Best tin-top series?

[crash]

What is the best touring car series in the world?

Personally i like the BTCC and the aussie V8's

[Crash Test]

With the **** poor state of the BTCC at the moment, V8 Supercars are without doubt the best series in the world, heck, they have have gotten so large they are now in two series, and have 2 street race meetings on their own every year. And this from a country of 19 million people.

[PBrock]

Easily the V8supercar series mate. Easily. I quite like the dtm though.

[crash]

Yeah, the BTCC isn't doin to well, no, but i still don't mind it. DTM ain't bad either.

Now, how would V8 supercars go internationally. In 2001 we have a new zealand race. What about races in Europe and maybe Asia. Would it work? Or not?

Also, imagine a WTCC - now that would be something. Races at tracks like Bathurst, Brands Hatch, Spa etc. Wouldn't it be great?

[PBrock]

yes a world championship would be great. It could have like the 20 best teams in the world competing and the only way to qualify is to get your team in the top place in the national constructors championship for that year. Imagine though HRT and DJR would be like the world champs of touring cars alover the world.

[TheShadow]

OZ V-8 Supercars. A WTCC for cars with V-8s would be great.

Given that the tube frame DTM Coupes are more like GT or Trans Am cars, I don't see them as being a touring car series in the purist sense, despite the name of DTM.

[marcus]

I agree while the DTM is great it is more of a sportscar series in my book..but i do like it.

V8 supercar rules supreme.

[Dan Friel]

'Best' in what way??

Best for entertainment value (by some margain) has to be the National Saloon Car Championship in Briatin.. fantastic racing all year. Although I haven't seen Aussie 8's for some time...

[redback]

The old BTCC races left the Aussie V8s for dead. Its a shame that the series is not doing to well I hope they get it back too its best somehow. Its all a bit confusing as to what is going on with it. Has anyone got a simple explanation?

If they open the V8s up to the world I think they should allow other makes in to make it more interesting. I still miss the old days with Godzilla, the Sierras, Volvo, Jag, BMW and the odd Commodore.

Looks like its going to be a wet Bathurst, that should liven it up.

[chunder]

In response to redback, the problem with the BTCC was money.
The winning Ford team of Y2K spent more than ten million on their successful campaign and that had to stop.
Blame Alfa Romeo for atarting it allin 1994 with the serodynamic thing, after that the BTCC had a few boom years but has been in steady decline since.
Now that Alan Gow has gone, the new promoters have decided that a more production based category is in order based loosely on current BTCC regs.
So far though only Vauxhall with the Astra Coupe and Peugeot with the 406 Coupe have registered, so it looks like the category may suffer in 2001.
All hail the Aussie V8's though. But where would you be without Holden and Ford? It is lucky that you have so many teams able to afford the running costs of these monsters. In the UK we cannot have such a series as V8's are not as popular on the road over here, shame.

[Danielsun]

The problem is not only the BTCC's but every series that ran with Super Touring (some still do) to the very death. The BTCC got hit the hardest because it was the best of them all. The teams in that series had the money at first; the rest bought the cars off the BTCC teams at the end of each season - in most cases anyway.

As for the best, the BTCC of old can't really be beaten, but as for now, the V8 Supercars are well and truly on top of it all. Not all that much passing and biffing, but to have twenty cars all so closely matched is something that not even the mighty NASCAR can match on road courses.

DTM gets my vote for the future, however...