Homologation specials are road-legal versions of race cars built to meet certain specifications and quotas for the race car to be allowed into the competition.
To car enthusiasts, few models are as desirable as the homologation specials, as they tend to feature unique styling, crazy specs, and plenty of power.
We’ve made a list of 13 fantastic homologation specials we’d love to drive, but there are many more out there, ranging from mild and affordable to pure unobtainium.
Dodge Charger Daytona / Plymouth Superbird
Originally, NASCAR race cars were based on models available at dealerships, but by the late 1960s, they had to be homologated. In 1969, Dodge had to build 500 Charger Daytonas to take it racing. The Charger was fitted with a nose cone, massive rear wing, and a 426 Hemi engine, and was ready to go racing.
The following year, Plymouth built its version, called the Superbird, and these two winged warriors dominated the NASCAR circuit until aero cars were banned in 1971.
BMW M3 (E30)
BMW’s first and most iconic M3 was actually built to win touring car races in the German DTM racing series. While it looks similar to the regular BMW 3 series, the two only shared a handful of parts.
Over the years, it received a couple of updates, including updated aero parts, and the engine grew from 2.3 to 2.5 liters and gained around 40 horses in the process. It dominated touring car championships worldwide for years to come and was crowned the king of DTM until Mercedes-Benz came up with the 190E Evo II.
Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II
Nowhere near as famous as its rival, we had to include the M-B 190E Evo II as it was the car that dethroned the legendary M3 DTM racer.
It had wider fenders, a massive rear wing, and functional aero, and there was no mistaking it for a regular 190E. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine produced a very respectable 232 horsepower, and with only 502 cars made, it’s highly desirable and ridiculously expensive today.
Sierra RS500 Cosworth
Ford blew everyone’s mind when it revealed the Sierra RS Cosworth in 1986. With 200 horsepower going to the rear wheels, it was a supercar slayer that regular people could afford. However, Ford had more tricks up its sleeve.
On paper, the limited edition Sierra RS500 Cosworth only developed slightly more power, but the engine could produce silly amounts of power with proper tuning. The Sierra RS500 Cossie then went on to dominate racing series worldwide for years to come. Statistically, it’s the most successful road-derived racecar ever, having won 84.6% of the races it participated in.
Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion
The Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion was supposed to resemble the 996, but besides the headlights, they’re nothing alike. It was built to take advantage of some rulebook loopholes, as the regulations were more relaxed for homologation cars than pure race cars.
With 540 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, the 911 GT1 road car was unbelievably powerful in the late 1990s. It could hit 62 mph in just 3.8 seconds, which was practically unheard of then.
Nissan R390
In the late 90s, Nissan competed against big motorsport names like Porsche and McLaren in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Obviously, they needed a proper GT1 race car to do so. Since the homologation rules stated that manufacturers had to build at least one road-going version of the race car, that’s exactly what Nissan did.
Nissan’s R390 road car uses the same 550-horsepower 3.5-liter twin-turbo V8 as the race car. Its acceleration is allegedly similar to that of the race car, but since its body is even more slippery, its top speed exceeds 220 mph. No one has dared to find out, though.
Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Straßenversion
Porsche and Nissan weren’t the only ones to make road-going versions of their GT1 race cars. Mercedes joined the party with the CLK GTR Straßenversion. The race version was so dominant in its class that all the competitors had withdrawn within two years.
Mercedes-Benz built 28 road-going CLK GTRs. Two were prototypes, and there were six roadsters and 20 coupes. Two of those coupes were of the “SuperSport” variant and packed 7.3-liter engines instead of the 6.9-liter unit found in the “regular” models.
Audi Sport Quattro
By the mid-1980s, the competition had caught up to Audi and its Quattro on the world rally stages. Something had to be done, and that resulted in the Sport Quattro.
Audi shortened the Quattro’s wheelbase by five inches and then used fiberglass, carbon fiber, and kevlar to make new body panels to make it lighter and stronger than ever. The five-cylinder engine was also given some attention and could run at the 7,300 rev limit continuously for 24 hours. If that’s not impressive, keep in mind that its massive turbocharger was pumping in 44 psi of boost. Unfortunately, it would only take home two WRC victories before Group B rallying was banned.
Lancia Stratos
The Lancia Stratos looks like a 1970s supercar, but it was actually designed from the ground up to be a rally car. Only the Italians would make a rally car with jaw-droppingly good looks.
Even its engine had some supercar roots, as it was sourced from Ferrari. More specifically, it was the 190-horsepower 2.4-liter V6 from the Dino. On the road, the Stratos is skittish and unstable, but it was a proper weapon in the hands of professional rally drivers.
Ford RS200
Ford has been involved with rallying for many decades, and its efforts have resulted in some of the most excellent road cars ever. One such model was the RS200, a car designed specifically for Group B rallying. It never achieved rally greatness, as FIA shut down the whole class due to accidents and deaths after the RS200’s first year.
The RS200 still garnered a cult-like following and has become one of the most famous cars from the Group B era. As its name suggests, only 200 cars were built, and they were all powered by a mid-mounted turbocharged 1.8-liter engine that sent up to 450 horses to all four wheels.
Peugeot 205 T16
So far, we’ve covered some fantastic Group B rally car homologation specials, but the Peugeot 205 T16 is arguably the greatest of them all. The T16 may look like a regular 205 with a widebody kit and raised suspension, but there’s much more to it than that.
It has a mid-mounted 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that churns out roughly 200 horsepower—roughly half of the rally car’s power. All those horses were sent to all four wheels, which meant it had grip for days. Only 200 were made, and you’ll rarely find one for sale.
Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution
Moving on from Group B rally cars, we find a different off-road vehicle. Mitsubishi is best known for its Evo lineup of WRC cars, but in 1997, they wanted to give the Dakar Rally a go and needed a beefed-up SUV.
The Pajero Evolution is a two-door model fitted with a 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 that’s usually found under the hood of the Galant or Eclipse. Exterior-wise, the Pajero Evo looked purposeful, with a hood scoop, mudflaps, and an aggressive body kit. Perhaps the most surprising thing is that Mitsubishi built 2,300 Pajero Evolutions.
Toyota GR Yaris
The last car on our list is a modern-day rally car—the Toyota GR Yaris. It’s not the first rally homologation special Toyota has built, as the first Celica GT-Four (or All-Trac in the US) arrived in the mid-1980s. However, the GR Yaris is one of the best cars Toyota has made (in terms of fun), and it’s even attainable to regular people.
Powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine, the GR Yaris sends 270 horses to all four wheels via an adjustable AWD system. You can set it up to deliver tons of grip or endless oversteer. With a 0 to 60 mph time of 5.5 seconds and a 142 mph top speed, it’ll keep up with some proper sports cars, too.
