the FIA’s S2000 regulatory mould and strike its own path towards more affordable and exciting racing. As a quick refresher for those that may not be aware,
T
the concept was designed to provide cost savings through the use of a number of spec parts, while still allowing considerable design freedom. Among the standard parts were front and rear
subframes, the front featuring double wishbones and pushrod-activated dampers, a Cosworth Electronics wiring and data system, Penske dampers and AP Racing brakes. The suspension set up in particular is a major departure from the systems previously found on most Touring Cars. Thanks to the fact that the majority of modern saloon cars share relatively similar dimensions, the adoption of a standardised subframe removes the necessity of developing specifi c packages for each marque of car, reducing costs considerably. The package is also designed to accommodate
both front and rear-wheel drive confi gurations, a move made after several manufacturers showed an interest in running rear-drive vehicles. Thanks to its design and the cost savings associated with running spec parts, the price of a complete NGTC car is now in the region of £100,000 ($155,000) cheaper than an S2000 car. The initial contract to build a prototype was awarded
to GPR Motorsport, based in Buckingham, UK, with a Toyota Avensis forming the basis for the fi rst car. The Toyota appeared on track at the end of the 2009 season and a number of teams opted to run new spec cars in 2011, with varying degrees of success.
THE NEWCOMERS These teams, Speedworks Motorsport and Dynojet (Toyota Avensis), Welch Motorsport (Proton), Rob Austin Racing (Audi A4) and Thorney Motorsport (Vauxhall Insignia), were new to the championship, and inevitably this presented some major challenges in such a competitive environment. In fact, just getting the cars to the grid proved a
“NGTC specifi cations were never intended to provide a quick route to a front-running car”
considerable challenge for the newcomers, and only the Toyotas of Speedworks and Dynojet made it to the fi rst round of the season, with both cars completed only days before their debut. The other teams fi elding new cars were beset by delays, either through glitches in the production process or a simple lack of time. While the majority of problems were minor, overall they presented some unwanted headaches for the teams. Dan Welch, who drives and engineers the Welch
Motorsport Proton, explains some of the issues they had in the early stages: ‘As each bit appeared, we had to work things out without any initial drawings. There were also details; we had no list of fasteners, so we ended up
February 2012 •
www.racecar-engineering.com 45
he 2011 race season saw the debut of the British Touring Car Championship’s all-new specifi cation racer, the Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC). In a bold move, the series governing body, TOCA, decided to depart from
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