TCR - General topic

[FIRE]

Cupra is transitioning to an electric strategy for road cars and is set to follow in racing, with the Cupra Leon Competición “probably” the last internal combustion engine race car from the Spanish manufacturer.

Cupra has already taken the first steps towards electric racing with the e-Racer model that won the inaugural ETCR title with Mattias Ekström as driver.

“It’s difficult to give a definitive answer, but it’s probable,” technical director Xavi Serra told TouringCarTimes. “We are in this transition to electrification; the brand is also transitioning with street cars.”

SEAT set the basis for the TCR concept back in 2014 with the SEAT León Racer before Cupra became a brand in its own right. After success with the initial Cupra TCR, the Leon Competición was then launched for the 2020 season.

...

More on: https://www.touringcartimes.com/2022...e-model-cupra/

Not a surprise. Makes no sense to race ICE powered cars when manufacturers make the move to electric powered cars.

[Evantra]

TCR going hybrid.

https://twitter.com/marcello_lotti/s...304525312?s=21

[S griffin]

Depending on how many TCR series survive, this is a good move. No reason for it not to go hybrid

[Alessio]

If anything, it's the only way for touring cars to survive/remain relevant. GT racing can probably get away with it for the time-being, but definitely not a series with Hyundai, Honda and Volkswagen/SEAT.

[Evantra]

Though with so many TCR series and cars around the globe, imagine it'll be fairly difficult to roll-out.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Though with so many TCR series and cars around the globe, imagine it'll be fairly difficult to roll-out.

TCR Europe first, one or two seasons later in national series?
Will not be easy, hybrid class and non-hybrid class?

Was thinking about TCR last week. If you look how many cars are built you can call TCR a big success, but at the end I think there would have been more different cars if it had been introduced five years earlier. I agree with Alessio the move to electric powered cars hit touring cars harder than GT's.

[Evantra]

Lynk & Co facelift... lets hope there's no rush to update the TCR version!

https://twitter.com/carscoop/status/...518698501?s=21

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Lynk & Co facelift... lets hope there's no rush to update the TCR version!

They have already put a wing on the yellow one!

[NaBUru38]

I can't say it's ugly.

[GusGasfuss]

Originally Posted by Alessio

If anything, it's the only way for touring cars to survive/remain relevant. GT racing can probably get away with it for the time-being, but definitely not a series with Hyundai, Honda and Volkswagen/SEAT.

I don't see the real advantage for Not-factory-teams. Hybrid will make it more difficult to handle these cars as a privateer team. Maybe WTCR might switch to fully electric on some day. Hybrid makes no sense, if we are not allowed to buy any ICE-cars anymore for the street...



And competition might not get better through "push-to-pass" or something like this in "Super-Mario-Kart-style"....

[Alessio]

I don’t follow the auto market that closely, so to be honest I’m not exactly an expert, although I’d imagine from a layman/non-motorsport fans POV or even a manufacturer that it looks “better” to at least go hybrid. But you’re right, ultimately it will need to end up being electric.

Again, I’ve not followed BTCC too closely over the last few years since Gio stopped racing there, but from what I’ve seen the Indy entrants seem to be managing the hybrid equipment fairly well?

[NaBUru38]

The question here is that the FIA is pushing professional championships before making sure that there's a market (entries, sponsors, fans) for them.

I'm all for experimentation, but sometimes they destroy perfectly working championships with little insight on the future.

How many private teams wont to race hybrids? Will any of this draw more viewers? Nobody knows, it's all speculation. Sometimes they are successful (Formula E), more times they are not.

[TuteZaek]

Acording to Dario Ramonda (TGR Argentina technical chief) on Campeones, the Corolla TCR will make its debut on the Termas de Rio Hondo TCR South América race, to be held on August 27 & 28.
The drivers aren't defined yet, but they'll try to get Pechito López, depend?*ng on the driver's program.

https://campeones.com.ar/toyota-coro...para-el-debut/

[S griffin]

That's great news, will be nice to see a new car coming into that series. But it will have a lot of work to do

Be interesting to see who they sign. While I'm sure they will try to get Lopez, will he be interested?

[TuteZaek]

López would be for the debut only AFAIK, and he already did testing with the car.
The other options* would be Barrio and Fineschi** on the argentine side of TGR, if we include Brazil, Rubens is always there with them and knows the team.

*All other TGR-AR "official" drivers have commitments that weekend with Santero, Rossi, Jakos and Spataro (was Reutemann guest on the TR race last week) on TC and Reutemann and Azar on TC pista, and being the last race of the regular season, I doubt any of them would miss it.

**Was the driver of the Supra GT4 of the team on the IMSA Michelin pilot challenge

[Evantra]

New MG5 TCR

https://bit.ly/3c1Utrq

[TuteZaek]

Originally Posted by Evantra

New MG5 TCR

https://bit.ly/3c1Utrq

Love the livery and the car looks nice and modern.
How is the performance of its predecesor?

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by TuteZaek

Love the livery and the car looks nice and modern.
How is the performance of its predecesor?

I don't think they've ever raced outside of China?

Only time I can think of was the one-off World Cup thing they did at Vallelunga a few years back, Rory Butcher drove one.

Would be cool to see one back in the UK given MG's past in British touring car racing, but our MG5 is an electric estate I think so I doubt they'd market it.

[S griffin]

I don't think I've really seen it race outside of China either. I didn't know about that World Cup at Vallelunga, so there you go

I doubt we will see MG in the BTCC anytime soon, they would need it to fit in with their road car ideas

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Would be cool to see one back in the UK given MG's past in British touring car racing, but our MG5 is an electric estate I think so I doubt they'd market it.

Yes - we get the Rover (sorry Roewe) i5, as opposed to the China model MG5.

[Alessio]

They were meant to be on the grid for ETCR (apparently the model was actually produced, never seen it though) but otherwise it's only appearance outside of TCR Asia/China was at the 'Motorsport Games' event at Vallelunga.

I was hoping Thailand/Malaysia/Korea might feature again on the 2022 calendar, but alas Covid is still a focus in Asia. The Thai's with the likes of the Kusiri brothers, Tanart and Sandy Stuvik have been pretty dominant in 24H races this year at Billionaire Boys, closely followed by AC Motorsport and their Hong Kongian line-up with the likes of Andy Yan and Shaun Thong. Douglas Khoo is still going too with Dominic & Gilbert Ang, and Melvin Moh too.

[pimmy]

Interesting looking front end on the MG, doesn't really fit with the rest of the car. Always nice to see a new model though!

[antnee]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

The question here is that the FIA is pushing professional championships before making sure that there's a market (entries, sponsors, fans) for them.

I'm all for experimentation, but sometimes they destroy perfectly working championships with little insight on the future.

How many private teams wont to race hybrids? Will any of this draw more viewers? Nobody knows, it's all speculation. Sometimes they are successful (Formula E), more times they are not.

I can't find the article - but in BTCC, teams and drivers have said having the hybrid is opening up more sponsorship opportunities.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by antnee

I can't find the article - but in BTCC, teams and drivers have said having the hybrid is opening up more sponsorship opportunities.

'A study by Kwik Fit, title sponsor of the British Touring Car Championship, found that motorists believe introducing hybrid power to the grid will have a positive impact'

'by incorporating hybrid it keeps the BTCC absolutely relevant to manufacturers, sponsors and the public… '

[tux]

Just watched the first TCR ASIA/CTCC race from Zhuzhou, fascinating stuff. 30 cars, a mixture of TCR cars from Lynk & Co, Audi, Hyundai etc plus some of the Chinese automakers. Good race. Had no idea what was going on though as everything was in Chinese.

Particularly enjoy the GAC Trumpchi Shadow Leopard R Track machine https://twitter.com/SergioFonseca8/s...R9kg3hlNYsDxmA

The KIA looks wonderful too, not sure if its TCR spec or not.