Friday 27th October 2006

Ex-BTCC cars go up for sale

Check out PH's classifieds for great track cars

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A pair of ex-BTCC cars are being offered for sale, right here on PistonHeads' classifieds section.

They're the ex-Jason Plato and Jean-Christophe Bouillion Williams F1-prepared Renault Laguna FIA Class 2 Super Touring cars, chassis number 03 and 04.

Tech specs

• Engine: Race spec Renault / Sodemo 1998cc 4 cyl DOHC 16V iron block alloy head
• Gearbox: Williams/ Hewland six speed sequential
• Suspension: Front McPerson Strut; rear trailing arm; cockpit adjustable front and rear anti roll bars; Williams / Penske shocks; Eibach springs
• Brakes: AP Racing, twin four-pot callipers, water cooling
• Wheels and tyres: Good collection of OZ lightweight wheels and Michelin racing tyres
• Engine Management / Instrumentation/ Data logging: Williams/ Sodemo/ Magnetti Morelli

So if you fancy a runabout -- or something more serious -- maybe you should check them out...

• 1999 BTCC Williams Renault Leguna

[rpguk]

Wow!

They look surprisingly 'normal' without race livery.

Be funny to turn up to a trackday in that!

[mafioso]

WOW! I remember these and they don't look THAT dated! hehe

[baSkey]

so that's 30 grand the pair..? cool!

[erijaso]

I wonder how easy it is to make these road legal!!!!

[WIll Ferrari]

Cool! I thought these are like £300k each when new. Those big French saloons never hold their value that well! awesome

[waynepixel]

I only wished I had the cash to get them. Bargain track car for 30K from 300K. And you have some William F1 history in the car too.

[ProPlus]

not 30k the pair.... thought it looked too good.

30k each....

[Neil_c]

Imagine rocking up to your local Renault dealer with one for a service!

[killer2005]

I want

[kingb]

how quick will these things be round a track, what road car will they keep up with

[baSkey]

kingb said:

how quick will these things be round a track, what road car will they keep up with

they were pretty much formula 3 laptimes i seem to recall.

[FourWheelDrift]

kingb said:

how quick will these things be round a track, what road car will they keep up with

Found some representitive times here.

Silverstone International circuit.
1999 - Plato's Renault won the race, fastest race lap Aiello's Primera - 1m24.052s
2006 - Qualifying time for the British GT series, pole - Niarchos/Mullen Ferrari 430GT 1m22.768secs (class GT2)

So a full blown 1999 BTCC car is just about only 1sec slower than a current GT2 Ferrari. And I'm sure the BTCC qualifying times would have been quicker too!

[mybrainhurts]

Bah...FWD

[Parrot of Doom]

heh, I remember filming Jason Plato getting punted up the arse in one of those, by a Primera I think Plato called it a 'professional foul' - we all called it 'GET OUT OF THE WAY PLATO'

The guy that did it was disqualified IIRC, think it was at Knock Hill.

[kingb]

good q-car for a trackday toy then

[Mannginger]

I loved that era of BTCC:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bM5ua_bz5Y

Cracking commentary too!

Phil

[cj_eds]

Mannginger said:

I loved that era of BTCC:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bM5ua_bz5Y

Cracking commentary too!

Phil

agreed it was a great era, although spoilt a bit by the the Audi domination through 4WD one year.
Looking back it shows how bad the racing has become in that series now.

[viper_larry]

Only picture I could find in the racing livery:

[emicen]

Sorry, but theres real rose tinted glasses being used here. By 1999 the racing had become terrible which is why the series was re-invented and the super touring regs disposed of.

The racing at Knockhill this year was every bit as close as that action.

[FourWheelDrift]

The BTCC today is a shadow of it's former self. Very few manufacturers and pi$$ poor bumper car racing tactics. Honda, Vauxhall and Seat are the only big named team runners but back in the 1990's you had BMW, Ford, Alfa, Renault, Honda, Toyota, Peugeot, Mazda, Vauxhall, Nissan and Volvo.

I'm glad they are dumping the BTCC rules for next year and following the WTCC Super Touring rules, we should see more cars and manufacturers on the grid.