Monday 13th September 2010

Next-Gen BTCC Toyota Revealed

Can you tell what it is yet? Sketch reveals new-look BTCC racer

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This artist's impression is the first glimpse of the Toyota Avensis NGTC (Next Generation Touring Car), the testbed for new BTCC rules due to come into force in 2011.

As we revealed a few weeks ago, The GPR Motorsport-built NGTC Avensis will make its in-the-metal debut during the weekend of the final BTCC meeting of the season at Brands Hatch this October, with double BTCC champ James Thompson - the official NGTC test driver - at the wheel.

Although the cost-saving NGTC regulations come into force next year (and three cars have already used the 1.6-litre turbocharged NGTC engine this year), the current S2000-spec racers will be eligible until 2013.

But if you want to be among the first to see what a fast Toyota Avensis looks like (and in your darkest moments you might, we suppose, have wondered about that once or twice), we suggest you get over to Brands next month.

Don't expect a repeat of Toyota's BTCC successes of the early 90s come the beginning of the next BTCC season, however - the automotive giant currently has no official plans to enter a works team in the BTCC.

[appletonn]

Hmm, I understand that the BTCC need to reduce costs, but can't help wondering what effect a 1.6l engine, dampened by the turbo effect, will have on the aural sensations of the spectacle that is BTCC?

Lets get rid of turbos and just have a capacity limit of, say 1.8l, but as many cylinders as you like?!!

I'll get my coat!

[forzaminardi]

Its the way of the World, with F1, Indy and WRC also going toward ostensibly 'weedy' engines in the name of cost and environmental concerns. On the bright side, when the 'classic' BTCC engine rules were announced everyone thought "2 litre, front wheel drive cars will be pants" after the old M3/Sierra days. There's a chance the cars will be good and at least these rules promise to put all on an ostensibly even level.

On the subject of Toyota, can there be a worse basis for a racing car than an Avensis? Surely its the ultimate personality-free car?

[touring fan]

The PH story got it wrong. BTCC is going 2 litre turbo.
(Its the world touring car series thats going 1.6 turbo)

And even though its just an Avensis I reckon that car looks great. Which I guess is just what that model needs.

Edited by touring fan on Monday 13th September 08:49

[dlockhart]

Som artist has drawn a picture of how a Toyota may look if Toyota were to enter BTCC, Which they aren't. So am I missing something here?

[touring fan]

dlockhart said:

Som artist has drawn a picture of how a Toyota may look if Toyota were to enter BTCC, Which they aren't. So am I missing something here?

Yes you are.
That's what the car will look like when it debuts at Brands Hatch next month.
http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=5250

Edited by touring fan on Monday 13th September 09:08

[The Wookie]

appletonn said:

Hmm, I understand that the BTCC need to reduce costs, but can't help wondering what effect a 1.6l engine, dampened by the turbo effect, will have on the aural sensations of the spectacle that is BTCC?

Plenty of turbo engines already, I don't think they really sound much different. Anyway, the BMW's sound like they've dropped a valve when they're idling!

[Altrezia]

forzaminardi said:

On the bright side, when the 'classic' BTCC engine rules were announced everyone thought "2 litre, front wheel drive cars will be pants" after the old M3/Sierra days.

And they were right! - Btcc is so effin' dull compared to a few years ago. A shame.

[touring fan]

Altrezia said:

forzaminardi said:

On the bright side, when the 'classic' BTCC engine rules were announced everyone thought "2 litre, front wheel drive cars will be pants" after the old M3/Sierra days.

And they were right! - Btcc is so effin' dull compared to a few years ago. A shame.

Compared to a few years ago? A few years ago it was 2 litre too.

The series has been 2 litre for nearly 20 years!
You actually think the 90's era was 'dull' when it was 2 litre? Wow.

Edited by touring fan on Monday 13th September 10:30

[GrahamG]

It won't look like that for long - Plato will punt it into the pit wall within a lap

[emicen]

[mr burns] Excellent... [/mr burns]

You have to wonder, Toyota sniffing about WRC events and now an Avensis being used as the NGTC test bed, could they be thinking about other uses for the resources at TTE. God I hope so. Forget about F1 and go back to what they did well!

[glazbagun]

Altrezia said:

forzaminardi said:

On the bright side, when the 'classic' BTCC engine rules were announced everyone thought "2 litre, front wheel drive cars will be pants" after the old M3/Sierra days.

And they were right! - Btcc is so effin' dull compared to a few years ago. A shame.

WTF? 90's era BTTC with the 2ltr FWD Cavaliers, Alfa 155's & Toyota Carina's provided some of the best racing I've ever seen on TV!

[emicen]

glazbagun said:

Altrezia said:

forzaminardi said:

On the bright side, when the 'classic' BTCC engine rules were announced everyone thought "2 litre, front wheel drive cars will be pants" after the old M3/Sierra days.

And they were right! - Btcc is so effin' dull compared to a few years ago. A shame.

WTF? 90's era BTTC with the 2ltr FWD Cavaliers, Alfa 155's & Toyota Carina's provided some of the best racing I've ever seen on TV!

Indeed, contrary to popular opinion, I think things went utterly tits up when Super Touring came in to existence around 94/95 (94 they had the bigger wheels iirc, 95 the wings and splitters came in to play).

The works & Ecurie Eccose Cavaliers on the gold BBS rims vs. the Securicor CarinaE vs Listerine 318iS etc. Brilliant racing!

[touring fan]

emicen said:

glazbagun said:

Altrezia said:

forzaminardi said:

On the bright side, when the 'classic' BTCC engine rules were announced everyone thought "2 litre, front wheel drive cars will be pants" after the old M3/Sierra days.

And they were right! - Btcc is so effin' dull compared to a few years ago. A shame.

WTF? 90's era BTTC with the 2ltr FWD Cavaliers, Alfa 155's & Toyota Carina's provided some of the best racing I've ever seen on TV!

Indeed, contrary to popular opinion, I think things went utterly tits up when Super Touring came in to existence around 94/95 (94 they had the bigger wheels iirc, 95 the wings and splitters came in to play).

The works & Ecurie Eccose Cavaliers on the gold BBS rims vs. the Securicor CarinaE vs Listerine 318iS etc. Brilliant racing!

They had 10 manufacturers with big money works teams, big name drivers (Mansell etc), massive crowds and great racing.
So I sure hope it goes 'utterly tits up' again!!!

[308mate]

Is there also talk of Toyota muscling in on V8 Supercars with a V8 Camry or Avensis or Lexus-derived something or other?

Though Toyota claims not to have an immediate interest in touring cars, I think they might be looking to it again to help patch up the PR disaster of North America's attempt to oust them.

[DJC]

How about a no wings and no venturi tunnels formula?
Road cars dont really need them anyway to be perfectly honest, certainly not family cars.

So just one formula that relied on big fat slicks giving mechanical grip and as much power as you want from your 2ltr turbo engine.

[sprinter1050]

Don't quite get the point of why Toyota has gone to the lengths of producing this Avensis if they are not entering a works NGTC car ? Are they then entering it in WTC ?

As far as overall comments about "watchability" of Touring Cars I still find it as entertaining to watch as the Menu Laguna, Cleland Cavalier,Sytner-Soper BMW, Hoy Toyota etc days (well, almost )

Plenty of door/mirror nudging, privateers giving the "big boys" a challenge & innovation ( LPG powered Focus) going on. Not to mention the personal niggles between drivers. WTCC almost seems a bit bland in comparison.

[y2blade]

GrahamG said:

It won't look like that for long - Plato will punt it into the pit wall within a lap

[emicen]

touring fan said:

emicen said:

glazbagun said:

Altrezia said:

forzaminardi said:

On the bright side, when the 'classic' BTCC engine rules were announced everyone thought "2 litre, front wheel drive cars will be pants" after the old M3/Sierra days.

And they were right! - Btcc is so effin' dull compared to a few years ago. A shame.

WTF? 90's era BTTC with the 2ltr FWD Cavaliers, Alfa 155's & Toyota Carina's provided some of the best racing I've ever seen on TV!

Indeed, contrary to popular opinion, I think things went utterly tits up when Super Touring came in to existence around 94/95 (94 they had the bigger wheels iirc, 95 the wings and splitters came in to play).

The works & Ecurie Eccose Cavaliers on the gold BBS rims vs. the Securicor CarinaE vs Listerine 318iS etc. Brilliant racing!

They had 10 manufacturers with big money works teams, big name drivers (Mansell etc), massive crowds and great racing.
So I sure hope it goes 'utterly tits up' again!!!

Believe Mansell was only there for the Toca shoot out in 94 and (with the assistance of a certain Tiff Needel) didnt exactly do much other than mangle a Mondeo?

That number of works teams will never be seen on the grid again due to the structure of the motor industry now imho. Manufacturers wont race against their other selves.

Taking teams from 94-98:
Mazda + Ford + Volvo (ok Ford have now ditched Volvo but they were all under the same banner at one point)
Renault + Nissan

So out those 5, you'd realistically now get 2 at best. Now consider the years before the cost explosion of super touring with 19in slicks, custom built tubular suspension etc etc. Was the racing really not close in the early 90s like I mentioned with the Listerine BMWs, Securicor Carinas etc?

The main sticking point will all motorsport right now is cost. The BTCC has to lead from the front and with the advent of NGTC rules also say no to the amount of contact thats going on. Then instead of spending 50k a year repairing the one car they are running, a team could consider running a second for not a lot more.

Bigger grids give more chance of close racing. Plain and simply, I dont think the Supertourers themselves were the cause of the great racing, it was simply manufacturers throwing so much money at it that there were packed grids and the inevitable came out of it.

[soxboy]

You would have though the powers that be would be saying 'right, let's stand back and see when touring cars were the most popular, and we'll copy that'.

To me, the Sierra Cosworth/ M3 days were the best, but that would be prohibitively expensive. To increase grid variety that's the cars of the mid - late 90's:

Audi A4
Alfa 155
BMW 320
Mondeo
Honda Accord
Nissan Primera
Peugeot 405/6
Renault Laguna
Toyota Carina
Vauxhall Cavalier/ Vectra
Volvo 850

I'm sure the lions share of the above would like another piece of the action, plus other manufacturers who have entered the motorsport fold since, eg. Mercedes, Chevrolet, Seat.

A simple formula with 2.2 litre NA engines or 1.6 turbos, power limit of 300 bhp, standard factory suspension points, limited moving of seats & engine mounts, limit on size of brakes, no additional spoilers other than that available as standard.

Front, rear or 4 wheel drive allowed. Ballast penalty for results.

Control tyres, limit on engine life.

I would have thought these rules saved a fortune.

[alphaone]

Racing avensis ??

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha please i cant take any more ..

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha what a joke !