Defining touring cars

[santori]

What is the definition of a touring car? I mean I know what they are but if someone asked me to say exactly how they differ from other categories, I'd have trouble.
I remember reading Klaus Ludwig saying that a Merecedes touring car was, in his view, a sports car, so at least I'm in good company.

[gttouring]

this is as hard as defining a GT race car (Ayse any thoughts on the BMW GTR or M3? )
Regardless of the past Touring car series, the current definition in my world is a Saloon, or sedan. a car with 4 seat minimum, and preferably 4 doors- although 2 doors have been seen (acura RSSX in Speed TC) the bodies in the race series are production bodies with Roll cages, possibly tube subframes, and aero bits tagged on to them. The DTM blurs this a bit with their current configurations -leading to Klaus' correct view as it was a sports car touring around in its series, but in 04 the introduction of 4 doors helps it out to a more 'classic' definition. Classic being relative as many 2 door challengers were involved in touring cars for ages even today.
ETCC, BTCC, Speed TC all show good example of a touring car. thank to the BTCC in the 90's a superfast Grocery getter, family saloon, with wings on the rear is the best example i feel.

[BSchneiderFan]

Personally speaking, though, how I hate hatchbacks.

[santori]

Thanks.

[racer69]

4 seats is about all that seems to be needed thses days....

[bestetti26]

4 seats is Touring, 2 seats is GT.
Touring should be more than 10000 cars SOLD per year.
Touring car body should be as much as possibile similar to the road legal one, so NO WINGS, the only changes allowed sholud be MORE SAFETY changes

All in my honest opinion, Merry Xmas

[Hobson]

Touring IMHO should be 4 doors.

Having said that, is the Mazda RX8 a TC? The RX7 (in the '80s) was a touring car.

[kmchow]

Welll, to be fair, I think the definition of touring cars have changed over the years. I think the very basic and essence is that the cars remain very recognisable lookswise as well as mechanical wise.

In the past 10-15 years, the definition further narrowed down to 4 seaters and perhaps even 4 doors.

I think the BTCC really defined the "new meaning" of touringcars.

[totaltoca]

just been atching an interesting dvd. max power where they compare a btcc alfa from 2001 and the mitsubishi wrc rally car. only about 4o bhp in it.

[racer69]

Originally posted by Hobson
Touring IMHO should be 4 doors.

Having said that, is the Mazda RX8 a TC? The RX7 (in the '80s) was a touring car.

Remember though the probably 3 greatest Group A cars ever built, the Ford Sierra RS500, BMW M3 E30, and the Nissan Skyline GTR-R32, were all 2 door cars, as were earlier cars like the Chevrolet Camaro Z28, and back in the 60s, the Porsche 911.

Most Touring Car formula's these days are just in name only. They are really purpose built silouette formula's with massive bodykit modifications and no components carried over from the production car, rather than real touring cars. A shame in my opinion.

[redshoes]

Leaving aside debates over the number of doors for me what defines a touring car is that the whole thing is built around a recognisable (production based) bodyshell.

NASCAR, ASCAR and the like which are built around a tubular frame chassis with a look-a-like bodykit hung over the top definately aren't touring cars.

As far as the DTM Mercedes is concerned I have to agree with Klaus Ludwig, the construction of the car has much more in common with a Sports-Prototype.

[kmchow]

Originally posted by redshoes
As far as the DTM Mercedes is concerned I have to agree with Klaus Ludwig, the construction of the car has much more in common with a Sports-Prototype.

That's the same reason why the author of Touring Car World doesn't even acknowledge the DTM anymore as a touring car series!!

[Craig]

What Nigel said. I don't think the number of doors has a hige amount to do with it to be honest. Some of the more important cars of different eras had just two doors - Mini, Lotus Cortina, Capri, Jag XJS, BMW M3, Sierra RS500, Astra, to name but a few.

[gttouring]

i would say first they are production based then...
this eliminates tube frame cars,-

[touringlegend]

Touring Cars were originally basic road cars taken off the roads and raced with very few (if at all) modifications so I have to go with that - a Touring Car should be production based.

[429CJ]

Rover SD1 = touring car
Jaguar XJS = grand touring (GT) car.
Still both were used on European Touring Car Championships in the '80s.