Mercedes coming to the BTCC in 2014

[FourWheelDrift]

Ciceley Racing are building an A-Class for next year.

http://www.crash.net/btcc/news/196165/1/mercedes-b...

[Roo]

Saw that on Twitter earlier. Good looking car.

[emicen]

Looking good for new manufacturers coming in with some interest in the Megane mock up.

[Sea Demon]

emicen said:

Looking good for new manufacturers coming in with some interest in the Megane mock up.

Its not really the manufacturer coming in though is it - a team has bought a new car & building it to the BTCC NGTC regs, no backing from Mercedes.

[Logie]

Still a Merc in the field thou, im guessing the costs must be ok if someone can bring in something like that A Class and have it to built ready to run. Unless he's blown all the budget and most not ever crash in during 2014

[FourWheelDrift]

Standard NGT engine, xtrac gearbox, AP racing clutch, spec ECU. Then build up the roll cage frame, chassis, nail on the body panels and wheels and you're away. Shouldn't be any more expensive than building an Avensis, BMW 1 or a Passat or anything else.

[anonymous-user]

Relatively cheap for them to be honest, they are reusing most of the parts from the Avensis.

[indigorallye]

Cicely Commercials: Mercedes Commercial Dealer of the Year 2013.
I doubt they are paying too much for the cars.

[cupofbeans]

tux said:

Relatively cheap for them to be honest, they are reusing most of the parts from the Avensis.

That was just PR bullst from Alan Gow. The Avensis is for sale at the end of the season. Why strip a £200k racecar to pieces to build another when you can cash in? Demand will be high for a used NGTC car in the close season.

[anonymous-user]

cupofbeans said:

That was just PR bullst from Alan Gow. The Avensis is for sale at the end of the season. Why strip a £200k racecar to pieces to build another when you can cash in? Demand will be high for a used NGTC car in the close season.

Ahh ok, i thought they had stated it in their press release as well but upon further reading it would appear it was Gow who said it and not the team

[cupofbeans]

tux said:

Ahh ok, i thought they had stated it in their press release as well but upon further reading it would appear it was Gow who said it and not the team

Yeah it's a variation on the usual stuff he comes out with. "This is a perfect demonstration of the BTCC's new NGTC regulations blah blah......"

[DiscoColin]

cupofbeans said:

tux said:

Ahh ok, i thought they had stated it in their press release as well but upon further reading it would appear it was Gow who said it and not the team

Yeah it's a variation on the usual stuff he comes out with. "This is a perfect demonstration of the BTCC's new NGTC regulations blah blah......"

Closer to the truth perhaps is that they will likely have a range of gear and spares that they will keep (including engines and likely gearboxes). The old car may go as a rolling chassis and if so that would confer at least a smell of legitimacy to the statement even if it is still something of a rampant overstatement?

[Fonz]

Has anyone successfully sold an NGTC car second hand yet?

[cupofbeans]

DiscoColin said:

Closer to the truth perhaps is that they will likely have a range of gear and spares that they will keep (including engines and likely gearboxes). The old car may go as a rolling chassis and if so that would confer at least a smell of legitimacy to the statement even if it is still something of a rampant overstatement?

Yeah probably as a rolling chassis. Apparantly few people buy the Swindon engines now and they are mostly leased for the season.

Fonz said:

Has anyone successfully sold an NGTC car second hand yet?

The Wrathalls sold the 2011 car to Morgan for this season. Thorney sold their Insignias to one of Gilham's sponsors, but took a hit. £250-300k to build the first car, then sold it for £200k including the Swindon engine which they owned. Think it's about £25k to buy the engine?

[emicen]

DiscoColin said:

cupofbeans said:

tux said:

Ahh ok, i thought they had stated it in their press release as well but upon further reading it would appear it was Gow who said it and not the team

Yeah it's a variation on the usual stuff he comes out with. "This is a perfect demonstration of the BTCC's new NGTC regulations blah blah......"

Closer to the truth perhaps is that they will likely have a range of gear and spares that they will keep (including engines and likely gearboxes). The old car may go as a rolling chassis and if so that would confer at least a smell of legitimacy to the statement even if it is still something of a rampant overstatement?

Sure I remember hearing Wrathal's Avensis (original one) was different from the 2 Speedworks in that his ran a Toyota engine not the Swindon one. If that's the case I can't see them carrying that over in to the Merc.

[emicen]

Yep:
http://blog.toyota.co.uk/turbocharged-toyota-power...

So the question would have to be if Dynojet sold the car to Ciceley with that engine, or Dynojet kept it and Cicely slotted in a Swindon unit.

[rubystone]

indigorallye said:

Cicely Commercials: Mercedes Commercial Dealer of the Year 2013.
I doubt they are paying too much for the cars.

Apparently the car is being built at Mercedes F1's Brackley facility and Casey Stoner has signed up to drive it.

[The Wookie]

emicen said:

Yep:
http://blog.toyota.co.uk/turbocharged-toyota-power...

So the question would have to be if Dynojet sold the car to Ciceley with that engine, or Dynojet kept it and Cicely slotted in a Swindon unit.

Adam's car uses the Swindon NGTC engine.

Also, although the cars are nominally the same and look the same, there are small design differences such as NGTC system mounting height (i.e. the height of the body in relation to the NGTC structure) and things like fuel tank location and orientation.

[coppice]

Whatever; given the spec formula nature which BTCC has sunk too we could also have all sorts of exotica and extinct species being revived - Isotta Fraschini anybody,Jowett or De Dion? We've got MG after all...