He then spent many years driving for BMW, although he also drove for Mercedes in 1980, gaining a fifth place in Rally de Portugal as his best finish.

[2] In 1984 he joined Mazda, initially playing a key role in developing the rear-wheel drive Group B RX-7.

Following the prohibition of Group B, Carlsson found himself with a competitive advantage due to his extensive experience in lesser-powered cars.

[2] Carlsson took his first WRC victory on the opening round of the 1989 season in Sweden, and also went on to win Rally New Zealand later in the year.

At the end of 1991 Mazda pulled the plug on its rally programme and Carlsson retired from the WRC.