100 metres up the road after the junction. He got a Wayne's World style, 'We're Not Worthy' salute as be came back past the junction next time. We got a beep & a wave. It was epic. All before the MSA decided Rallying was FAR too exciting, and banned specials, bike engines & space frame chassis.
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 looks like a hell of a car too, I hadn’t realised the originals needed so much looking after, a Jag engine looks like a sensible swap.
When they changed the rules, there were 2 6r4 cars sat at a local dealer, can’t remember how much they were selling them for but it was so cheap it made you wince. Crazy days.
I read once that like most BL cars the engine for the 6R4 was prone to breaking even though in Clubman spec it only put out 250 bhp. Quite a lot in a car that weighed a 1000 kg and had 4wd to put it on the road. 4 seconds to 60 mph was indeed quick. When the engines were rebuilt time after time suffering the same breakages in the same places in the engine they started being replaced with Rover 3528 cc engines that could take a lot more bhp, however trying to keep in line with the V6 they were replaced by Peugeot 3.0 V6 which is said in rallycross able to put up with 650 bhp. I read the 4wd system wasn't that good, but not being a mechanic i cannot say why. The metro road cars were DS like nearly every other BL cars but they nailed it with the incarnation of the Metro 6R4
The initial 3 prototypes were developed using a Rover v* with 2 cyclinders removed to make a V6, this engine was a 2 valve per cylinder engine and for development only. While the custom designed V64V (V6 4 valve per cylinder) engine was designed and produced. The International spec cars were tuned up to 400/410bhp and the Clubman cars were sold at 250bhp but an upgrade kit was also available to make them 300bhp. Initial issues with the engines were them unshipping the belts so a carbon cover was designed and this stopped that problem. There was also some problems with dust ingestion in the engine, so in some countries (Spain for example) some cars were swapped to a Rover V8 3.5ltr - this engine wasn't chosen by Williams as it is a bit too big to fit in the car comfortably. The 4wd system was comparitive to the others in the era, it's a very dated and basic set up compared to modern cars. I wasn't aware of anyone running a Peugeot 3.0V6 engine in a 6R4, but anything is possible!
There is one coming up for Auction in 2 weeks at Silverstone but it is a works car, driven by Malcolm Wilson and will be blooming expensive sadly. It was a privilege to just get to spend time chatting to him and see his mind working on the engineering etc.
Great job to the owner of this vehicle ,Dan I think he said?….the driver, Think he just got took the experience as just another ride out and not getting giddy about being in the company of guy As usual guy is just as always a all round top lad
That's impressive.... on this occasion European Rally Championship driver Max McRae (nephew of Colin) was driving the WRC Focus and I'm just an amateur so I was not up to his pace!
Group B cars in the clocaenog forest in middle of night pitch black until the noise makes hairs stand up on whole of body. Guy Martin best British ambassador we have
I suspect that Guy has a collection of lids, that fit very well. Many of which manufacturers would have been very to have seen on such a talented rider as Guy Martin.
Was that at the Asda family’s day where they did the wishes for kids thing launching disabled kids down bruntingthorpe runway. They ran the 6R4’s under the jumbo parked there.
Ah yes I have heard of the Asda days from one of the Historic clubs I am in. I never got to do any of those sadly. But I did do an event on there called Motor Madness and we did rides for £20 each. All funds went to Help For Heroes.
Have to say that was a very timid drive. I remember a good number of years ago getting a drive with David Gillanders who was one of the works 6r4 drivers that contested the British rally championship back in the day. He took me on a short circuit drive which can only be described as frightening and at that time I rode around on what would be described back then as superbikes. He described driving the 6R4 not so much sitting inside and driving the car more a case of you strap it onto your back and go like hell.😂😮
You 'had' to say that? or was that just a way of telling me a works backed British champion is quicker than an amateur? Which isn't a surprise to anyone! Maybe it was a way in to telling us you got a ride with David (a lovely guy and very talented!) and he went faster? Some experience I bet.... It's not a works funded car, and it is now 39 years old - so forgive me if I don't try and kill it when I drive it! But seeing as we caught 2 other cars on this ride I would say it could have been worse!
Just a bit bored of people telling me I don't drive faster than a works driver.... always get one! It's a 40 year old car now, I am not going to send it like the 80's now. far too valuable to damage compared with when they were sold off for £13k each back then!
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 I think he was just commenting on he expected you to give it a bit more Welly - which I can understand. I'm sure it was more of a comment than a criticism.
The thing is, when you look at the green bar for throttle position it was 100% and the shift light comes on for gear changes and I caught 2 cars in that short run.... what more can you do!? It wasnt filmed during a stage of a rally so we were driving accordingly.. someone always knows best despite not being there. The video is really about what Guy thought, not about whether I can blast round an untimed trackday blitzing all the other owners in a race that didn't exist...
I saw one of these on the A1m up by Sandy/Biggleswade in the mid 80s when i was a kid. It was all white and must have been brand new. Never forgot that. Been fascinated with these things ever since
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 Totally, it sticks in my memory 40 years later. I had a RC datapost metro as a kid. It wasnt a 6r4 though but it was pretty good RC car for its time. The metro was quite a cool design in the early 80s. The little turbo one was pretty cool. I had an MG maestro (the crap 1600 one) which was a POS.
@@uv77mc85 the Metro GTA or Tyne Turbo were great little cars.. an absolute death trap by modern safety standards, but things were different back then!
Spot on mate! Loved every second of it :) I see the critics are out in force :) Remember that opinions are like bum cracks. Everybody's got one and some are shittier than others. :) I keep meaning to give you a bell but somehow just don't get around to it...
Got a ride around Knebworth Park in a 6r4 driven by David Llewlwin, he was an Austin Rover rally driver along with Alan Pond? ... They were there that day taking reporters out & having the neck of a giraffe i thought i would ask ... it payed off!!. Wont forget that in a hurry!!
Absolutely awesome result, well worth asking!! David could fly in one but Tony Pond and his mighty moustache were legendary in one after 3rd on the RAC in 1985!
Quality video. Love the mutual enthusiasm for the car and the engineering involved. I guess you're the custodian for this amazing car. Re spares, maybe an opportunity for specialists in Additive Manufacturing to remake castings.
I am yes, and it is a privilege to have it and share it with people. The problem with castings is there are not enough in use to need a constant supply of spares, so it ends up being CNC from billet one off production which makes things very expensive.
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 Additive Manufacturing is 3D printing but using metals in layers. Look up Directed Energy Deposition, the MOD have a programme (TAMPA) for sourcing obsolete parts via this process. There has be someone who can take the CAD data to print what would have been cast gearbox components. If not, it could be an opportunity for someone...
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 I’ll never forget it. He was fast, smooth and a really nice guy. I was in the Army and working in a test and development role at MVEE in Surrey. We had a tarmac track at Longcross near Chertsey and the off road forestry track at Bagshot. I also had a ride at Bagshot in a Dakar Mitsubishi Pajero with Andrew Cowan.
I was under the impression the 6R4 could rev out to 9k? Am I wrong or is it just the cars clocking on 40 and age is a concern? Would never accuse you of babying it though. Very lucky owner and very lucky passenger too 👍
Cheers for the kind words.. The V64V maxes out a 9000 yes, unless they are a running the altered 2.5 engine, they can go 10,500 plus. This one had an engine transplant about 12/13 years ago and we are running an 8000 max with 7500 shift light. (the square orange metro indicator light about the steering wheel)
No they have a dog box, with a dog leg first. This car was upgraded to a 6R4 rally cross sequential in the 1990's because it's been in competition from January 1987 onwards.
A great car, pity that it hasn't got a proper engine in it though. You told us what it cost when he bought it but not what it'd cost now. I assume more but I'm not really sure.
I am not sure it is a pity that is doesn't have the original engine, I wouldn't get to run it then! On original engine on it's own is £50k+ now - and for an idea on the car value - try this link www.carandclassic.com/list/32/metro+6r4/
One thing I love about Guy is his almost childish enthusiasm for everything he takes on. He’s like a kid in a sweet shop . Well done Guy 👏👏👏
Yeah he was great to chat to, soaking up the information and really bouncy and enthusiastic. Top bloke!
Absolutely agree. Our Marston Sunbeam Club & Register stand won 1st prize for a Club stand at April's Classic Bike Show at Stafford and Guy(as guest of honour) was handing out the awards. In the past, whoever was handing out the awards just said , "Well done" and that was it. As we received ours, Guy was asking questions about our stands and our very old bikes and was interested. Really Top Bloke is Guy. Nice to hear a V6 being given some stick and a really lovely video, so well done. I used to watch Tony Pond and Malcolm Wilson giving the Works 410 bhp 6R4s the beans during the last RAC Rally in the final days of Group B cars. Greatest Rally era in my view.
That's brilliant - congrats on the award!
Glad you liked us giving the car a bit of a run out.
I grew up watching the Group B days, went to Clumber for the 1985 RAC to see the Metros debut in the World Champs - the bug for it never left!!
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 I think many of us are still in 1985/6 Tony was the man. Nice that people are keeping these cars going, still gives out goosebumps :)
Thanks!
I love everything Guy does. He says it like it is. Proper bloke.
Yeah really nice guy and genuine enthusiasm for engineering!
Love guy Martin ever since his TT days,this bloke is a true national treasure,his curiosity to look and learn and admire anything is ore inspiring...
Love to watch him in everything he does,he's amazing,I would love a teacher like him when I was in school...
Keep your curiosity up guy,the world would be so dull without u in it... ❤
Some guy isn’t he. 👍
What a fantastic bloke he is, they should call him Mr Engineering!! His eyes were clocking everything, you could almost hear the cogs in his head wuring ! Great video Dan 👍🏴😉
Thanks Phil - yeah he was taking all the mechanical stuff in for sure wasn’t he. Certainly seemed to enjoy the run, and the day!
Guy Martin is a gentleman and hero. 🇦🇺 😊 Glad to see a channel read their comments. Great content and presentation. 👍
Certainly a gent, a real nice guy and it was brilliant to get to get a change to spend 5 mins chatting after we had a drive. Glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for the kind words.
Guy is such a genuine person & so enthusiastic. Used to love watching the 6R4's back in the day. Enjoyed the video.
Thank you, very kind of you. 👍
Close your eyes, go back to ‘85 on a cold dark early morning in the ‘Kielder Forest’ & all you hear is a 6R4 hitting 9000 rpm down the forest tracks…❤️❤️❤️
1985 RAC in Sherwood/Clipstone was my first experience of that sound… been hooked ever since!
Mk2 rs 1800 through woods sounds unreal
I was thinking about that too.
Do they still have events like the Lombard RAC rally. We used to love those events. We used to go all over the place watching those.
Atmosphere was brilliant.
The Lombard RAC has stopped but there is a multi day stage rally every 2 years for Historic cars - The Roger Albert Clark Rally
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 Thank you. I'll look into that.
I always had a soft spot for a 6R4 since seeing them rallying in the Isle of Man in the 1980's. They sound fantastic too!
I have been over to the IOM for work a few times... would LOVE to bring the car over and play in the lanes. It wouldn't be fast, but it would tick a bucket list item off!
As a young man many years ago went to the british car show at earls court where the 6R4 was unveiled in this country for the first time.Then watched them being rallied at Lydden hill for many years,one of the best sounding cars ever by a mile and one of my all time favourites.
@@LizWilliams-f5q fantastic! I saw them In the RAC in 1985 and have been hooked ever since. 👌
I raced bikes many moons ago and I met guy in the IOM and had a good gab with him ,what a great fella he is ,his knowledge is immense and i dont think i have ever met anyone with more enthusiasm we had a few mutual acquaintances and i could have spoke to him for hours about anything engine, i showed him my one owner from new 73 ,900 Z1B and he absolutely loved it, iam so glad he packed in racing bikes he was running out of luck in my opinion and we have lost to many great men to the track lately plus i and everyone else is enjoying Guy's adventures on other things ,keep on going GUY we love you on the box fella your a Diamond and an all round good lad
Brilliant stuff... certainly a lovely guy to chat to - really enjoyed the talk with him after the ride in the car.
There was a guy ran a 6R4 at Gurston Down hill climb - he was the only one who could get all 4 wheels off the ground over deer leap, which is only a few yards after a 90° right hand corner - amazing power and agility. Qn awesome vehicle.
Impressive skills - and bravery for sure! I have driven the 6R4 on Shelsley Walsh but not gone Gurston Down.
A 6R4 being your first rally car is absolutely unhinged! lol love it!
Thanks... yeah probably not my smartest idea ever but never mind!
Lucky enough to witness Group B cars in action
Amazing times wasn't it, watching them was what got me started with the bug!
Guy is such a lovely man. He's just an ordinary bloke who loves anything mechanical and going fast. The fact he's famous doesn't seem to bother him. I had an Aunt who had a tatty old 1 litre Austin Metro. When you compared it to the 6R4 the difference is mind bending!
Definitely a lovely guy, really enjoyed getting the chance to chat with him for 5 mins.
And yes the difference in a Metro and a 6R4 is ridiculous isnt it!
Yeah I stuck my Mrs metro on its roof. It became the only metro with a vinyl roof 😂✌️
@@markthompson9914 vinyl roof… they’re so 80’s, shame they aren’t around as an option now 🤣🤣
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6
Can u remember the advert
“Two cars ? Well it’s three actually Ron” 😂
That was the kind of poop a good friend and I were up too in are last couple of years at school. We took a MK4 cortina that had hit something head on, flipped onto its roof, slid and stoved the back end in.
When it left our little council garage, it went through the Kings Lynn car auction as a MK5 cortina 🤣😂.
I’m glad I went to sea on the trawlers, cos putting dodgy motors back on the streets, could have got us into a lot of trouble. Still we were never skint as kids and the only 14 year olds who drove ourselves to school 😂✌️
Fantastic times..... big trouble was coming for you though so it's a good thing you went to sea!
guy is like a hawk, he is watching absolutely everything
@@ukdnbmarsh yeah he doesn’t miss a thing does he.
I was a guest at the Grampian Forest Rally recently. Typical guy who thinks I can get down the road a bit. My first passenger ride was in a MG3 Class car driven by 18 year old Thomas Milne....jeez that was an eye opener. I was totally humbled by the skill, the speed, the whole slideways and loud experience. Later that day I went out with Johnny MacKay in an Evo with sequential box and 350ish BHP. That was mind warping stuff. I know at 57 that my hands and feet could not be trained to keep up with the demands. Being thrown backwards under acceleration so hard my feet left the floor and floating in the harness under braking on gravel was something I'll never forget. Rally boys and girls got the mad skills.
The quick rally guys are something else aren't they! Sounds like a fantastic day out to me though. I am sure this car has done the Grampian Rally as it was based in Scotland from 2005-2015.
That brought a smile to my face and i wasn't even in the car. Amazing and thanks for sharing the experience. Big fan of the 6R4 and Guy.
@@TipTopMotors. thank you!! Really glad you enjoyed it.
Was in Tony Pond's 6R4 on my 11th birthday, to this day no other car has excited me as much as that.
I don't think it gets any better than that to be honest....
Nice, Where abouts mate :)
@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 Air cooled Porsche 911 does. My dad has owned one and a water cooled 911. Plus another 6 Porsche. Scary cars. I love the 6R4, especially watching this exact car on Car SOS and David Gillanders 3 x championship winning 6R4 being completely rebuilt. Plus a Ford Sierra Saphire Cosworth 4x4.
Love a Porsche.... cheers for watching the video and following the antics of this car on on SOS - if you search 'Top Gear Dad's Cars' we were on there too!
Well done great video 👏👏👏 I am 76yrs old and I saw the group B cars come threw Kielder Forest a 27 mile stage first time I saw a group B car it was frighting the ground was shaking after the last car came threw the track was like a ploughed field 👏👏
They were an incredible change when the Group B cars came out weren't they, moving to 4 wheel drive made such a huge difference, not to mention the power they gave them. Really pleased you like the video and thanks for commenting.
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 thank you 4 wheel drive think Jenson interceptor
Who doesn't love a Jenson Interceptor, what a stunning car!
Superb
I remember the golden wonder 6r4
What a sound you heard it 5 mins before it got to you
Oh and that was some great lines around that track
Thanks very kind of you... the Golden Wonder car was a real icon, and very successful too!
Driving/riding in these cars is a real experience. I was lucky enough to have a close mate that owned and rallied one in the early 2000's. He did some amazing work on improving the cars chassis dynamics and it was a beast to be a passenger in when he was testing it where we lived. We even had Colin McRae, (another 6R4 owner), fly down and land his helicopter on our farm whilst he visited my mate to talk 'Metro's'. Sadly he lost his life on his bike at the Nurburgring Ring in 2007. Great video.
Glad you liked the video, that's a great memory to have there of your time in a 6R4 and with Colin dropping in to see your mate. Sorry to hear of his accident.
I did the Nurburgring around that time. Was your mate on a bike that crashed on oil that fell out of a Porsche?
@@Norton1531 Unfortunately yes, he was the first rider in a small group to hit the Porsches dropped fluid. His name was Chris Woods, and he was a fantastic rider and driver and the cleverest bloke I've ever met. We all still miss him. (it was 2007)
@@d2cdl I think I stayed at the same guesthouse when I went over. There was a big map of the ‘Ring on the wall there where people wrote about incidents on the places on the map where the incidents happened. I remember reading on it about your friend. Think the landlord was called Brent.
Thought you were taking it steady and that it looked slow until I spotted the MPH reading! Thats shifting!! Yep, Guy Marting is a real bloke, listened to his Autobiography, well worth it.
@@jolyonnew4638 yeah the car is so capable it stays smooth and planted but we are up at 98/99mph on the straight every lap and it feels fast in the car for sure.
Great autobiography that isn’t it!
Takes you back to the Forest of Dean at 3am about 40 years ago!!
Oh yes, or Clipstone Forest for me aged 13 for the RAC!
Sweet lamb , Brechfa for me , best noise ever in the woods .
@@thelonerizla1 awesome venues 👌
awesome video, Guy Martin is a legend
Thank you! Yep he certainly is.
Love 6R4's! At first when I heard there was a Jag engine in it I was a bit disappointed but then hearing those figures....😱. Love Guy's genuine enthusiasm for everything!
Yeah the engine is built to a very similar spec at the originals, but for a fraction of the build and running cost. It goes well for sure..
Im a simple man i see Guy Martin i watch the video, i also love a 6R4 so excellent content.
Thanks for the kind words, really glad you enjoyed it!
Three legends together.
Everytime I watch your channel and you talk about it. I always think of that Leyland advert. That was made up of stuff they could lay there hands on.
Ha yes I like it... so many parts were used all over - I think the Lotus Espirit door handles were off a Morris Marina originally for example.
Loads of stuff like that went on!
Yeah but it's what makes us British making good things out of many bad cars parts 😅
@@No.Handle31 totally agree
What a glorious sound.
It make a great noise doesn't it, certainly hooked me when I saw them rallying as a child.
I hope Dennis Marshall was there, he really loves his 6R4's and his Millington 4M4's.
He was invited but not available sadly.
Brother in laws son in law has one races in Highlands to hear that sound in the Snowman Rallly makes the day so good
It that Dave Ross by any chance? The last rally the previous owner did in this car was the Snowman. I met him at Lanark when we bought it.
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 yes mate don't know how he got init been over 6 foot .
@@markpriestley7884 yeah his seat must just be nailed to the floor to get him in!! He can pedal it though that’s for sure..
The modern day Fred Dibna ! Great watch 👊
Thank you
he's a TT legend...so naturally loves everything mechanical and speedy...he's such a awsome dude
Hardly a TT legend! Just a legend in his own dreams
Mike Hailwood was a TT legend.
Guy Martin is only interested in promoting himself.
@@georgeclarke163 not after he nearly died in a horrible crash...in my eyes he's a legend...the guts he has to hop on bikes after that makes him a legend
These old group B cars have to be seen to be believed, saw a rs200 years ago on the road near Hayes around 1996, the speed and power were unforgettable!
Certainly a golden age for rallying and some pretty unhinged cars!
When the Circus came to NZ they used to race our club autocross while they were in town and you didn't just see them and hear them but you could feel these little monsters !
Great times!!
Guy clocks everything eyeing it up Next thing you know he goes home and builds one by eye 🤔
@@user-kc3fn1gu6g I wouldn’t put it past him for sure!
Guy is a great engineer, but the complexity of this engine is beyond him.
@alimantado373 I wouldn’t put it past his skills to be honest. He’s a talented guy.
Listen to the pure mechanical ness of it
Glorious great machines
Thank you! glad you liked it.
Two Engineering marvels Guy Martin and the Metro 6R4 fantastic video
@@PaulDoldenDetails couldn’t agree more!
Saw some (don’t know if can use alternative or genuine engine) in the forests of whinlatter, and grizedale about 20 yrs ago, and on a several of occasions in kielder a few yrs later. They’re getting very scarce now. I see less and less on the historic rally scene. Those sounded amazing! No popping turbo anti lag, just revs. I can totally understand the logic in an alternative engine to the cut-down xj220 built engine, and that transmission is very difficult to service or repair. Better to keep it as economical as possible (relatively). Nice video!
20 years ago and in competition, they would definitely be with original engines. There are only a small number about with engine swaps, but those tend to be the ones still getting out regularly.
Really glad you enjoyed the video - hopefully we have some others on the channel you'll like!
Unbelievable car!! What a piece of history they are!!
Incredible time for rallying and such a privilege to get to own one. Definitely a dream come true.
Very special cars the 6r4 love them 👌👊
Thank you!
I can remember seeing a field full of white 6R4 parked up at Cowley when they were outlawed and I think they were up for around £16,000 each. Then later in the early 2000 I was lucky enough to be taken around the Silverstone rally cross course in one such a great experience
Fantastic experience! The full run of 200 of them was stored in the compound at Longbridge, seemed like loads as they could not shift them but 200 is a tiny production run in modern terms.
They were a bargain at the clearance price though.
Lovely chap, he gave me some brake cleaner at Cadwell about fifteen years ago.
Very nice of him, seems a helpful bloke to me too
I bought a camshaft off Mike Barrat for a mini engine, supposedly a 731 . It was a standard camshaft. Took it back mini man !
Brilliant love guy Martin , and the 6R4 ain’t bad either!
👌😉
What a great time he had, good luck and best wishes. :>)
Thank you very much!
Cool car for its day, almost seems tame compared to some road cars today
@@fatrambo73 yeah the boundaries have moved a long way in 40 years - although the 0-60 it still up with a McLaren so she isn’t slow
Watched some of these on binbrook airfield around 2000 time, making the evos and scoobies look so slow. Absolutely deafening too.
They're certainly loud.. nowadays though the latest cars make them look slow - but they're fast enough for me for sure!
What a beast, what a sound. Brilliant.
Thank you!
Driver fully suited and booted , guy ………shorts 😂
Fantastic
@@MegaTube1313 No shits given by Guy 🤣🤣
Wish my mums 1989 1.3 sounded like this.
@@derf9465 that would have been awesome!
I have the front chin spoiler off a 6R4, in COMPUTERVISION livery, that got knocked of a 6R4 on the North West Stages Rally about 2012.
I contacted the owners and asked if they wanted it back. It was quite damaged. Never heard another word about it, so I still have it sat in my house.
Awesome souvenir! 👌👌
Love Guy, such a petrol head. Doesn’t matter what it is. A really nice ‘guy’
Couldn't agree more - he's a really nice bloke
Standing in the rain, sometime after 11pm on the West side of the isle of Mull in October fed up, cold, wet........ then you hear John Price in the 6R4 from about 1/2 a mile away, and we forget about the weather
As the road winds up though a forest to our front, the engine note rises and the hair on the back of our necks rises too!
Then the lights come over a rise and that V6 bellows past us the ground trembles to the noise and suddenly all our discomfort disappears
They make a special sound, watching the '85 RAC as a child was what got me hooked, on always supporting them over the Audi's Peugeots & Lancias!
John Price was such a love guy, and an incredible talent in a 6R4!
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6, John Price definitely knew how to pedal a 6R4. He was a leg-end. As did the Stojanov brothers. I marshalled the Promenade Stages Rally many times, and the early 2000s to the early 2010s, there were multiple 6R4s out competing. The rally runs around link roads on New Brighton Promenade, and there'd be 6R4s coming at you at full chat from all directions. It gave me a twitch in my Ys.
Salad days.
There were some proper oddball cars out on that event too. A RWD bike engined Mini, a Mk2 Escort running a Mazda rotary (which slaughtered the 1400cc class until the MSA changed the regulations), a Rover V8 engined 3 door Sierra Cosworth clone, and one time, a mid-engined, RWD, 3 door Mk2 VW Golf, running a 5.7 litre Chevrolet V8.
One time, there was a white RWD Sierra Sapphire Cosworth which had the wick turned WAY up, which just boiled it's rear tyres everywhere. I suspect the turbo inlet resistor might have 'fallen off.'
It arrived at my junction far too quick, the driver threw it in sideways, somehow got it through the junction, and then laid black stripes about 100 metres up the road after the junction.
He got a Wayne's World style, 'We're Not Worthy' salute as be came back past the junction next time. We got a beep & a wave. It was epic.
All before the MSA decided Rallying was FAR too exciting, and banned specials, bike engines & space frame chassis.
Fantastic times for sure... 👌👌👌
I was fortunate to work with John for a period of time.
He took me out in his Metro.
That's an experience I'll never forget.
I'll bet that was a VERY quick ride!
No car can or will ever stir my soul the same way the Mighty Metro 6R4 does.
I know that feeling...
A Spit will do it as well :) (subconsciously read your name as Bader lol)
A 6R4 until very recently held the closed car record at Shelsley Walsh hillclimb.
It did yes, that one was modified up to 800bhp, with twin turbos by Dr Ian Rowlance from 6R4.com who drives it. That is a real missile.
What a lovely soundtrack of a highly tuned V6 with straight cut gears!
Thank you! Over 100db inside - but it's a mechanical symphony!
Two obviously genuine enthusiasts having a great time. 👍👍
Very kind of you! Certainly enjoyed the experience of talking to him and going for a ride.
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 looks like a hell of a car too, I hadn’t realised the originals needed so much looking after, a Jag engine looks like a sensible swap.
Thank you, yep I have to be honest I have not been tempted to run one of the original engines, even if I could find £50k to buy one.. (which I can't)
When they changed the rules, there were 2 6r4 cars sat at a local dealer, can’t remember how much they were selling them for but it was so cheap it made you wince. Crazy days.
Amazing how they had to give them away back then and the value they have climbed to now!
Great to see you both enjoying that beautiful car. Thanks for sharing, keep them coming
@@micktuck5377 you’re welcome 👍 more to come soon 👌
Chris paddy and Guy Martin - New Top Gear line up would be great
@@Stickleback that would make it interesting for sure!
I read once that like most BL cars the engine for the 6R4 was prone to breaking even though in Clubman spec it only put out 250 bhp. Quite a lot in a car that weighed a 1000 kg and had 4wd to put it on the road. 4 seconds to 60 mph was indeed quick. When the engines were rebuilt time after time suffering the same breakages in the same places in the engine they started being replaced with Rover 3528 cc engines that could take a lot more bhp, however trying to keep in line with the V6 they were replaced by Peugeot 3.0 V6 which is said in rallycross able to put up with 650 bhp. I read the 4wd system wasn't that good, but not being a mechanic i cannot say why. The metro road cars were DS like nearly every other BL cars but they nailed it with the incarnation of the Metro 6R4
The initial 3 prototypes were developed using a Rover v* with 2 cyclinders removed to make a V6, this engine was a 2 valve per cylinder engine and for development only. While the custom designed V64V (V6 4 valve per cylinder) engine was designed and produced. The International spec cars were tuned up to 400/410bhp and the Clubman cars were sold at 250bhp but an upgrade kit was also available to make them 300bhp. Initial issues with the engines were them unshipping the belts so a carbon cover was designed and this stopped that problem. There was also some problems with dust ingestion in the engine, so in some countries (Spain for example) some cars were swapped to a Rover V8 3.5ltr - this engine wasn't chosen by Williams as it is a bit too big to fit in the car comfortably. The 4wd system was comparitive to the others in the era, it's a very dated and basic set up compared to modern cars.
I wasn't aware of anyone running a Peugeot 3.0V6 engine in a 6R4, but anything is possible!
Always wanted one...... never had the chance of even sitting in one, let alone had a sniff of one for sale. He is one very lucky person
There is one coming up for Auction in 2 weeks at Silverstone but it is a works car, driven by Malcolm Wilson and will be blooming expensive sadly.
It was a privilege to just get to spend time chatting to him and see his mind working on the engineering etc.
Its a fun day out by Guy wanting to full send it.😊😊
Yeah he was sending his Mini that's for sure... he can pedal a car and a bike!
6R4 crossed with his Mini coming soon ….lol ….Guy scoped that interior like he was mapping it….👍👌😉🇮🇲
@@ManxAndy 3D eye scanning and mapping ready to build his own version of one!
Such a genuine lover of all things metal .
@@Terry-Tibbs he certainly is 👍
Great job to the owner of this vehicle ,Dan I think he said?….the driver,
Think he just got took the experience as just another ride out and not getting giddy about being in the company of guy
As usual guy is just as always a all round top lad
@@ROFPR7 thanks - very kind of you, I was doing my best to keep it the same as any other rides from the same day!
Drive said it’s not as quick as a Focus, but a works 6R4 was recorded 134mph through the Kielder forest in 85 RAC rally. A WRC focus never did that
That's impressive.... on this occasion European Rally Championship driver Max McRae (nephew of Colin) was driving the WRC Focus and I'm just an amateur so I was not up to his pace!
Best sounding group b. Shame it was such a poky little course
@@kramnam4716 yeah it was a tight circuit but we had some fun on it 👍
Group B cars in the clocaenog forest in middle of night pitch black until the noise makes hairs stand up on whole of body. Guy Martin best British ambassador we have
That unique noise just gets to you doesn't it... had me hooked at 13 when I first saw them.
Guy is wonderful, I think collectively we now need to lobby , so he can have a lid that fits.
I don't know much about full face helmets, but it did look quite high up to me! Cracking bloke though...
I suspect that Guy has a collection of lids, that fit very well. Many of which manufacturers would have been very to have seen on such a talented rider as Guy Martin.
Love the fact the owner is dressed in fire proof race kit and Guy is in….well shorts and T-shirt 😂😂😂
No shits given by Guy....
Once again Dan, brilliant
@@russellfox8278 many thanks!!
Im here for the Group B legend.
The perfect reason to be here..
Had 2 rides in a 6R4 at bruntingthorpe ,£5 a go,,,, made my life!!🥰🥰💪💪👍
Fantastic..... and a bargain at a fiver a go too!!
Was that at the Asda family’s day where they did the wishes for kids thing launching disabled kids down bruntingthorpe runway. They ran the 6R4’s under the jumbo parked there.
Ah yes I have heard of the Asda days from one of the Historic clubs I am in. I never got to do any of those sadly. But I did do an event on there called Motor Madness and we did rides for £20 each. All funds went to Help For Heroes.
@@markspence3295 it was indeed, a brill day out!💪💪🍺👍
Fantastic stuff
Have to say that was a very timid drive. I remember a good number of years ago getting a drive with David Gillanders who was one of the works 6r4 drivers that contested the British rally championship back in the day. He took me on a short circuit drive which can only be described as frightening and at that time I rode around on what would be described back then as superbikes. He described driving the 6R4 not so much sitting inside and driving the car more a case of you strap it onto your back and go like hell.😂😮
You 'had' to say that? or was that just a way of telling me a works backed British champion is quicker than an amateur? Which isn't a surprise to anyone!
Maybe it was a way in to telling us you got a ride with David (a lovely guy and very talented!) and he went faster? Some experience I bet....
It's not a works funded car, and it is now 39 years old - so forgive me if I don't try and kill it when I drive it! But seeing as we caught 2 other cars on this ride I would say it could have been worse!
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6Somebody’s got there sensitive panties on…🤷♂️
Just a bit bored of people telling me I don't drive faster than a works driver.... always get one!
It's a 40 year old car now, I am not going to send it like the 80's now. far too valuable to damage compared with when they were sold off for £13k each back then!
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 I think he was just commenting on he expected you to give it a bit more Welly - which I can understand. I'm sure it was more of a comment than a criticism.
The thing is, when you look at the green bar for throttle position it was 100% and the shift light comes on for gear changes and I caught 2 cars in that short run.... what more can you do!? It wasnt filmed during a stage of a rally so we were driving accordingly.. someone always knows best despite not being there.
The video is really about what Guy thought, not about whether I can blast round an untimed trackday blitzing all the other owners in a race that didn't exist...
I saw one of these on the A1m up by Sandy/Biggleswade in the mid 80s when i was a kid. It was all white and must have been brand new. Never forgot that. Been fascinated with these things ever since
They're an awesome sight on the road! 👍
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 Totally, it sticks in my memory 40 years later. I had a RC datapost metro as a kid. It wasnt a 6r4 though but it was pretty good RC car for its time. The metro was quite a cool design in the early 80s. The little turbo one was pretty cool. I had an MG maestro (the crap 1600 one) which was a POS.
@@uv77mc85 the Metro GTA or Tyne Turbo were great little cars.. an absolute death trap by modern safety standards, but things were different back then!
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 I certainly wouldn't fancy crashing one. I bet it would fold like a coke can.
Search on UA-cam for 'Euro N Cap Crash Test Rover Metro' scary viewing!
That sounds wonderful
Thank you! 👍
Spot on mate! Loved every second of it :)
I see the critics are out in force :) Remember that opinions are like bum cracks. Everybody's got one and some are shittier than others. :)
I keep meaning to give you a bell but somehow just don't get around to it...
Thanks Nick - good to hear from you - will give you a call later in the week and catch up if that works for you?
I have never known Guy be quiet for so long as he lapped up everything the 6R4 was doing.
Thanks, he was certainly very interested and seemed to be taking it all in.
Imagine if Guy Martin had ever teamed up with Fred Dibnah, they would have probably built a steam powered traction engine that would do over 200 mph.
I’m pretty sure they would yes… 👌👌
fabulous mate
@@206wrctribute thanks mate
Got a ride around Knebworth Park in a 6r4 driven by David Llewlwin, he was an Austin Rover rally driver along with Alan Pond? ... They were there that day taking reporters out & having the neck of a giraffe i thought i would ask ... it payed off!!. Wont forget that in a hurry!!
Absolutely awesome result, well worth asking!! David could fly in one but Tony Pond and his mighty moustache were legendary in one after 3rd on the RAC in 1985!
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 In his Day David was absoloutely top tier :)
Yes he definitely was
When Guy built the racing Trabant is a really good watch. It’s the only time I’ve seen him scared .
That thing was crazy! He has made some great stuff
Nice one guy 👍👍
Cheers - glad you liked it
Quality video. Love the mutual enthusiasm for the car and the engineering involved. I guess you're the custodian for this amazing car.
Re spares, maybe an opportunity for specialists in Additive Manufacturing to remake castings.
I am yes, and it is a privilege to have it and share it with people. The problem with castings is there are not enough in use to need a constant supply of spares, so it ends up being CNC from billet one off production which makes things very expensive.
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 Additive Manufacturing is 3D printing but using metals in layers. Look up Directed Energy Deposition, the MOD have a programme (TAMPA) for sourcing obsolete parts via this process. There has be someone who can take the CAD data to print what would have been cast gearbox components. If not, it could be an opportunity for someone...
Sounds like a possible opportunity for sure!
Thanks for the info. Nice car
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video
That sound!😎
Cheers 👍
Great vid 👍🏻
@@mambastu thank you!
I had the great honour to passenger Tony Pond in a works Metro 6R4 at Bagshot in the early ‘80s. Sublime….
That must have been an amazing experience! A ride with the man himself is the stuff of dreams - very jealous of that!
@@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 I’ll never forget it. He was fast, smooth and a really nice guy. I was in the Army and working in a test and development role at MVEE in Surrey. We had a tarmac track at Longcross near Chertsey and the off road forestry track at Bagshot. I also had a ride at Bagshot in a Dakar Mitsubishi Pajero with Andrew Cowan.
@michaelw7438 ever more jealous now!! 🤣
I also was privileged to have a ride with Tony Pond in his TR7
Another incredible experience I am sure!!
Jodie Kidd and Guy Martin should have been the new Top Gear presenters, would have been fantastic
Certainly would!
Wonderful
Thank you!
i need a go in one of them! already have a 1800vvc
I bet that goes well 👍
Great video bit of a tame Sunday ride out though to be honest.
@@mginbolton 🥱😴😴
I’ve had the pleasure of going out in Jimmy McCrays 6r4… believe what they say!!!
What an amazing experience! 👌👍
Guy is obsessed with your gearbox lol
@@mattyaztec yeah he was loving the noises it was making!
I was under the impression the 6R4 could rev out to 9k? Am I wrong or is it just the cars clocking on 40 and age is a concern? Would never accuse you of babying it though. Very lucky owner and very lucky passenger too 👍
Cheers for the kind words..
The V64V maxes out a 9000 yes, unless they are a running the altered 2.5 engine, they can go 10,500 plus. This one had an engine transplant about 12/13 years ago and we are running an 8000 max with 7500 shift light. (the square orange metro indicator light about the steering wheel)
Brilliant 👍 ❤
Very kind, thank you!
Original MG Metro 6R4 Group B didn't have sequential gear box
No they have a dog box, with a dog leg first. This car was upgraded to a 6R4 rally cross sequential in the 1990's because it's been in competition from January 1987 onwards.
Was that Will Gollops car in front?
It is yes 👍
@AutoplasMetro6R4V6 Thought it was, loved these cars, followed rallycross and had a go back in the nineties. Happy days.
Awesome times for rally cross back then wasn’t it!
What a guy
absolutely... a top guy!
A great car, pity that it hasn't got a proper engine in it though. You told us what it cost when he bought it but not what it'd cost now. I assume more but I'm not really sure.
I am not sure it is a pity that is doesn't have the original engine, I wouldn't get to run it then!
On original engine on it's own is £50k+ now - and for an idea on the car value - try this link www.carandclassic.com/list/32/metro+6r4/