Because of the precision and artistry involved in motorsport, you often find cars that are either so inspirational that entire championships are made to see them compete, or they sow the seeds for the destruction of others.
Whether because they pushed the envelope just a little too far, revealed fundamental flaws with the format or were just too good that nobody wanted to compete, here are cars that ended motorsport categories.
Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R – Group A Touring Cars
A Japanese saloon so unbelievably fast and powerful that it was known as Godzilla, the Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R was so good that it actually managed to kill off two entire categories.
It was essentially untouchable in the Australian Touring Car Championship, to the point that the division abandoned the FIA Group A configuration in favour of using both Super Touring and what became V8 Supercars.
Meanwhile in Japan’s JTC, it literally never lost a race, winning all 29 races it entered and leading to the championship adopting the Super Touring category used primarily in Europe at the time.
In the end, the FIA largely abandoned Group A entirely for touring cars until 1997 when it was replaced by World Rally Car.
Ford RS200 – Group B World Rally Championship
On the subject of the World Rally Championship, the top-ranking category of rally competition was at one point Group B, a division that was equal parts astonishing, exciting and deeply controversial.
Consisting of highly modified four-wheel-drive hatchbacks and short-wheelbase sports cars such as the Renault 5 Turbo, Peugeot 205 GTI T16, the Lancia 037 and Delta S4 and the famous front-spoiler MG Metro 6R4.
However, the most ambitious and consequential car to race in Group B was one of the last to be made, the Ford RS200.
Custom-made and late to the party, it aimed to hit the ground running in 1986, but in no small part due to its infamous turbo-lag and unusual handling qualities, it was part of one of two hideous accidents, one which killed its driver and co-driver, the other which killed spectators and the series itself.
The Rally de Portugal accident, where an RS200 veered into a group of spectators, killing three and injuring 31, ultimately led to the end of Group B, something that the RS200 is often, albeit not always fairly blamed for.