| Touring car racing is a general term for
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| | needed]
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| a number of distinct auto racing
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| competitions in heavily-modified street
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| | Germany
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| cars. It is notably popular in Britain,
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| | Since 1997, and nowadays still on the
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| Germany, Scandinavia, and Australia.
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| | over 20 km long famous old Nurburgring,
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|
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| | in average over 150 touring cars compete
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| Characteristics of a touring car
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| | in the VLN series of ten typically 4 hour
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| While rules vary from country to country,
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| | long races. Cars range from old 100 hp
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| most series require that the competitors
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| | road legal compacts to 500 hp Porsche 996
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| start with a standard body shell, but
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| | and even modified DTM cars (1250 kg).
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| virtually every other component is
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| | Most entrants of the 24 Hours Nurburgring
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| allowed to be heavily modified for
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| | collect experience here.
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| racing, including engines, suspension,
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| brakes, wheels and tyres. Wings are
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| | Australia/New Zealand/China/Bahrain
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| usually added to the front and rear of
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| | Formerly the Australian Touring Car
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| the cars. Regulations are usually
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| | Championship. The current formula was
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| designed to limit costs by banning some
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| | devised in 1993 and branded at 'V8
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| of the more exotic technologies available
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| | Supercars' in 1997. The series features
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| (for instance, many series insist on a
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| | grids of 31 650+ hp (480 kW) Ford Falcons
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| "control tyre" that all competitors must
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| | and Holden Commodores. The weight limit
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| use) and keep the racing close (sometimes
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| | for a V8 Supercar is 1350kg. At one time
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| by a "lead trophy" where winning a race
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| | the cars were billed as the "biggest,
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| requires the winner's car to be heavier
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| | heaviest, fastest and most powerful" of
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| for subsequent races). In this, it shares
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| | all touring cars. In terms of outright
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| some similarity with the American NASCAR
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| | power, size and weight this likely still
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| series, but raced exclusively on road
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| | true however DTM vehicles are probably
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| courses and street circuits rather than
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| | faster around a track. However, V8
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| the American series' primarily oval
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| | Supercars provide the closest racing of
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| tracks.
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| | any touring car category, with the top 20
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| Whilst not nearly as fast as Formula One,
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| | usually qualifying within 1 second of one
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| the similarity of the cars both to each
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| | another!
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| other and to fans' own vehicles makes for
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| | The race cars themselves are derived from
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| entertaining, well-supported racing. The
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| | production bodyshells and panels, which
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| lesser impact of aerodynamics also means
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| | are used rather than space-frame chassis.
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| that following cars have a much easier
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| | Both Holden and Ford have factory backed
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| time of passing than F1, and the more
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| | teams and invest heavily in the sport.
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| substantial bodies of the cars makes the
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| | As the series has grown, major
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| occasional nudging for overtaking much
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| | international motorsport groups have
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| more acceptable as part of racing.
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| | involved themselves. Several teams now
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| As well as short "sprint" races, many
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| | benefit from the involvement of Tom
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| touring car series include one or more
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| | Walkinshaw, Triple 8 Engineering and
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| "endurance" races, which last anything
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| | Prodrive. Also, in 2005 the Championship
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| from 3 to 24 hours and are a test of
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| | had its first non Australian/NZ round,
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| reliability and pit crews as much as car
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| | held at the Shanghai Grand Prix Circuit.
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| and driver speed.
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| | This was followed in 2006 with a multi
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|
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| | year deal to compete at the Bahrain Grand
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| Differences between touring cars and
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| | Prix Circuit. The growth of the series
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| sports cars
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| | has seen motorsport become equal with
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| For the casual observer, there can be a
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| | Rugby, as Australia's 3rd most watched
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| great deal of confusion when it comes to
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| | sport.
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| classifying closed-wheel racing cars as
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| | Due to its close, high intensity racing,
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| 'touring cars' or 'sports cars' (also
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| | V8 Supercars can lay claim to providing
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| known as GT cars). In truth, there is
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| | the best Touring Car category in the
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| often very little technical difference
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| | world.
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| between the two classifications, and
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| | V8 Supercar Championship Series
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| nomenclature is often a matter of
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| | incorporates the famous Bathurst 1000 in
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| tradition.
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| | the championship. Drivers are paired up
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| In general, however, touring cars are
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| | for the big 'enduro', and it is weighted
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| based upon 4-door 'family' sedans or,
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| | equally to the championship points
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| more rarely, 2-door coupe cars, while GT
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| | Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series, home of
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| racing cars are based upon more exotic
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| | up-and-coming drivers hoping to break
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| vehicles, such as Ferraris or
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| | into the main game as well as loyal
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| Lamborghinis. Underneath the bodywork, a
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| | privateers.
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| Touring Car is often more closely related
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| to its road-going origins, using many
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| | British Touring Car Championship
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| original components and mountings, while
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| | United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland
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| a top-flight GT car is often a
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| | The British Touring Car Championship
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| purpose-built tube-frame racing chassis
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| | (BTCC), currently competes at nine
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| underneath a cosmetic bodyshell. Many
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| | circuits in the UK and Republic of
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| Touring Car series, such as the BTCC and
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| | Ireland, with cars built either to BTCC
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| the now-defunct JTCC distinguish
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| | or European Touring Car Championship
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| themselves from sports-car racing by
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| | (ETCC) specification, with ballast being
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| featuring front-wheel drive, four-wheel
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| | used to equalise the two types. Cars are
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| drive and rear-wheel drive cars with
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| | 2.0 Litre saloons with around 270 bhp and
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| smaller engines.
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| | can be Front wheel drive,4 wheel drive or
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| However, while in general Touring Cars
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| | Rear wheel drive. There are currently
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| have a lower technical level than sports
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| | only two manufacturer teams (Vauxhall,
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| cars, there are notable exceptions to the
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| | who run Astras built to BTCC rules, and
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| rule. The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
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| | SEAT, who enter "Super 2000"-spec Leons)
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| (DTM) is considered to be one of the most
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| | although because BTCC budgets have been
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| technologically advanced racing series in
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| | kept relatively low there is a strong
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| the world, with cars that, underneath
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| | independent and privateer presence in the
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| their four-door shells, are more purebred
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| | championship. Manufacturers represented
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| racing machines than most FIA-GT
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| | by privateers include Vauxhall, Honda,
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| vehicles.
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| | Lexus, BMW, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo and MG.
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|
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| | Prior to 2001 the BTCC was contested by
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| DTM
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| | cars built to 2.0 litre supertouring
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| Germany/Europe
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| | regulations and had in its heyday up to 9
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| The DTM series, the initials standing for
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| | different manufacturers. It was
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| Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft until
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| | considered to be the best touring car
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| 1996, then following a hiatus, revived as
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| | championship in the world, as stated by
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| Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters in 2000,
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| | Joachim Winkelhock on several occasions,
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| features advanced purpose built
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| | and many of champions of that era now
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| V8-powered space frame machines, covered
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| | race in the World Touring Car
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| with carbon fibre bodyshapes resemblant
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| | Championship (WTCC).
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| of the manufacturers' road machine. In
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| order to lower costs, the engine power is
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| | World Touring Car Championship
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| limited to 470 hp, and transmissions,
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| | Worldwide
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| brakes and tyres (Dunlop) are standard
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| | Modern World Touring Car Championship
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| parts for all. Also, dimension and
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| | (WTCC) started in 2005, replacing the old
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| aerodynamics are equalized. The approx.
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| | European Touring Car Championship. It is
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| 1050 kg light DTM cars corner incredibly
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| | generally considered to be the most
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| quickly and wear spectacular bodykits
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| | prestigious touring car championship in
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| incorporating huge wheel arches and
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| | the world.
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| diffusors.
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| | Running at major international racing
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| Easily Europe's premier series, DTM
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| | facilities, this series is heavily
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| features many ex-F1 drivers like Jean
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| | supported by BMW, Alfa Romeo and SEAT,
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| Alesi, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and
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| | with Ford, Chevrolet and Honda also
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| especially Mika Hakkinen since the 2005.
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| | showing limited support. It features 2L
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| The European locale makes this series
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| | cars built to Super 2000 regulations
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| appealing for aspiring drivers, who
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| | based of FIA Group N.
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| didn't quite make F1, as they compete
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| | Following the trend of recent FIA rules,
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| alongside legends of the sport.
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| | cost control is a major theme in the
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| More than 20 works-backed entries of Opel
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| | technical regulation. Engines are limited
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| Vectra GTS, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz
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| | to 2000 cc. Many technologies that have
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| C-Class contested the 2005 DTM series.
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| | featured in production cars are not
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| Opel will not return in 2006, though, as
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| | allowed, for example variable valve
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| GM has to cut costs. This puts the whole
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| | timing, variable intake geometry, ABS
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| series in jeopardy for 2007 as TV
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| | brakes and traction control.
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| contracts ask for 3 marques.[citation
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