Next Generation Touring Car

Next Generation Touring Car, also known as NGTC and by its Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) designation TCN-1,[1] is an FIA and TOCA specification and classification for production based race cars. The specification covers national level touring car racing. The goal of the limited choices in engines and parts in 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 only significant differences between different models is the external body shells and the use of front- or rear-wheel drive; the suspension, brakes and transmissions are common to all cars, and engines are of uniform performance.

Next Generation Touring Car
Motor racing formula
CategoryTouring cars
Country or regionUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Sweden / Denmark Scandinavia
ChampionshipsBTCC (2011 – present)
STCC (2012)
Inaugural season2011
StatusActive

The specification was created for use in the British Touring Car Championship and was phased in over three years from the 2011 British Touring Car Championship season.[2] NGTC engines were first used in the 2010 season by Pinkney Motorsport, Pirtek Racing and Special Tuning UK.[3]

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 until that point
  • 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[4]

In December 2014 the FIA ratified support for technical regulations used in BTCC, designating the specification as TCN-1. The specification is a model for higher class national touring car championships to follow.[1]

Specification

Engine

The engine is a 300+ bhp 2 L turbo-charged direct injection unit using fly by wire throttle control. It is intended to have a 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. The engines have an over-boost function allowing a brief increase in power output.[5]

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.[6]

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.

Drivetrain

  • 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

Target Price

The target price for a complete car, less engine was expected to be around £100,000 depending on final components used by each team and the running cost. The cost for a TOCA-BTCC Engine will be £25,000 with the option to be leased. However the target price is a lot higher than expected - it was reported that the car, less engine is around £200,000.

Models

MakeModelImageDeveloperYears active
Alfa RomeoGiuliettaHMS Racing2018
AudiA4
Rob Austin Racing2011–2015
S3 Saloon
Rotek Racing2014–2020
BMW125i M Sport
West Surrey Racing2013–2020
330i M Sport
2019–2021
330e M Sport2022–present
ChevroletCruze (4dr)IP Tech Race Engineering2013–2017
Cruze (5dr)RML Group2014
CUPRALeón Competición
Team HARD2021–present
FordFocus ST
Motorbase Performance2012–2017
Focus RS2018–2019
Focus ST 202020–present
HondaCivic
Team Dynamics2012–2015
Civic Tourer
2014
Civic Type-R (FK2)
2015–2020
Civic Type-R (FK8)
2018–present
Hyundaii30 Fastback N PerformanceExcelr8 Motorsport2020–present
InfinitiQ50
Pro Motorsport2015–2019
Q50 GT
Laser Tools Racing2020–2022
Mercedes-BenzA-Class
Ciceley Racing2014–2020
MG6 GT
Triple Eight Racing2012–2019
ProtonGen-2Welch Motorsport2011
Persona
2012–2016
SubaruLevorg GT
Team BMR2016–2019
ToyotaAvensis
GPRM2011–2018
Corolla GT
Speedworks Motorsport2019–present
VauxhallInsignia
Thorney Motorsport2011–2014
Astra
Power Maxed Racing2017–present
VolkswagenCC
Team HARD2013–2020
A group of cars going through the Hislop's and Knickerbrook corners at Oulton Park in the 2013 BTCC season.

The following Next Generation Touring Cars have competed in championships:

  • Audi A4 - Made its 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, firstly using an engine prepared by Ric Wood and then using a Lehmann-built engine from Oulton Park onwards.[7] A second A4 was run by the team from round nine.[8] The car took a second place during Round Eight's third race at Rockingham, after leading part of the race.[9] For the 2012 season the car was modified by the team, with the aerodynamics being updated. For 2013 the Audi's featuring updated bodywork to reflect the road car's facelift and now using engines prepared by Field Motorsport, who maintained the Lehmann engines midway through 2012.[10] For Oulton Park, Austin's A4 used the TOCA-BTCC engine in a bid to find extra performance. The second car of Will Bratt was fitted with the new engine at Croft. Austin took his maiden BTCC win at Rockingham later that season, Audi's first in the BTCC since 1997. Austin went on to take his second win a year later, again at Rockingham.
  • Proton Gen-2/Proton Persona - Welch Motorsport reintroduced the Proton marque to the BTCC in 2011.[11] This was the first appearance of the brand since 2004. Before the start of the 2012 season Welch Motorsport adapted the aerodynamics of the Proton Gen-2 to reflect the Persona model. Initially the car used the TOCA-BTCC engine, but for 2014 the team built a second car and developed an in-house engine in conjunction with X Ctech R. The engine proved to be both underpowered and unreliable, both Dan Welch and Ollie Jackson failed to score points in the drivers' championship.
  • Toyota Avensis - First seen as a prototype in 2010 during practice for the final round at Brands Hatch. The Avensis was built by GPRM and 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. Dynojet's car used a Toyota-based engine built by X Ctech R while the Speedworks car used the TOCA-BTCC unit developed by Swindon Engines, which was available for lease to all entries. 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 and Speedworks expanded to two cars. Wrathall took the first win for the car and the first win for Toyota in 19 years. A fourth Toyota appeared on the grid for 2013. Adam Morgan's family-run team Ciceley Racing acquired Wrathall's 2011 car, fitted with a TOCA-BTCC engine. Five Toyota's made the 2014 grid. Speedworks ran one car whilst providing engineering support to Simon Belcher and Handy Motorsport. Following Frank Wrathall's conviction for causing death by careless driving, Dynojet sold the team's assets to United Autosports, entering Wrathall's race car and a second car using Wrathall's spare shell. The fifth Avensis was entered by Houseman Racing, running a TOCA-BTCC engine, after the team were forced to look for a new car following the abolition of the Super 2000 cars.
  • 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.[12] The car did compete in select races during the 2012 season. At the end of the season Tony Gilham Racing bought the two Insignias, with Jack Goff finishing second at the final round of 2013. In 2014 the cars changed ownership again since Tony Gilham Racing merged with BMR Restart to form Team BMR. The two Insignia's ran alongside two Volkswagen CC's for the first half of the season, until they were replaced by two more CC's.
Pirtek Racing's NGTC Honda Civic at Thruxton, with a Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Avensis behind.

Series

Current

Series currently (as of 2019) allowing cars built to NGTC rules to race:

Former

References

See also