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