[BTCC] 2016 BTCC news & rumours

[porsche962fan]

no pic of Lloyd Civic ?

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

no pic of Lloyd Civic ?

It's not much different to the other ones.

[TWRv12]

TTT live

[mark_l]

Rimstock sold to U.S investors

http://www.expressandstar.com/busine...on-pound-deal/

[thlbtcc]

The MG 6 is no-more. Wonder where that leaves the MG backing going forward? http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/in...ropped-uk-line

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by thlbtcc

The MG 6 is no-more. Wonder where that leaves the MG backing going forward? http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/in...ropped-uk-line

MG-3?

[Bramzel]

Isn't that a Fiesta-sized model? That'd be too small I'd say.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Bramzel

Isn't that a Fiesta-sized model? That'd be too small I'd say.

It's officially too small for the regs, but I guess it depends on how much MG want a presence, and how much Alan Gow is willing to deviate to allow them to enter.

Or will we see them enter their SUV?

[850Estate]

Interesting about MG. I'd guess they'll keep using the 6 until something similar comes out, and use it as an advert for the 3 and the crossover thing.

Anyway, remember someone mentioned Hunter Abbott was running low on budget and couldn't get a sponsor for the empty part of his door? I wonder if this is problem solved?



http://www.powermaxedracing.com/home...s-sponsors-pmr

[Sodemo]

A car company can still use a car as a means of advertising the brand. For example, I'm pretty sure the Renault in 1998 and 1999 dropped the "Laguna" decals (I think) and just had "Renault" on th front and rear. Not model specific, but rather a generic brand advert.

[BillWiskins]

1998 and 1999 were the years Renault went all green and Nescafe Blend 37, but the Laguna was still in production... it would be a bit odd for a manufacturer-affiliated team to run a car that isn't available to buy, IMO.

[porsche962fan]

oh please

in german STW Cup, BMW won the title in 1998 with their old E36 and in 1998 the E36 was already replaced by the E46...

[thlbtcc]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

oh please

in german STW Cup, BMW won the title in 1998 with their old E36 and in 1998 the E36 was already replaced by the E46...

This would be more relevant if BMW won in 1999, but they didn't enter, seen as 98 was the year the E46 was introduced (in March of that year, thus the E36 was on sale for at least 2 months of 1998). So for instance, the MG 6 stops being sold in 2016 so they are continuing this season, fine. But next year? Not so sure.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by 850Estate

Interesting about MG. I'd guess they'll keep using the 6 until something similar comes out, and use it as an advert for the 3 and the crossover thing.

Ooh, interesting that, maybe not from a motor racing point of view but from a car industry point of view. They did resort to a last gap massive cut of RRP last year to try and shift the 6 but that clearly didn't work. So the 6 is dead; hardly anybody buys petrol cars of that size, and the petrol 6 was hobbled whilst it was on sale as it was awful. The diesel wasn't good either, well off the pace compared to any of the European brands, and now they've killed it as well as they're not prepared to invest to bring it up to the Euro 6 emissions regulations. Diesel is largely irrelevant in China, but crucial here, why they didn't buy engines from someone else is the million dollar question? Even mighty Toyota buys some diesels from BMW.

The new GS SUV may as well be dead, petrol powered SUV anyone? I think not. Not with those emissions and fuel consumption!

And the 3... I did see one once. Certainly wouldn't fit BTCC regulations in any way shape or form.

So how long 'til the brand exits the UK market? R&D team in UK to add some kudos for the Chinese buyer and maybe nowt else?

Maybe 888 can acquire a couple of spare VW's from BMR going forward?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

The new GS SUV may as well be dead, petrol powered SUV anyone? I think not. Not with those emissions and fuel consumption!

I think a lot of Juke petrol owners might disagree with that?

[Mark0994]

FWD will never be better in racing than RWD
http://www.touringcartimes.com/2016/...drive-in-2017/

[helgi]

Excuse me for being a bit of off-topic but is there any info about BoP in BTCC? Not that success ballast but actual balance made by TOCA for engines and (maybe) chassis. Thanks in advance!

[Bramzel]

Originally Posted by Mark0994

FWD will never be better in racing than RWD
http://www.touringcartimes.com/2016/...drive-in-2017/

Quite the statement, but I like the fact that they're making it. TOCA needs to draw some lines in order to prevent the whole grid from becoming RWD-hackjobs. As they say:

The next Civic is a four-wheel drive car so we can do it. OK, it doesn’t have a boxer engine, but we can do what they’ve done and we would just have to go rear-wheel drive with them, that’s what (TOCA) have pushed the formula into,” explained Neal.

“That car is Frankenstein,” he added referring back to Team BMR’s Subaru. “I have nothing against the team, fair play to them, but it’s just like the Audi with four-wheel drive, it’s like the Alfa with the wings and the diffs, where do you go? It’s the thin end of the wedge.”

[Mark0994]

Agree but it's stupid to push HP up and keep FWD. Same with WTCC.

[S griffin]

At the end of the day, we have had an all FWD championship before and if the balance performance is switching to RWD so be it. Maybe they will make changes in the off season, but I think only then

[BSchneiderFan]

I have no problem with the grid going rear-wheel drive. It would make the driving less specialist.

[Bramzel]

They could just go down the TCR-route; forbid RWD all together and get rid of a whole bunch of problems in one go. The only true RWD-car in the TCR/BTCC segment is the 1-series anyways, better to lose only that car than to lose a whole bunch of other cars that'll never be competative against the '4xFrankensteins'. Allthough I'm pretty sure the next 1-series is FWD as well, so that takes that objection out of the occasion as well.

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

I have no problem with the grid going rear-wheel drive. It would make the driving less specialist.

I do to be honest. In that case the cars drift away too much from their road-going counterparts.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

I have no problem with the grid going rear-wheel drive. It would make the driving less specialist.

Originally Posted by Bramzel

I do to be honest. In that case the cars drift away too much from their road-going counterparts.

It essentially becomes the Rallycross Touring Car class then doesn't it? RWD conversions of FWD cars.

[porsche962fan]

wonder if this is bluffing to force Gow to do get the RWD pegged back or they really mean it

it would be a disaster IMO, cos under current rules few cars can have RWD , imagine all those Hondas, Fords , MG , Toyotas, Proton might dissapear from the grid !!

[Bramzel]

Well, Motorbase could switch to Mustangs of course, and all the Toyota teams could use LandCruisers converted to RWD