Wrote this myself, so maybe not 100% accurate! Thought while im bored I would write something to define our cars in Motorsport and differentiate the "Kitcars" from the "Super 1600s" from the "Maxis"
Ill stress this is all my interpretation of the rules and my own research etc.
Background
Formula 2 was a Rally class built by the FIA to use 2WD, naturally aspirated road going homologated cars, essentially the cars used were called “kitcars”, due the nature that you could literally buy a kit from the Manufacturer and build yourself a rally car. Many manufacturers got involved, examples being Seat, Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, Ford and Skoda.
The rules, in a nut shell meant anything goes modification wise, up to 2.0L engine capacity. The manufacturers would have to homologate the rally counterpart cars in order to compete. Formula 2 in itself is a playing field for Engineers, finding loopholes in the rules and pushing the envelope of tuning and cost. It ultimately went the same way as the Group B cars.
Super 1600 is a class made by the FIA in 2001 designed for 1600cc cars. These were restricted in a few ways: power, gearbox and weight. A 60mm single throttle body was only allowed and the weight was capped at 930kg less drivers. A sequential gearbox had to be used instead of the H pattern found in a Kitcar. This was designed to reduce costs.
Now ill talk about the difference between a Saxo Kitcar/106 Maxi (F2 rules) and a Super 1600.
At first, there was a 106 "kitcar". This was based on an S1 shell, standard width track and the engine used a 1600 8v, reportedly having circa 170bhp. This was Peugeots learning curve for the 106 Maxi, which was a full on Formula 2 car using the 1600 16v engine on individual throttle bodies and wide tracked. Maxi literally meaning “maxing the rules”. The engine had between 200-220bhp depending on year of evolution, reportedly making 238bhp when an ex works car came from France to England. When Super 1600 rules came in, Peugeot axed the 106 and built the 206 Super 1600 for a dedicated program. The Maxi was updated by a few people using a sequential box, but it has no real place of competition in an FIA backed event.
The Saxo Kitcar was built in the 90s and used individual throttle bodies and had circa 210bhp. The car limited the F2 rules as did the 106 Maxi, odd for a 1600cc car as Citroen had the ZX and later, the Xsara, and Peugeot had the 306 Maxi, both 2000cc. When Formula 2 was axed by the FIA, the Saxo Kitcar had no where to go and rally, so Citroen simply updated the Saxo Kitcar to Super 1600 spec, such differences in the induction system, gearbox, suspension and exhaust. Identical cars on the outside, but very different on the inside. The engine however still made similar power to that of the Kitcar. Citroen then dropped the Saxo and built the C2 to Super 1600 regulations.
Ill finally add, the only thing standard on these cars were probably the badges!
Saxo Kitcar:
Saxo S1600:
Thanks for reading!
Maxi... Kitcar... S1600?
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