WTCC 1987 ALFA ROMEO 75 TURBO

With an eye on making a return to international touring car racing, Alfa Romeo developed a particularly potent version of the 75 1.8i Turbo sedan. Dubbed the Turbo Evoluzione, it was a homologation special on which the new Group A racer was to be based. While the 500 road going machines were built, the Alfa Corse engineers set about developing the competition car. The production road car was stripped down to a bare shell and a roll-cage was installed. An aggressive body-kit was fitted with purpose built bumpers, skirts and wider wheel arches. One of the things that set the Evoluzione apart from the regular 1.8i Turbo was its sleeved down four-cylinder engine. By bringing the displacement back to 1,762 cc, the turbocharged engine fitted in the three-litre category taking the 1.4 equivalency factor into account. In Group A trim, the engine produced around 280 bhp. Ahead of the 1987 season, Alfa Corse produced six examples to compete in the World Touring Car Championship. Among the drivers signed for this high profile campaign were Jacques Laffite and Michael Andretti. Unfortunately, the 75 Turbo Evoluzione proved no match for the dominant BMW M3, which had a superior chassis and ar