[BTCC] BTCC 2018 Rumours & Silly Season

[MagicBoy]

It's all splitting hairs - control parts are control parts. It's the same subframe irrespective of it coming off last years Toyota and now being used on the Alfa. Or an MG, or a VW CC or whatever your poison is.

The production car donates it's shell and some bodywork, the rest is bespoke racing parts installed into it. It's nothing like the old SuperTouring days when companies like Nissan would spend massive amounts of money creating special parts that kept just the right side of the letter of the regulations regarding keeping the suspension design and mounting locations of the road car.

[mark_l]

Originally Posted by MagicBoy

The production car donates it's shell and some bodywork, the rest is bespoke racing parts installed into it. It's nothing like the old SuperTouring days when companies like Nissan would spend massive amounts of money creating special parts that kept just the right side of the letter of the regulations regarding keeping the suspension design and mounting locations of the road car.

Unlike TWR who ignored the letter of the regulations when it came to suspension in the Volvo, allegedly.

[luckn002]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Testing was a waste of time by the looks of it! Whiteout at Castelol.

Made for some great pictures though!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DXHabnSXkAEFTCF?format=jpg&name=large

[thlbtcc]

Originally Posted by mark_l

Unlike TWR who ignored the letter of the regulations when it came to suspension in the Volvo, allegedly.

And Audi (5:14) https://youtu.be/JXfK4UDMKv8?t=5m14s

[Trying not to get too bogged down about something from 22 years ago...]

[RS67]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

They've also claimed:

“The car’s looking fantastic,” said Bartrum. “It really is all-new”.

The only genuine all-new car for 2018 is the Civic AFAIK.

The only external panel that would have been carried over would have been the roof panel. But even that would have likely been removed and replaced in the rebuild. Not sure why they fitted new doors though, but they were replaced also.

[RS67]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Who says TD is entirely new? The suspension off of Matts 2017 car could be headed for the second of the new cars. So newish car! 😜

Suspension is a Toca stock item bolted to the subframe. It can be dismantled, rebuilt, reused. It would make sense to reuse it just as they will reuse the subframe, unless they are damaged and could do with being replaced.

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

It's all about attention to detail.

I like to know about the technical details behind a car, and would like to be aware of accurate facts when considering the difference between:
TD having an entirely new car,
HMS having a partially new car,
Motorbase having a remodelled car.

That way, when comparing their relative progress, we're not trying to judge them as being in comparative situations.

I get what you say, but what difference does it make?
If Dynamics have this new shape Civic for 2018 and its faster or slower than the 2017 car, what difference does it make if its completely new, a remodel or a Frankenstein made of differnt parts of old cars, they have progressed or regressed Vs last years car, and after this commitment they arent going to throw it away and go back to the old model

the performance isnt just down to the car anyway, we are comparing different drivers, cant remember if tyres changed, engine tweeks, partial resurfacing of circuits, weather conditions

The important thing is surely are they competitive, rather than what parts are borrowed from old cars

[Robin Marriott]

Motorbase referring to the car as all new or whatever is just marketing. The same as it being referred to as an RS, or the AMD Audis being called S3s, they’re not.

Ford (or a local dealer) have helped them out with the original Focus shells at some point and presumably still have a financial hand in the situation. If Motorbase say ‘the car has had new bumpers so it looks like an RS’ it doesn’t have anywhere near the same effect as saying it’s a new car and to be honest, anyone outside of the internet wouldn’t have a clue that it’s not a new car.

EVERYTHING is marketing, nothing more, nothing less, whatever any team says is carefully thought out to promote sponsors or keep someone, somewhere, happy.

[jsmee]

Shaun Hollamby was on BBC Essex this evening. They have 3 drivers in the shortlist for the second MG.

Driver 1: An experienced BTCC driver, who has won a good number of BTCC race wins.

Driver 2: A BTCC driver who has the potential to be a star of the championship.

Driver 3: A driver from one of the support series, would be a BTCC rookie but a potential star for the future.



Any ideas for these?

For Driver 1, maybe TOC, Mat Jackson fits the bill but surely he's been ruled out.

Driver 2, Dan Lloyd? Josh Price? Max Coates?...

Driver 3, Jack McCarthy (very well backed but quick Clio racer), Lewis Plato, Callum Pointon...

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by Robin Marriott

Ford (or a local dealer) have helped them out with the original Focus shells at some point and presumably still have a financial hand in the situation. If Motorbase say ‘the car has had new bumpers so it looks like an RS’ it doesn’t have anywhere near the same effect as saying it’s a new car and to be honest, anyone outside of the internet wouldn’t have a clue that it’s not a new car.
.

Seeing as Mat Jacksons family run a massive Ford dealer i always thought the shell was sourced by them, which is why I was surprised by some of the recent events

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by jsmee

Shaun Hollamby was on BBC Essex this evening. They have 3 drivers in the shortlist for the second MG.

Driver 1: An experienced BTCC driver, who has won a good number of BTCC race wins.

Driver 2: A BTCC driver who has the potential to be a star of the championship.

Driver 3: A driver from one of the support series, would be a BTCC rookie but a potential star for the future.



Any ideas for these?

For Driver 1, maybe TOC, Mat Jackson fits the bill but surely he's been ruled out.

Driver 2, Dan Lloyd? Josh Price? Max Coates?...

Driver 3, Jack McCarthy (very well backed but quick Clio racer), Lewis Plato, Callum Pointon...

2. AWE fits into that bill

[pimmy]

#3 - Paul Rivett's finally going to get his chance!

[psq43]

Another, maybe possible name for the final AMD seat, and someone I'd really like to see get another go in the BTCC, Stephan Hodgetts......

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by psq43

Another, maybe possible name for the final AMD seat, and someone I'd really like to see get another go in the BTCC, Stephan Hodgetts......

Not sure he fits any of the criteria..

[RS67]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

Seeing as Mat Jacksons family run a massive Ford dealer i always thought the shell was sourced by them, which is why I was surprised by some of the recent events

They probably did as TG did with the Passat, but second hand cars and use them. Probably a lot cheaper to buy.

[psq43]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

Not sure he fits any of the criteria..

True, maybe wishful thinking on my part. I always thought he had it in himself to bring a lot to the championship

But, maybe if you could blend bits of #2 and #3.......

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by RS67

They probably did as TG did with the Passat, but second hand cars and use them. Probably a lot cheaper to buy.

Don’t think so, Motorbase are a serious race team. Can’t see how it would be cheaper anyway.

[Bramzel]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Don’t think so, Motorbase are a serious race team. Can’t see how it would be cheaper anyway.

You can't see how a used car could be cheaper than a new one?

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by RS67

The only external panel that would have been carried over would have been the roof panel. But even that would have likely been removed and replaced in the rebuild. Not sure why they fitted new doors though, but they were replaced also.

Aluminium or Carbon fibre maybe?

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Bramzel

You can't see how a used car could be cheaper than a new one?

Because you only want about 20% of a car...

[FIRE]

Except TD and maybe WSR no team uses bare shells from production line?

[RS67]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Because you only want about 20% of a car...

Any parts surplus to requirements can be sold on. The mk3 Focus had been around for 3yrs before Motorbase built their first car. A 3yr old Focus Zetec
Would be a lot cheaper to buy than a new bombshell. They could have even bought one with a little front end damage, seeing as it gets cut off.

[antnee]

I don't think you can phone up VW, Ford, Merc, etc and ask to buy a bodyshell.

Common situation is to buy flood damaged cars, as the shells are stripped to bare metal the flooding has no adverse effects. In fact, there was a Octavia VRS in an early build stage that was a flooded write-off, but the funding wasn't there to complete the build.

[luckn002]

https://twitter.com/amdessex/status/...989997056?s=21

Should be interesting...!

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by antnee

I don't think you can phone up VW, Ford, Merc, etc and ask to buy a bodyshell.

Good grief, of course you can! It’s a part, just like any other.

How do you think damaged road cars are re-shelled? Lol.