Difference between between race car and touring car.

[fjcatherine]

Newbie here. I've done a couple of searches and I can't seem to find the answer, so any help would be appreciated.

I sometimes see race cars, touring cars and RM'ed cars on on line races. They look the same, but i'm sure they're not.

I don't mean to be irritating by asking this question, but i'd rather ask then be ignorant and not know.

Thanks in advance for all the help.

 

[Basilea]

examples?

 

[JJ72]

touring cars are one genre of race cars, usually modified from domestic stock sedan/hatchbacks, like your usual VW golf, Focus, Civic, or BMW1 series etc. They have usually less than 300hp and weigh more than a ton.

if you want reference as what real life touring cars are, search for BTCC, WTCC and STCC online.

 

[suprtrukr425]

Search for "auto racing" on wikipedia.com. You can find out everything you need to know about race cars from there.

 

[brambos]

touring cars are one genre of race cars, usually modified from domestic stock sedan/hatchbacks, like your usual VW golf, Focus, Civic, or BMW1 series etc. They have usually less than 300hp and weigh more than a ton.

if you want reference as what real life touring cars are, search for BTCC, WTCC and STCC online.

You forgot to mention the only one that's actually properly represented in GT5: the DTM with fabulous cars like the ABT TT-R and the 155 TI V6...

 

[JJ72]

You forgot to mention the only one that's actually properly represented in GT5: the DTM with fabulous cars like the ABT TT-R and the 155 TI V6...

those are touring car by name....but actually GT car in performance and more closed cockpit prototype in terms of construction (or silhouette formula if you are really old school). I don't count them as true touring cars.

 

[kilttraeger]

those are touring car by name....but actually GT car in performance and more closed cockpit prototype in terms of construction (or silhouette formula if you are really old school). I don't count them as true touring cars.

You are right on the newer cars, but not on the 90s cars, including the Alfa. Those were built on the basis of the road going version (or homologation versions of those).

 

[jimy281090]

You are right on the newer cars, but not on the 90s cars, including the Alfa. Those were built on the basis of the road going version (or homologation versions of those).

Indeed. Take the Mercedes-Benz 190E Evolution II Touring Car. They just upgraded the engine and added a few Aerodynamic parts to the car.

These days the cars are being Manufactured as you see them so indeed they are more Prototype Than anything else.

The perfect Example really is BTCC or WTCC as Touring cars tend to be 5 Door cars and MUST have a production model on sale

 

[gumbidave]

You are right on the newer cars, but not on the 90s cars, including the Alfa. Those were built on the basis of the road going version (or homologation versions of those).

I always thought the mid-90's DTM/ITC ones were bespoke machines - not really based on road going cars as they had different chassis, suspension layouts, engines, transmissions compared to the production models? Specifically the Alfa 155 4WD v6, the Merc 4WD v6 and The Opel Calibra 4WD v6 (don't remember any other manufacturer's being involved!). As mentioned before, these (and the current DTM machines) are much more like GT cars than 'proper' touring cars.

Just to confuse everyone, the Germans didn't just have the DTM, they did also have a DTCC as well! Nowhere near as popular though.

The Super Touring cars (2 litre cars, FWD, RWD and 4WD, from 1991 to about 2000) in the BTCC, ETCC, etc were based on production versions. Does it annoy anyone else that the 'Supertouring' cars in GT5 would fall outside the Super Touring rules?

 

[rspwn]

The simplest difference I can think of is that touring cars are modified production cars (usually they come from the factory as stock and then they're fitted with rollcage etc.). Quoting from wikipedia:

While rules vary from country to country, most series require that the competitors start with a standard body shell, but virtually every other component is allowed to be heavily modified for racing, including engines, suspension, brakes, wheels and tires. Aerodynamic aids are usually added to the front and rear of the cars...

Quite plainly we can say that race cars, i.e. JGTC, GT1 or ALMS versions of those, are made from ground up entirely in purpose to be racing machine. The chaisis is different. Bodywork only ressembles stock car shell in very little and is usually much wider (great example here, mercedes CLK-GTR). As a good example I can also put M3 GTR Race Car and BMW 320 touring car... The latter is based on a stock compact engine and boasts much less power as well as smaller handling improvements.

 

[kilttraeger]

I always thought the mid-90's DTM/ITC ones were bespoke machines - not really based on road going cars as they had different chassis, suspension layouts, engines, transmissions compared to the production models? Specifically the Alfa 155 4WD v6, the Merc 4WD v6 and The Opel Calibra 4WD v6 (don't remember any other manufacturer's being involved!). As mentioned before, these (and the current DTM machines) are much more like GT cars than 'proper' touring cars.

Just to confuse everyone, the Germans didn't just have the DTM, they did also have a DTCC as well! Nowhere near as popular though.

The Super Touring cars (2 litre cars, FWD, RWD and 4WD, from 1991 to about 2000) in the BTCC, ETCC, etc were based on production versions. Does it annoy anyone else that the 'Supertouring' cars in GT5 would fall outside the Super Touring rules?

Morning,

Alfa 155 AWD - based on the road going version
Calibra V6 AWD - based on the road going version

Merc 4WD v6 - never existed. There are two versions of Mercs in the game:
Merc 190 Evo II - based on the road going version
Merc CLK - 4 litre V8, silhouette formula car as JJ said.

The early Mercs, M3s etc. raced in the original Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (not Masters!), where even private teams took part... with such fabulous sounding cars as the Ruch Mustangs.

Sorry for being so elaborate, but this is by far my favourite racing series of all times

 

[STIG_RS6]

Amen to DTM

 

[suprtrukr425]

The only true touring car that is non fictional in GT5 is the BMW 320i Touring car. It falls into the "super 2000" category, which is the widely accepted format for touring car championships. The DTM cars are considered touring cars, although they share very little with thier production counterparts. There is also the Ford AU Falcon XR8, which is a "Super V8", also a touring car from another championship series held in Austrailia.

 

[kilttraeger]

The only true touring car that is non fictional in GT5 is the BMW 320i Touring car. It falls into the "super 2000" category, which is the widely accepted format for touring car championships. The DTM cars are considered touring cars, although they share very little with thier production counterparts. There is also the Ford AU Falcon XR8, which is a "Super V8", also a touring car from another championship series held in Austrailia.

Agree on Merc CLK, ABT Audi, Opel (Vauxhall) Astra. Disagree on Alfa 155, Merc 190, Opel (Vauxhall) Calibra.

I guess it is all a matter of opinion; but these cars around '91 until '93 were the most fun to watch, highly competitive, and still were based on the road legal versions.

 

[gumbidave]

Morning,

Alfa 155 AWD - based on the road going version
Calibra V6 AWD - based on the road going version

Merc 4WD v6 - never existed. There are two versions of Mercs in the game:
Merc 190 Evo II - based on the road going version
Merc CLK - 4 litre V8, silhouette formula car as JJ said.

The early Mercs, M3s etc. raced in the original Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (not Masters!), where even private teams took part... with such fabulous sounding cars as the Ruch Mustangs.

Sorry for being so elaborate, but this is by far my favourite racing series of all times

I agree, a phenomenal series! 👍 Shame the Merc isn't in GT5, it's always been one of my favourites. I remember watching it on Eurosport, always looked rapid.
But, I feel the need to disagree about the cars - ok they retained the chassis, I hold my hands up I got that wrong, but everything else was modified - suspension, carbon fibre body panels, engine completely modified (or even replaced!) and allowed to be relocated within the car, 4WD systems (on the Opel and Alfa, I got the Merc being 4WD wrong as well!), sequential gearboxes, electronic 'driver aids'...
They don't sit with my definition of what a Touring Car should be, they are much closer to a GT or a Silhouette racer. Not saying they weren't awesome, just that they aren't Touring Cars. That's more the Super Touring (or Class 2) rules in my eyes.
Would love to see one of the old Zakspeed Capri's in GT6... Imagine racing that against a Lancia Beta, the BMW E30 M3 - or perhaps even a 935 (under a license from Kremer?)... Or even some of the other Group A racers, Sierras, Celica/Supras, even a Rover SD1?!

Hell, I can dream!