1994 BTCC Wings and Spoilers

[99hjhm]

Can somebody tell me what happened with the various rulings over the Alfa's aero package??

How come BMW and Renault came up with simular packages and the other teams didn't. Were these fitted to the road cars aswell?

I was only 6 at the time, so don't remember it.

[redshoes]

The rules at the time said that the body had to be as per the road car (min 2500 produced). Alfa built a special edition '155 Silverstone' which featured a two position front splitter and extendible rear spoiler. The problem was that the rear spolier could extended by fitting some extra spacers which were supplied with the can but not normally fitted, and the front splitter could only be moved into the forward position by drilling out and replacing the retaining rivets.

Initially as far as the FIA were concerned it didn't matter that the car never left the dealer in this configuration, the extra bits were supplied with the car and therefore homologated as part of the car. There were some suggestions at the time that the car may not actually be road legal with the extended aero kit in place.

After the first meeting several teams protested and the FIA declared that add-on bits were not legal so Alfa ran with the rear spoiler in it's normal lower position. Then Andy Rouse protested the Alfa's front splitter. The MSA eventually decided that the pop-rivets needed to hold the splitter in place when moved into the forward position should be classed as 'add-ons' so Alfa had to revert to the normal splitter position.

BMW and Renault realised the potential of this and re-homologated their cars based on a new road car with extra aero bits. That process wasn't cheap, Renault GB spent GBP 650K+ setting up a special production line at it's Southampton import centre to retro-fit the extra bits for it's 'Airflow' model.

Other teams didn't bother as there was little point throwing than much money at it with half the season gone and the title already out of reach.

[Jimmy Magnusson]

The beginning of the end, although it gave us some cracking racing along the way. Also shows the importance of banning these things straight away...

[KA]

Originally Posted by redshoes

BMW and Renault realised the potential of this and re-homologated their cars based on a new road car with extra aero bits. That process wasn't cheap, Renault GB spent GBP 650K+ setting up a special production line at it's Southampton import centre to retro-fit the extra bits for it's 'Airflow' model.

Some pics and info from an owner of one of the '318is Class II' homologation specials- it includes a shot of the BMW brochure for the model and some details of the aero bits:
http://www.jannousiainen.net/hobbies.../year_2006.htm

Andy Rouse tested the Mondeo with an Alfa-style wing and splitter (from memory, he used something like a Sapphire Cosworth rear spoiler raised on struts?)- photos appeared in Autosport, but I don't think there was any mention of Ford considering putting it into production?

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by KA

Andy Rouse tested the Mondeo with an Alfa-style wing and splitter (from memory, he used something like a Sapphire Cosworth rear spoiler raised on struts?)- photos appeared in Autosport, but I don't think there was any mention of Ford considering putting it into production?

I don't recall seeing that but given that Rouse liked to explore every possible angle I would have been surprised if he hadn't tried it.

One of his (not entirely serious) suggestions was to sell every new Mondeo with a roll of aluminium sheet, a bag of rivets and an instruction sheet showing how to make an aerodynamic undertray.

[KA]

Originally Posted by redshoes

I don't recall seeing that but given that Rouse liked to explore every possible angle I would have been surprised if he hadn't tried it.

One of his (not entirely serious) suggestions was to sell every new Mondeo with a roll of aluminium sheet, a bag of rivets and an instruction sheet showing how to make an aerodynamic undertray.

From memory it was fairly early season, around the time that the fuss first really kicked off about the Alfa's aero kit (possibly after the race they withdrew from in protest- was it at Oulton? As I remember, there was a piece on the controversy in Autosport, illustrated with a pic of the Mondeo testing with an improvised rear wing and some comments from Rouse. I suspect it may have been as much an exercise in making a point, as it was a serious attempt to persuade Ford to go the same route...

I like the thought of the undertray kit though...

[Pettersson]

Audi in STW used a similar rear wing as Alfa Romeo did '94. But in STW (and also the Italian series if I remember correctly) Ford and Nissan started using special rear wings (like those that came in 1995) already in '94. Can hardly believe those wings ever came on a production model. They started using these new aero bits at Zolder in '94 along with BMW's special 318is. At the end of the season they had super touring style rear wings.

But I guess the German STW was a bit less restricted in the regulations since Ford and Nissan went this way (and the 4WD Nissans and Ford's in '95)? The BMW's also had the raised rear wing while the British Beemers didn't. So did this development in Germany (which was a strong championship back then) help pushing/influencing other series like BTCC, and also the FIA, to take a step further by introducing Super Touring to avoid homologation specials? I believe so, but if anyone know for sure, feel free to correct me.

BTW, I would love to have one of those 318's "ClassII"!

[99hjhm]

Thanks guys.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by KA

Andy Rouse tested the Mondeo with an Alfa-style wing and splitter (from memory, he used something like a Sapphire Cosworth rear spoiler raised on struts?)- photos appeared in Autosport, but I don't think there was any mention of Ford considering putting it into production?

This one.

[kurtiejjj]

Nice find Craner Curves

[racer69]

the '93 Mondeo had a small boot spoiler (no idea if it did anything) that was omitted when the '94 car appeared

[Craner Curves]

It had no effect, that's why they switched from the Si model to the Ghia, which had no rear spoiler, but front foglights, whose holes they could use as air ducts for additional cooling.