WATCH: Race for Glory, Audi vs Lancia trailer

Several of the world’s greatest motorsport rivalries have recently been documented on the big screen and soon there’ll be another one – this timing recounting the legendary World Rally Championship battle between Audi and Lancia in the early 1980s.

Fittingly dubbed ‘Race for Glory, Audi vs Lancia’, the upcoming feature film delves into the nitty-gritty behind-the-scenes politics, struggles and triumphs of arguably the greatest battle in WRC history, between two of the most iconic rally cars of all time – the monstrous Audi Quattro and stunning Lancia 037.

Every modern rally fan will have heard of the Group B Quattro and how it turned the WRC on its head, thanks to its innovative but savage all-wheel drive powertrain and space-age technology, and for the most part it dominated the competition save for a defiant Lancia, which persevered with a dainty chassis, lightweight body and rear-drive.

The all-paw Audi was famously the king of the dirt, while the more traditional and sportscar-like Lancia ruled the tarmac events with its slippery profile and lighter weight.

The film is directed by Stefano Mordini and stars Riccardo Scamarcio as Lancia’s factory WRC team manager Cesare Fiorio, Volker Bruch as former WRC world champion Walter Röhrl and Daniel Brühl as former Audi Sport special development boss Roland Gumpert.

Anyone going into this new high-octane flick should be aware the plot is based on true events as opposed to being an entirely historically accurate recount, as evidenced by a snippet in the trailer that shows the 037 car battling to pass the Quattro on the same stretch of road – something that only happens in rallying in the wake of a major mishap.

‘Race for Glory, Audi vs Lancia’ will hit cinemas on January 4 and is being distributed by Lionsgate.

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