AN F1-POWERED GROUP C CAR IS NEAR PERFECTION
Group C is rightfully remembered as one of the more exciting eras of sports-car racing. Cars like the Porsche 956, Jaguar XJR-9 and Mazda 787B are responsible for that reputation, but they’re far from the only interesting cars from that period. Take this Brun C91 for example, which just laid down a dominant performance at the 2023 Dix Mille Tours at Circuit Paul Ricard.
You’d be excused for being unfamiliar with the Brun C91, as it only made an appearance at four races during the 1991 season, starting with the fifth round at the Nürburgring. The car never actually managed to finish during its active racing career, as a slew of technical difficulties ended each of its four grid entries. That wasn’t for a lack of trying on the part of Brun Motorsport, who had previously had some success with Porsche’s 956 and 962. The C91 employs a carbon monocoque chassis, as well as 3.5-liter Judd V-8 from an F1 car. Power was routed through a six-speed manual gearbox, which adds to the glory of the footage from the event.
Despite the Brun C91’s lack of in-period success, the car was far from unreliable during the recent festivities at Circuit Paul Ricard. Thanks to YouTuber 19Bozzy92, we have a chance to hop aboard as driver Alex Müller attacks the French track. This video in question was filmed during Müller’s qualifying session, during which time he managed to snag pole position ahead of the competition. The pair would retain that lead by the end of the event, securing a race finish and race win for the C91 after all of these years. While securing a win at a historic racing event surely doesn’t carry the same level of satisfaction as a victory in period, I’m sure the team at Brun Motorsport are tickled by Müller’s showing. Hopefully we get to watch and listen to the C91 rip around circuits across the world for years to come.