Soviet Lada's bold foray into Group B rally: The tale of Samara EVA

The rivalry in Group B was so spectacular that every manufacturer wanted to compete in it – even the Soviet Lada. Eventually, the Samara EVA project ended with moderate success, although it laid the groundwork for another model – the Dakar T3.

It's difficult to definitively say who and why initiated the Samara project competing in Group B, but it is known that the first specimen was created in Tallinn. A monster named Lada Turbo was born in the local truck factory, which only externally resembled the front-wheel-drive Samara – using its doors, lights, and front windshield.

Lada Turbo had a centrally located engine and rear-wheel drive. Given the advantage of the quattro system in certain sections, the Soviet vehicle was already at a technological disadvantage. The goal was for the car's weight to be under 1,050 kg.

The engine was sourced from the Samara, but its capacity was increased by nearly 0.3 litres (about 18.3 cubic inches) and it was equipped with a dual overhead camshaft head. Moreover, by combining turbocharging with fuel injection (technology that became common in production cars in 1996!), the unit generated around 300 horsepower.

The project ultimately leaked, but was not shut down – it fell into the hands of Lithuanian rally driver Stasys Brundza, who had contributed to the construction of the Lada 2105 VTFS. To compete, 200 production models had to be built. Surprisingly – the work began.

However, before the assembly line could fully ramp up, a series of accidents in Group B led FISA (the predecessor of the International Automobile Federation, FIA) to abolish this category. The car then had to be prepared to meet the requirements of Group S, birthing the Samara S-Proto.

Surprisingly, the Lada Samara S-Proto made an appearance at the Finland Rally in 1987… and that was virtually its only showcase. Well, not quite – the experience gained in the construction of the EVA was utilised in the construction of the Dakar T3. But that's a completely different story.