New car news

Good and bad because I dont like Vauxhall But the BTTC could go.It would be good if Ford came back, every car manufacturer should enter.BTTC should be more exciting give the drivers AK-47s and rocket launchers First Post

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hey FordCapriGuy, don't you mean BTCC not BTTC? I think the BTCC needs a little more american participation. I'd like to see mustangs, camaros, and challengers duke it out with those teams left in the game. Who knows, it helped save the sport before, it might work again.

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The BTCC needs to be cheaper, so that the likes of VW and Renault will enter a team. Yes, maybe the american companies could help, IF they don't go bust. It needs to become cheaper for the teams, but also more profitable, so maybe BTCC could be what re-boosts the car industry

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OOOOOPS TYPO.Good idea so just loke the old days with big american cars that go fast in a straight line up aginst smallnimble cars.

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This is great news for the BTCC and Motorsport in general. Alan Gow is right in his observations. Motorsport and especially the BTCC doesn't need big budget manufacturers wiping the floor with the Privateers, what does that prove? Nothing. Limited budget Privateers are where it matters and the racing is best, buy the car, whatever car, and let them do what they are best at... prep'ing them... and lets go proper racing... woohoo! bring on next year!

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Hopefully it won't affect BTCC too much. I can't wait to see Vauxhall's "exciting new product" though.

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Well that's a shame. I must admit, despite loving it since 1997, I have failed to follow BTCC since about 2005 (ish). Since then, Honda, Seat and Vauxhall have all pulled out. What about Chevrolet? Do they still run Lacettis, or is it really GM pulling out? I was going to say drag some WTCC cars in, but they're just Seats and Chevvys again, along with BMW and...... LADA?! http://www.fiawtcc.com/Cars.asp

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It'd be a real shame if BTCC disappeared - I certainly prefer it to Formula 1. It's great to see real-world cars (well, souped-up real world cars) bombing around tracks, bumper to bumper. Some of the greatest driving I've ever seen has been in BTCC races.

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I guess Vauxhall have got enough street cred out of BTCC to pull out now. The VXR initiative has really helped their sporty image. It's a shame they didn't put in the Astra or the new Insignia because next year the privateers will only have boring old model Vectras.

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Ford ARE coming back to the BTCC! I'm sure they are - it's what the other magazines and press have been saying! They're coming back using a Focus, I heard...

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"I think the BTCC needs a little more american participation" BRITISH touring car championship. If we're wanting US muscles, er, muscling round a track, bring back the sodding Trans-Am championship!

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I have a plan to save the BTCC, we need to get porshe to enter their panamera, aston to enter the rapide, and lamborghini to enter the estoque. There all four door saloons so their eligable, with a few small modifications, and who wouldn't want to see them race each other, and crash, but mostly race. There BTCC saved, now the financial crisis....

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BTCC dead without Vauxhal? Rubbish! There's only one works team, 4 semi works teams, and a healthy crop of privateers. Losing 3 cars will not make any difference at all to the BTCC.

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BTCC has nothing to lose. The sport will survive without them.

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Mo'Speed, Ford are already back in the BTCC with a Focus this year, as a privateir entry with Arena motorsport, as of yet their are no plans for a works entry, or semi works enrty. Mo'Speed, there shouldn't be any threat to the chevys in the BTCC, as they are privateir entrys by Tempus motorsport. They recived help from the WTCC chevy team last year, in the form of setup data, and some support from RML (who run the works effort in the WTCC) for the first 3 races, but as far as i know, that was the only support they recived. The first race of this season saw RML enter a sole entry, for Jason Plato, but this was as a privateir (officially, but i reckon with the support of cheverolete, so a semi works entry) but this was a one off, as it didn't conflict with the WTCC program, they had a spare 07 car, and Jason is yet to find a drive for the 09 season in any championship, but further involvment hasn't been rulled out if sponsership can be found.

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This isn't the end for the BTCC, they are far better placed than they were in 2001, when other than the last few meetings when MG came in, most of the season was run wirth 4 teams, the 2 vauxhall teams, and the private teams of VLR(who lost their peugeot sponsership a few races in), and AGB who ran those lexus's that never really performed. The regs for the current btcc are the same as the WTCC, so as long as manufacture involvment holds up there, there will be a supply of year old cars for teams to buy, that together with BMW building cars for customer teams, and with the continued support of Team Dynamics, and Arena building their own cars from scratch, the BTCC looks strong. Manufactures arn't nessersary, this year there are cars from 7 manufatures, Ford(Focus ST), Chevorelte (Lacetti), BMW (320si E90 and 120d) , Honda (Civic and Integra), Seat (Toledo Cupra and Leon), Vauxhall (Astra Coupe and Vectra), MG (ZS) - thats a total of 11 different modles racing!

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I remember going to Brands Hatch to watch John Cleland win in his Vauxhall Cavalier against the Volvo Estates. Having worked for Ford in the past I dont understand why the manufacturers dont realise the potential of this championship in terms of PR etc .. Okay we all know the cars are nothing like their road going rivals , but its much more fun watching "your car brand" beating next doors car brand, than a bunch of aeroplanes on wheels that dont even resemble a normal car. Im sure the BTCC budgets are a miniscule percentage of a F1 budget , BTCC has been on a downhill slope since the days of John Cleland when Ford / Vauxhall / BMW / Alfa were duking it out , i'd love to see it make a come back , especially now its finally getting some half decent TV coverage rather than being put in the middle of Grandstand with no pre warning. Damn , showing my age now.

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