http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75778

Sounds great to me, bigger and faster cars should make it even more crazy, and if they are cheaper to build we might get bigger grids.

Sounds good for the lower budget teams to compete up front

the environment obviously isn't a big concern though if they're banning diesel! i like the thought of electric power/diesel power cars but it just takes away the atmosphere not being able to hear a car coming from a mile off. anyone agree?

Why did they opt for FWD only? RWD is much more fun to drive IMO.

im not sure, there are situatioons wer the bmw's have a large advantage but there are times when they dont, i can see why they are banning diesels but not rwd

One of the best things ever to happen to BTCC was to adopt the same rules used around the world, now they're changing it again?!

Quote from james12s :

im not sure, there are situatioons wer the bmw's have a large advantage but there are times when they dont, i can see why they are banning diesels but not rwd

+1, about the diesels.

300bhp sounds good to me, but all through the front wheels? Come on! Even if the chassis is well tuned.

It was good when the cars used to get up to around 150mph in drafts down the hangar straight at Silverstone.

Quote from spookthehamster :

One of the best things ever to happen to BTCC was to adopt the same rules used around the world, now they're changing it again?!

The WTCC are going to go to a set of rules that will be expensive and no-one knows much about (if they don't implode before they let in high boost expensive fragile 1600ccs), I wouldn't be surprised more series adopt NGTC.

300hp and front wheel drive should be do-able, after all SEAT Cupra Cup cars were like that. I guess RWD would be legalized if BMW wanted to join as manufacturers. I'd imagine the rules would fit Subarus and Mitsubishis more (as two litre forced induction saloons), which could easily be converted to FWD but from a manufacturer's point of view they would want 4WD.

these people who are grumping about no RWD anymore need to look at the facts, BMW and rwd has only been back in the championship for 3 seasons.

BTCC since the late ninties has been dominated by fwd cars. And on the note of 5haz about the 300bhp, thats what power the current cars have. Or if you want to be really picky 280bhp. So it will be no different.

Quote from duke_toaster :

The WTCC are going to go to a set of rules that will be expensive and no-one knows much about (if they don't implode before they let in high boost expensive fragile 1600ccs), I wouldn't be surprised more series adopt NGTC.

300hp and front wheel drive should be do-able, after all SEAT Cupra Cup cars were like that. I guess RWD would be legalized if BMW wanted to join as manufacturers. I'd imagine the rules would fit Subarus and Mitsubishis more (as two litre forced induction saloons), which could easily be converted to FWD but from a manufacturer's point of view they would want 4WD.

If nobody knows about them how can they be expensive? The S2000 rules are much cheaper than the old BTCC rules were. They also made room for different car configurations, limiting them to FWD is a bad move.

I also think it's bad to force the manufacturers to use larger cars. Touring cars should represent the cars that every day people are looking for and driving. In the past that may have been saloons but nowadays smaller hatches are the more common car, so they should still be allowed.

Quote from trebor901 :

these people who are grumping about no RWD anymore need to look at the facts, BMW and rwd has only been back in the championship for 3 seasons.

BTCC since the late ninties has been dominated by fwd cars. And on the note of 5haz about the 300bhp, thats what power the current cars have. Or if you want to be really picky 280bhp. So it will be no different.

BTCC was dominated by FWD cars because of the rules since the old RWD/AWD domination. The current rules are very fair, aside from the diesel/petrol 'equalisation'

WTCC has been torn apart by the constant rule changes designed to try and keep a level playing field between the RWD and FWD cars, and the diesel and petrol powered cars. After the RWD BMW's dominated Oulton Park, I can see the BTCC going the same way, so this change to FWD only is probably a smart move.

I have no problem with FWD in touring cars, afterall if the cars are RWD you won't be seeing them saving those crazy 90degree slides.

Quote from JJ72 :

I have no problem with FWD in touring cars, afterall if the cars are RWD you won't be seeing them saving those crazy 90degree slides.

Yep, and it's not as if the BMWs in BTCC/WTCC currently are spectacularly sideways all of the time either.
If V8 Supercars went to FWD only it would be different
But honestly for the most part if the BMWs all switched to FWD this season it wouldn't change the spectacle (or lack thereof).

One thing that no-one has picked up on is the proposal for a push to pass type system.

Quote from duke_toaster :

One thing that no-one has picked up on is the proposal for a push to pass type system.

I think that button is stupid, even in F1. It actually ends up ruining some passes if only some cars have it. If they all have it then sure, A1GP have it and it works fine. If it's like in F1 where only some cars have it, you end up getting a car getting into another cars draft and the car in front just presses the button and its over. Nearly impossible to pass like that...

I'm not sure it's needed in Touring Cars though, those things race so closely anyways...

Quote from sinbad :

Yep, and it's not as if the BMWs in BTCC/WTCC currently are spectacularly sideways all of the time either.
If V8 Supercars went to FWD only it would be different
But honestly for the most part if the BMWs all switched to FWD this season it wouldn't change the spectacle (or lack thereof).

BMW wouldn't switch to FWD, they'd leave.

Push to pass is the worst idea ever, in any way shape or form.

Quote from spookthehamster :

BMW wouldn't switch to FWD, they'd leave.

I never said they would, just that if (in a hypothetical world) they did, it wouldn't change anything because the BMWs are just as boring to watch as any of the other cars at the moment anyway. They're all without exception over-gripped and under-powered.

I think any cost cutting measures in most series in the current climate would be a good idea. Yes we might loose BMW but we will gain a bigger, well matched grid with faster more powerful cars.

I think they could easily be 300bhp+ but will need some kind of boost regulator to stop the driven wheels spinning every time the turbo kicks in.
One thing im not so keen on is the idea of bigger cars, why? That just makes it harder to overtake, harder to go two wide through a corner & will just take away from the door handling bumper to bumper action we are used to.

tbh i think the bigger bit is better if bigger only means the size of the current saloons and applying to the hatches because i cant see for example a honda civic liking a 300+bhp turboed engine to much, it is unstable enough as it is, ban the hatch lol

Quote from james12s :

tbh i think the bigger bit is better if bigger only means the size of the current saloons and applying to the hatches because i cant see for example a honda civic liking a 300+bhp turboed engine to much, it is unstable enough as it is, ban the hatch lol

they could switch to that awesome Mugen Civic Sedan, that would make an awesome looking touring car

Quote from trebor901 :

they could switch to that awesome Mugen Civic Sedan, that would make an awesome looking touring car

ooh yeah, just google imaged it, looks very sexy. where does the mugen bit come from, coz its a honda civic, but called "mugen" as well :S

its got a Mugen bodykit and i believe they tuned the engine aswell.

oh cool. i'm intrigued, how much are they?