Next Generation Touring Car

Next Generation Touring Car
Motor racing formula
Category	Touring cars
Country or region	United Kingdom / Scandinavia
Championships	BTCC STCC
Inaugural season	2011
Status	Active

Next Generation Touring Car, also known as NGTC, is a TOCA specification and classification for production based race cars. The specification covers touring car racing. The goal of the NGTC classification is to allow more manufacturers and privateers to race by reducing the cost of a competitive car and to reduce reliance on the increasingly expensive Super 2000 equipment. The specification was created for use in the British Touring Car Championship and will be phased in over three years from the 2011 British Touring Car Championship season^[1]. However, NGTC Engines were first used in the 2010 season by Pinkney Motorsport, Pirtek Racing and Special Tuning UK^[2].

The introduction of these new technical regulations were designed to fulfil the following criteria:

• Dramatically reduce the design, build and running costs of the cars and engines
• Maintain present levels of performance until 2013, to ensure performance parity with current S2000 cars
• Reduce the potential for significant performance disparities between cars
• ‘Future proof’ the regulations by being able to easily modify the various performance parameters
• Reduce reliance on WTCC/S2000 equipment, due to increasing costs/complexity and concerns as to its future sustainability/direction^[3]

Specification

Engine

The NGTC engine had its first run in February 2010, during testing for the 2010 season. Pirtek Racing's Vauxhall Vectra was fitted with the engine, which performed well during a week's testing at Snetterton.^[4] During the 2010 BTCC Season the NGTC engine was used by three teams; Pirtek Racing and Pinkney Motorsport, using a Vauxhall Vectra, and Special Tuning using a SEAT Leon. Features include:

• 300+bhp 2-litre turbo-charged direct injection engine
• fly by wire throttle control.
• Low cost to develop, build, buy and maintain. Teams can decide whether build their own unit to the spec, or teams can lease/purchase a TOCA-BTCC engine ready built.
• Over-boost function. This will allow an increased power output from 2013^[5].

Drive Train

• Xtrac 6 speed sequential-shift gearbox.
• AP Racing carbon clutch.
• Front or Rear Wheel Drive^[5]. Originally TOCA announced that only front wheel drive cars would be eligible to take part. However, after high interest from teams running rear wheel drive cars, TOCA amended the spec to include both front and rear wheel drive cars.

Suspension

• Full front sub-frame incorporating suspension, brakes, transmission and engine location that attaches to specified roll cage locations.
• Rear sub-frame that attaches to specified roll cage locations.
• Multi-adjustable double wishbone suspension with coil-over dampers.

Bodyshell

• 2, 3, 4 or 5 door of a minimum 4.4m length. (2 or 3 door cars must share the same basic body profile as the 4/5 door model).
• Equalised width of 1875mm
• Specified front aerodynamic device incorporating flat floor, apertures for radiator, brake cooling ducts, intercooler and side exits.
• Specified rear wing profile.
• Base vehicle must be freely on sale in the UK through the manufacturer's normal dealer network
• Specified 18” centre-lock wheel

Brakes

• AP Racing specified package
• AP Racing specified pedal-box

Electronics

• Cosworth Electronics specified package incorporating ECU, dash, data-logging and scrutineering logger.
• Common power management box, switch panels and wiring loom design

Target Price

The target price for a complete car, less engine is around £100,000 depending on final components used by each team. The cost for a TOCA-BTCC Engine will be £25,000.

Models

Current models

The following Next Generation Touring Cars are currently competing in championships:

• Audi A4 - Debut during the first round of the 2011 BTCC. Built by GPR Motorsport, Rob Austin Racing ran a single A4 for most of the season, with a second running from round nine.^[6] The car took a second place during Round Eight's third race at Rockingham, after leading part of the race.^[7].
• Proton Gen-2/Proton Persona - Welch Motorsport reintroduced the Proton marque to the BTCC in 2011.^[8] Before the start of the 2012 season Welch Motorsport adapted the aerodynamics of the Proton Gen-2 to reflect the Persona.
• Toyota Avensis - First seen as a prototype in 2010 during practice for the final round at Brands Hatch. The Avensis was chosen as a demo model for the BTCC to launch the new specification ahead of the 2011 championship. Dynojet and Speedworks Motorsport ran one Toyota Avensis each in 2011, driven by Frank Wrathall and Tony Hughes respectively. The car showed top 12 potential early in the season. The Avensis scored its first points at Snetterton circuit in August 2011 at the hands of Frank Wrathall. Over the course of the season, Wrathall took four podiums. In 2012, the cars were aerodynamically upgraded to reflect the design of the new Avensis.
• Vauxhall Insignia - Thorney Motorsport introduced the Vauxhall Insignia to the BTCC during the final round of the 2011 BTCC. However due to lack of testing time, the car failed to start any races. ^[9].
• Honda Civic - Honda Racing Team swapped to the new ninth generation Honda Civic, built fully to NGTC regulations, in the 2012 BTCC season. They were the first manufacturer backed team to announce their intention to run fully to the NGTC specification.^[10] The Honda Civic is also the first NGTC car to be raced in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship, at the hands of Tomas Engström.^[11] At the first round of the 2012 season, the Civic became the first full NGTC specification winner.^[12]
• MG6 GT - MG KX Momentum Racing currently run a pair of MG6 GT models in the 2012 British Touring Car Championship season. This made MG the second manufacturer to announce plans to run fully NGTC specification cars.^[13]

Future models

• Škoda Octavia - TH Motorsport will return to BTCC with Škoda Octavia vRS in 2012. This will be the first time Škoda enters BTCC^[14]. However, due to financial problems for the team, the project was halted until further notice.

Series

Current

Series currently allowing cars built to NGTC rules to race:

• British Touring Car Championship - Fully eligable to race from the opening round of the 2011 British Touring Car Championship season. However, NGTC Engines were first allowed during the 2010 season.^[2]
• Scandinavian Touring Car Championship - Fully eligable to race from the opening round of the 2012 Scandinavian Touring Car Championship season^[15].

References

See also

	Book: Touring car racing
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

BTCC Technical Blog