BTCC 2024 News & Rumours

[kxrolis]

Thompson back in with WSR!

https://www.bobby-thompson.com/fans-...cing-with-wsr/

[Matt K]

Great news for Thompson and one can only hope this can be a proper kickstart to his BTCC career. And always good to see an additional quality car on the grid.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

I think you missed the point. I know how it works.

I know from talking to a journalist that the story had an 8am release for this morning with BTCC and WSR, Autosport would put it out a few minutes later and then everyone else - so the BTCC and WSR had exclusivity (which gives their socials/websites most of the traffic) - but it's in print in a magazine with thousands and thousands of readers, from the early hours of the morning, where any fan could go online with a photo of the article before the embargo.
That would make an embargo time and coordinated news utterly pointless.

"Thousands and Thousands" are you sure about that?

[Andrew Abbott]

Autosport had a print circulation of 5,487 in 2023, which was around 1,000 down on the previous year.

https://pressgazette.co.uk/media-aud...ions-2023-abc/

[steve_r]

People do argue over the strangest things on here.

[S griffin]

Glad Bobby T is back. He deserves a drive in a top car. Let’s hope he delivers

[Ant25]

I know a bit off topic but Is it just me or will it be good to see some new cars on the grid? For example, Alfa Romeo giulia, Mercedes Benz c class, Audi a3 saloon, jaguar xe, Skoda superb and the new Renault megane! So many cars teams could use, is it the risk of it not working or to expensive? I think it might attract manufacturer support if they did. What you guys think?

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Ant25

I know a bit off topic but Is it just me or will it be good to see some new cars on the grid? For example, Alfa Romeo giulia, Mercedes Benz c class, Audi a3 saloon, jaguar xe, Skoda superb and the new Renault megane! So many cars teams could use, is it the risk of it not working or to expensive? I think it might attract manufacturer support if they did. What you guys think?

Seems too expensive right now (and apart from the Vauxhalls there aren’t really any cars too old or uncompetitive on the current grid). Don’t there would be much point now until the revised regulations come in 2027?

[antnee]

Originally Posted by Ant25

I know a bit off topic but Is it just me or will it be good to see some new cars on the grid? For example, Alfa Romeo giulia, Mercedes Benz c class, Audi a3 saloon, jaguar xe, Skoda superb and the new Renault megane! So many cars teams could use, is it the risk of it not working or to expensive? I think it might attract manufacturer support if they did. What you guys think?

Gulia and XE finish production soon, Megane is EV only. Ultimately it takes a lot of cost and effort to put a new car together, then add in the margins between the front and back of the grid are so small - there ends up not being much incentive for teams to bring in new vehicles.

[MarcusH26]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Seems too expensive right now (and apart from the Vauxhalls there aren’t really any cars too old or uncompetitive on the current grid). Don’t there would be much point now until the revised regulations come in 2027?

This is it ultimately. No point in spending all that development budget on something you'll get 2 seasons out of. I must admit I'm incredibly curious to see how the new regs look in terms of what they'll be allowing in terms of cars.

[ChrisA]

Wasn't there a rumour that Kia might be entering soon?

[coffinpilot]

It's interesting the Alan Gow said in an autosport interview that the cars would be able to be carried over into the new regulations, but in a BTCC preseason interview vid he seemed to suggest something a bit more radical.

That's straight out of the Bernie book of series boss contradictions!

[MagicBoy]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

Not forgetting originally the Corolla used the TOCA motor - presumably because there was no suitable Toyota unit

Indeed.

Although there was a Toyota engine developed for one of the Avensis teams at one point, if memory serves.

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

Wasn't there a rumour that Kia might be entering soon?

What with their entire range will be EV soon...

Sent from my SM-T736B using Tapatalk

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

It's interesting the Alan Gow said in an autosport interview that the cars would be able to be carried over into the new regulations, but in a BTCC preseason interview vid he seemed to suggest something a bit more radical.



That's straight out of the Bernie book of series boss contradictions!

If TOCA still wanted the road relevant link, that would mean an EV series. Remember that despite the current government pushing the petrol/diesel ban back to 2035, the car makers work already working towards 2030 and electrifying their range ahead of that. All that the delay will do is get manufacturers to extend the life of 'old' petrol cars with face-lifts.

Sent from my SM-T736B using Tapatalk

[antnee]

I would guess that the 'radical' might be the types of body allowed - maybe allowing slightly different minimum weights for crossovers (due to CoG being higher).

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

If TOCA still wanted the road relevant link, that would mean an EV series. Remember that despite the current government pushing the petrol/diesel ban back to 2035, the car makers work already working towards 2030 and electrifying their range ahead of that. All that the delay will do is get manufacturers to extend the life of 'old' petrol cars with face-lifts.

Sent from my SM-T736B using Tapatalk

My personal view, and many may disagree, is that the great EV revolution is beginning to wane mainly because, unlike cars made in China, producers have not ben able to bring down prices. Until recently, the largest manufacturer was Tesla and Musk has publicly stated he is not going to introduce a lower priced model, and because Tesla has suffered a significant sales downturn, they have just made about 10% of their workforce redundant.

Part of the problem is that there is a worldwide shortage of manufacturing capacity to make the batteries needed for EVs. In fact, here in the UK, a proposed huge factory to make them up around the Teeside area has folded twice in the past couple of years. And only last week, the local authority has just "sold" - sold, leased or whatever, I'm can't remember - the land and they are going to build another gigantic facility for "cloud" based technology for the likes of Amazon or Google.

Until these concerns are overcome, I'm pretty sure that 2035 date will slip even further into the distance. I should add that I have nothing against the technology, and yes, we should be doing what we can to reduce emissions, even though I have lived long enough to remember how poor the air quality was back in the 50s and 60s, even in to the 70s, with smog and fog so thick that it was difficult to even see the white lines down the middle of the road.

[richy01908]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

My personal view, and many may disagree, is that the great EV revolution is beginning to wane mainly because, unlike cars made in China, producers have not ben able to bring down prices. Until recently, the largest manufacturer was Tesla and Musk has publicly stated he is not going to introduce a lower priced model, and because Tesla has suffered a significant sales downturn, they have just made about 10% of their workforce redundant.

Part of the problem is that there is a worldwide shortage of manufacturing capacity to make the batteries needed for EVs. In fact, here in the UK, a proposed huge factory to make them up around the Teeside area has folded twice in the past couple of years. And only last week, the local authority has just "sold" - sold, leased or whatever, I'm can't remember - the land and they are going to build another gigantic facility for "cloud" based technology for the likes of Amazon or Google.

Until these concerns are overcome, I'm pretty sure that 2035 date will slip even further into the distance. I should add that I have nothing against the technology, and yes, we should be doing what we can to reduce emissions, even though I have lived long enough to remember how poor the air quality was back in the 50s and 60s, even in to the 70s, with smog and fog so thick that it was difficult to even see the white lines down the middle of the road.

From what I see, most new EV sales are either business users or lease, business and personal, and trade in values reducing.
However, manufacturers stopping making ICE cars - Focus production to finish 2025 if I recall, Fiesta I think already finished?, not sure about other manufacturers.
Personally think cutting ICE production will push up values of second hand cars?
I'm early 60's, still in full time employment, but would I buy an EV?
You can get Nissan Leaf etc at auction for around £6k, but if retired or not working, I doubt I could afford repair bills if needed new battery or other related serious issues, likewise if my combi boiler failed, how are a lot of people going to be able to afford a Heat Pump, if have room to install one - not convinced EV will be only solution going forward -

Back to new models for BTCC, around the world new solutions being sought, Nascar a silhouette series by the look of it, V8 Supercars likewise, every BTCC car only the shell really off the road car - and where possible the engine off a related vehicle, unlikely to ever get manufacturer involvement again,

New regs an exiting time, possibly too early to be as radical as some, but so many possibilities, and for me the BTCC is as much about the drivers as the cars - I've seen various GT series on Youtube but without knowing anything about the drivers does not mean a lot to me.

We'll all have ideas, possibly a standard subframe etc., where teams can put any bodyshell, within agreed parameters and engine capacity etc..

but with some sort of budget cap so try and level the field as much as possible - cream will always rise, but no total dominance -

seeing the Legends at weekend, great entertainment though love to see what full size versions race like, and much lower budgets -
roll a Legend, may need some work on the subframe cage etc and a new shell, roll a Porsche or even a BTCC car major budget hit

[antnee]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

My personal view, and many may disagree, is that the great EV revolution is beginning to wane mainly because, unlike cars made in China, producers have not ben able to bring down prices. Until recently, the largest manufacturer was Tesla and Musk has publicly stated he is not going to introduce a lower priced model, and because Tesla has suffered a significant sales downturn, they have just made about 10% of their workforce redundant.

Part of the problem is that there is a worldwide shortage of manufacturing capacity to make the batteries needed for EVs. In fact, here in the UK, a proposed huge factory to make them up around the Teeside area has folded twice in the past couple of years. And only last week, the local authority has just "sold" - sold, leased or whatever, I'm can't remember - the land and they are going to build another gigantic facility for "cloud" based technology for the likes of Amazon or Google.

Until these concerns are overcome, I'm pretty sure that 2035 date will slip even further into the distance. I should add that I have nothing against the technology, and yes, we should be doing what we can to reduce emissions, even though I have lived long enough to remember how poor the air quality was back in the 50s and 60s, even in to the 70s, with smog and fog so thick that it was difficult to even see the white lines down the middle of the road.

I wouldn't base any assessment of the wider industry on what happened with Britishvolt. They had no customers and couldn't retain their staff - so there was no business model. On the flip side, TATA is building a battery assembly plant in Somerset which will supply JLR (and potentially others). This is going ahead and will be online in 2026.

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

My personal view, and many may disagree, is that the great EV revolution is beginning to wane mainly because, unlike cars made in China, producers have not ben able to bring down prices. Until recently, the largest manufacturer was Tesla and Musk has publicly stated he is not going to introduce a lower priced model, and because Tesla has suffered a significant sales downturn, they have just made about 10% of their workforce redundant.

Part of the problem is that there is a worldwide shortage of manufacturing capacity to make the batteries needed for EVs. In fact, here in the UK, a proposed huge factory to make them up around the Teeside area has folded twice in the past couple of years. And only last week, the local authority has just "sold" - sold, leased or whatever, I'm can't remember - the land and they are going to build another gigantic facility for "cloud" based technology for the likes of Amazon or Google.

Until these concerns are overcome, I'm pretty sure that 2035 date will slip even further into the distance. I should add that I have nothing against the technology, and yes, we should be doing what we can to reduce emissions, even though I have lived long enough to remember how poor the air quality was back in the 50s and 60s, even in to the 70s, with smog and fog so thick that it was difficult to even see the white lines down the middle of the road.

The private buyer is not convinced yet, prices are too high and infrastructure to support EV's weak. But legislation for governments will continue to both penalise manufactuers for selling no EV's and drivers for not driving them.

If raw materials are in short supply, I think we will see manufacturers reducing the number of models in their range - which is already happening. If you look at the semi conductor shortage (for example) Kia took the auto gearbox option off the range apart from the Sportage and Sorento.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by antnee

I wouldn't base any assessment of the wider industry on what happened with Britishvolt. They had no customers and couldn't retain their staff - so there was no business model. On the flip side, TATA is building a battery assembly plant in Somerset which will supply JLR (and potentially others). This is going ahead and will be online in 2026.

The British Volt guy was a Latter-day John Delorean it would seem

[Matt K]

Actually be very interesting to see what the new BTCC cars will be. Gow said they will look a bit different, whatever he meant. After a very long time of NGTC regs, I'd be happy to see something slightly new and perhaps it's time for BTCC to go for something a bit more 'radical.' Hybrid, I guess, must remain, perhaps in a slightly different form but if BTCC doesn't want to fall into obscurity it needs to follow the global trends. I don't think they'll go for electric just yet although who knows actually.
Honestly, really curious about what cars they might go for. Saloons are almost non-existent and even hatches seem to slowly die - Focus being a great example. So either they go for crossovers/SUVs in the longer term, which seems rather unpalatable for racing or for some more obvious 'sporty' cars but I doubt BTCC is suited for the likes of Toyota Supra, Ford Mustang or BMW 4.

[Sodemo]

I just hope they can revise or tone down the “fibreglass body kit look”.

[porsche962fan]

or just go all in ?

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Actually be very interesting to see what the new BTCC cars will be. Gow said they will look a bit different, whatever he meant. After a very long time of NGTC regs, I'd be happy to see something slightly new and perhaps it's time for BTCC to go for something a bit more 'radical.' Hybrid, I guess, must remain, perhaps in a slightly different form but if BTCC doesn't want to fall into obscurity it needs to follow the global trends. I don't think they'll go for electric just yet although who knows actually.
Honestly, really curious about what cars they might go for. Saloons are almost non-existent and even hatches seem to slowly die - Focus being a great example. So either they go for crossovers/SUVs in the longer term, which seems rather unpalatable for racing or for some more obvious 'sporty' cars but I doubt BTCC is suited for the likes of Toyota Supra, Ford Mustang or BMW 4.

I think there will always be a call for four door saloons/ hatchbacks. What with the government putting back the discontinuation of petrol/diesel production engines, and with Mercedes reintroducing the V8 in some models, the BTCC will still be around for a few years yet, without the introduction of EV's. That's my opinion.