RE: The best BTCC car ever: PH Blog
Discussion
lemmingjames said:
Team Dynamics Integra Type R, purchased a few months before the season from importers, 'minimal' design done (i believe, the team raved about the factory chassis along with alot of commentators), rocked up won Matt Neal the Championship (1st time a privateer beat the factory?) in its 1st season, won the championship in its 2nd, rules changed so TD couldnt run it anymore and was subsequently run by smaller teams but to less success
Only because s2000 became the main type of car so to keep up with the field it had to change to a s2000 civic one of only 3 other s2000 cars built in Britain. The others being the ford focus Vauxhall vectra and vw golf the rest were from the wtcc.My early touring car fav's were the BMW 3.0 CSL but it does not really count as a BTCC car, still deserves a photo, I had this very photo on my bedroom wall as a kid
The little Metro turbo deserves a mention when Tony Pond did a great job at Donnington against the bigger engined cars.
The 635 csi sounded and looked fantastic and if it was not for the shock and awe of the Sierra Cosworth would still be my favourite touring car: Mike Newman was one of the last to keep running these in group A
The Colt Starion deserves a mention this car dominated Prod saloons when it appeared in early narrow body form and Dave Brodie developed a group A version, looked great
The 3 door Cosworth is my choice, I had a road car version and loved it, even though the later 4x4 cars were better on the road there was something special about these monsters, my one had 340 bhp and was hard work on normal cold/damp roads but great fun.
The little Metro turbo deserves a mention when Tony Pond did a great job at Donnington against the bigger engined cars.
The 635 csi sounded and looked fantastic and if it was not for the shock and awe of the Sierra Cosworth would still be my favourite touring car: Mike Newman was one of the last to keep running these in group A
The Colt Starion deserves a mention this car dominated Prod saloons when it appeared in early narrow body form and Dave Brodie developed a group A version, looked great
The 3 door Cosworth is my choice, I had a road car version and loved it, even though the later 4x4 cars were better on the road there was something special about these monsters, my one had 340 bhp and was hard work on normal cold/damp roads but great fun.
Has to be the original Ford Mondeo touring car. I loved the blue and white livery. I loved the way the Mondeo looked, it was so far ahead of the Sierra in terms of looks. I dearly wanted my dad to own one, but alas we were stuck with a Nissan Sunny.
I remember too the issue Ford had bringing the Mondeo to the BTCC in 1993, with delayed starts and development problems. And then when it did come, it was successful but Ford never won the title until 2000.
I remember too the issue Ford had bringing the Mondeo to the BTCC in 1993, with delayed starts and development problems. And then when it did come, it was successful but Ford never won the title until 2000.
My favourite BTCC car was the 1993/1994 BMW 318i because I loved the looks and the engine sound and I grew up in one because my mother had a 1994 318i. I also loved the Audi A4 quattro and front drive because they looked menacing and either were unbeatably quick (Frank Biela) or flamboyantly driven (Yvan Muller Front drive 1998).
mp3manager said:
+1
The DC5 competed for 7 seasons, until the rules were changed which made it ineligible to race.
http://www.mattsalisbury.co.uk/2012/02/03/goodbye-...
Never knew that, just thought it lasted 3 seasons then went. Though it did win in its first two before TD switched to the FN2The DC5 competed for 7 seasons, until the rules were changed which made it ineligible to race.
http://www.mattsalisbury.co.uk/2012/02/03/goodbye-...
Skater12 said:
These three.....
The Escort, simply because look at it, it's bloody gorgeous! Plus it screamed!
The obvious Volvo, because everyone though it was ridiculous, then it started winning.
And finally the Mondeo, because my dad had one of the 2nd gen cars like this, plus Mansell drove one.
dont think the volvo estate ever won a race or podium'd...the saloon version with rydell did a year or so later, often.The Escort, simply because look at it, it's bloody gorgeous! Plus it screamed!
The obvious Volvo, because everyone though it was ridiculous, then it started winning.
And finally the Mondeo, because my dad had one of the 2nd gen cars like this, plus Mansell drove one.
1781cc said:
Dermot O'Logical said:
The BTCC holds no interest for me nowadays, as it's too much like banger racing in cars which only have the slightest of links to their showroom counterparts, but this thread has evoked fond memories of the days when the fans could - and did - readily identify with the drivers and their cars.
I'm in the same mindset as you, I haven't watched the BTCC in years, from when they shifted away from saloons into hatchbacks and the like, weird spoilers and stuff, it all got a bit removed from where it started. Back in the day it used to be BTCC for me as a main, DTM as the crazy tech counterpart, shame thats all lost now.Aussie V8s seem to appeal to me more now
used to be 2 visually not much modified (huge spoiler on 155 excepted) saloon (the volvo excepted)cars of each type just like your dad had against your mates dad, with works teams aplenty and f1 drivers aplenty. and the crappy privateers holding everyone up at the back, take a bow hamish irvine!
in the late 90's when you started getting crappy astras or civics or other hatchbacks that no one wanted to watch racing, with more than 2 carsin some teams and the same models in differnet teams its appeal sank for everyone. it had become a mainstream sport in the early- mid 90s.
my personal fave was the fina/warsteiner bmw's of smokin jo, soper and rob ravaglia. hated the audi a4'sand biela as they took the championship from smokin jo unfairly, and initially hatded the alfa and tarquini, but came around on the alfas.
think 97 or 98 to me was the last decent/proper series. everything post 2000 is awful with non works and non f1 drivers.
a saloon series of works teams of just 2 cars each now i would still be interested in, mondeo, imsignia, a4, 320, passat, avensis, accord etc.
lemmingjames said:
mp3manager said:
+1
The DC5 competed for 7 seasons, until the rules were changed which made it ineligible to race.
http://www.mattsalisbury.co.uk/2012/02/03/goodbye-...
Never knew that, just thought it lasted 3 seasons then went. Though it did win in its first two before TD switched to the FN2The DC5 competed for 7 seasons, until the rules were changed which made it ineligible to race.
http://www.mattsalisbury.co.uk/2012/02/03/goodbye-...
Out of the new ngtc cars the mg6 competed constantly from 2012 to this day.
theplayingmantis said:
1781cc said:
Dermot O'Logical said:
The BTCC holds no interest for me nowadays, as it's too much like banger racing in cars which only have the slightest of links to their showroom counterparts, but this thread has evoked fond memories of the days when the fans could - and did - readily identify with the drivers and their cars.
I'm in the same mindset as you, I haven't watched the BTCC in years, from when they shifted away from saloons into hatchbacks and the like, weird spoilers and stuff, it all got a bit removed from where it started. Back in the day it used to be BTCC for me as a main, DTM as the crazy tech counterpart, shame thats all lost now.Aussie V8s seem to appeal to me more now
used to be 2 visually not much modified (huge spoiler on 155 excepted) saloon (the volvo excepted)cars of each type just like your dad had against your mates dad, with works teams aplenty and f1 drivers aplenty. and the crappy privateers holding everyone up at the back, take a bow hamish irvine!
in the late 90's when you started getting crappy astras or civics or other hatchbacks that no one wanted to watch racing, with more than 2 carsin some teams and the same models in differnet teams its appeal sank for everyone. it had become a mainstream sport in the early- mid 90s.
my personal fave was the fina/warsteiner bmw's of smokin jo, soper and rob ravaglia. hated the audi a4'sand biela as they took the championship from smokin jo unfairly, and initially hatded the alfa and tarquini, but came around on the alfas.
think 97 or 98 to me was the last decent/proper series. everything post 2000 is awful with non works and non f1 drivers.
a saloon series of works teams of just 2 cars each now i would still be interested in, mondeo, imsignia, a4, 320, passat, avensis, accord etc.
Ironically this crappy era is in its healthiest for 30 years max entry of cars and sizeable crowds.Also can watch all races live and the support races when you be lucky to watch the btcc in the 90s a week after the event had happened. Also the car were nothing like the road cars in fact the Volvos had 4 inches cut out of the roof line for example, the mondeo in 2000 had the engines so far back the driveshaft went through the v of the v6 engine block.
MG CHRIS said:
theplayingmantis said:
1781cc said:
Dermot O'Logical said:
The BTCC holds no interest for me nowadays, as it's too much like banger racing in cars which only have the slightest of links to their showroom counterparts, but this thread has evoked fond memories of the days when the fans could - and did - readily identify with the drivers and their cars.
I'm in the same mindset as you, I haven't watched the BTCC in years, from when they shifted away from saloons into hatchbacks and the like, weird spoilers and stuff, it all got a bit removed from where it started. Back in the day it used to be BTCC for me as a main, DTM as the crazy tech counterpart, shame thats all lost now.Aussie V8s seem to appeal to me more now
used to be 2 visually not much modified (huge spoiler on 155 excepted) saloon (the volvo excepted)cars of each type just like your dad had against your mates dad, with works teams aplenty and f1 drivers aplenty. and the crappy privateers holding everyone up at the back, take a bow hamish irvine!
in the late 90's when you started getting crappy astras or civics or other hatchbacks that no one wanted to watch racing, with more than 2 carsin some teams and the same models in differnet teams its appeal sank for everyone. it had become a mainstream sport in the early- mid 90s.
my personal fave was the fina/warsteiner bmw's of smokin jo, soper and rob ravaglia. hated the audi a4'sand biela as they took the championship from smokin jo unfairly, and initially hatded the alfa and tarquini, but came around on the alfas.
think 97 or 98 to me was the last decent/proper series. everything post 2000 is awful with non works and non f1 drivers.
a saloon series of works teams of just 2 cars each now i would still be interested in, mondeo, imsignia, a4, 320, passat, avensis, accord etc.
Ironically this crappy era is in its healthiest for 30 years max entry of cars and sizeable crowds.Also can watch all races live and the support races when you be lucky to watch the btcc in the 90s a week after the event had happened. Also the car were nothing like the road cars in fact the Volvos had 4 inches cut out of the roof line for example, the mondeo in 2000 had the engines so far back the driveshaft went through the v of the v6 engine block.
crowds are way smaller now than in the early-mid 90's.
watching 4 crappy heavily modified mgs racing against some other hatchback which no one wants. neal and plato were the start of the end. they were no marks when good international touring car drivers competed, these uk drivers, no doubt decent enough now were symptoms of its decline. long gone are the days of top global super touring stars at their peaks like, menu, biela, winkelhock, soper, tarquini
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