New Astra BTCC car!

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vtec_guy

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i've never liked stock vauxhall/opel astras but i've always loved the race car models. Here's a pic of the new astra that is being used in the BTCC. What d'ya think? I personally cant wait to see this in the dtm astra's colours :drool:
Muller22.jpg

However I still want the tegs to win the season. :sly:
 
I think it is ugly. The old one was much better looking in my opinion. Plus it doesn't seem to be the best car anymore as the fastest car crown has now been taken by the Halfords Honda Integra
 
That's actually a pretty bad pic. The best angle is from the side as the car has a great silohette, for what it is.

No Vauxhalls look good from the front.
 
vtec_guy
i've never liked stock vauxhall/opel astras but i've always loved the race car models. Here's a pic of the new astra that is being used in the BTCC. What d'ya think? I personally cant wait to see this in the dtm astra's colours :drool:
Muller22.jpg

However I still want the tegs to win the season. :sly:
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Another Brightoner hmm.
Which bit you from?
I'm kicking it down old happening Shoreham way. We've got like 3 people from Brighton on here now!
I'm more of an MG fan I 've hated Vauxhalls especially with Muller driving, no particular reason just personal beef. Think he's a dirty driver!

Anywayz just thought I'd quickly rub it in and mention I'm off to see the WTCC and FIA GT's this weekend at Silverstone! Woopah!:D
 
I so want to go and see the WTCC and FIA GT shame its too far from me grrrr.
 
If I dare say, it has some Renault lines to its design in the front. In some ways, I can almost imagine a Renault Clio Phase 2 in its front design. Having said that, the design lines look pretty clean. I don't necessarily think it's ugly. In fact, I'd say it's actually pretty nice. The meanness is there in the car, so obviously it isn't afraid of being "too soft" on the race track. Vauxhall is like GM United Kingdom (like with the Vauxhall Monaro), is it? Anyhow, the lines are pretty nice and not really off someplace. If I could change its looks, I'd kind of make the front a bit wider as the front of the car and the overfenders look more clean with a widebody look. Other than that, it's a nice touring car. European coupes and sedans in Europe usually are pretty stylish, so this continues the clean lines and aggressive (yet subtle). I'd give it 3.5 out of 5.
 
well now here is everyone's chance to decide which they prefer::

ym2.jpg


Muller18.jpg



In my own opinion i don't mind the new car. Sure the old one looked faster but the new Astra is a better option for a replacment then say the Vectra. (Although if they went with the Monaro vauxhall would win everyone. However, the Monaro is going to the British GT series.) So, the new Astra looks good to me. Other opinions?
 
vtec_guy
i've never liked stock vauxhall/opel astras but i've always loved the race car models. Here's a pic of the new astra that is being used in the BTCC. What d'ya think? I personally cant wait to see this in the dtm astra's colours :drool:
Muller22.jpg

However I still want the tegs to win the season. :sly:
Click to expand...


great looking car !!! 👍 👍
 
In my own opinion i don't mind the new car. Sure the old one looked faster but the new Astra is a better option for a replacment then say the Vectra. (Although if they went with the Monaro vauxhall would win everyone. However, the Monaro is going to the British GT series.) So, the new Astra looks good to me. Other opinions?
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The vectra is too big and is Vauxhalls exec, don't want to race that. The Monaro's engine is wayyyy too big for BTCC, but it would still be cool to see 👍

Vauxhall is like GM United Kingdom (like with the Vauxhall Monaro), is it?
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Yeah, even though most people still think it is British, it isn't. And generally, they make ugly cars.
 
Now that you provide this comparison of Astras, now I get a better view of the new Astra. Has my opinion changed? Read below, boys and girls.

I still like the newer model. I'm not European. I don't live in Europe. So I can't really tell from experience about how styles have changed. The older Astra is pretty nice, but this new one doesn't look ugly in my view. The new Astra looks aggressive and practical. It is a very nice design. I kind of wished you didn't have a picture of the new Astra going off into the dirt, but I actually like the newer design than the past one. It is edgy and expressive. I'm sure if its performance is impressive enough to put the previous Astra to shame, you'll have to appreciate the newer Vauxhall Astra over the last model.

Now if only I can say that about the C6 Corvette compared to the C5 Corvette...
 
ExigeExcel
The vectra is too big and is Vauxhalls exec, don't want to race that. The Monaro's engine is wayyyy too big for BTCC, but it would still be cool to see 👍


Yeah, even though most people still think it is British, it isn't. And generally, they make ugly cars.
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Vectra may not be all that big. Remember in the old days of BTCC, Vauxhall would run the Cavalier, which is the predessesor to the Vectra. Also, the Vectra is used by Opel in the German Touring Car Championship, so it is raceable. (just wouldnt look good as is shown be the DTM version, although i like the OPC paintjob)

Vectra.jpg


Vauxhall used to be British, until GM bought it and Opel out. The Monaro is a product of the Australian GM firm, Holden, which is marketed in the UK under the Vauxhall brand.
 
ExigeExcel
The Monaro's engine is wayyyy too big for BTCC, but it would still be cool to see 👍
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Plus the fact that it is rear wheel drive, means that it will never be in BTCC.
 
DQuaN
Plus the fact that it is rear wheel drive, means that it will never be in BTCC.
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Four wheel drive is not allowed in the BTCC (banned after the Audi domination of the 90's).

However rear wheel drive is allowed, last year we had BMW 3-series models competing, this year we have the Lexus IS-200; both rear wheel drive.
 
ab ba ba wha.........???

I thought it was fwd only :confused:

I remember the bmw's where production class or whatever it was called. I didn't think it had the same regs as the rest of the field. Otherwise it would have beaten everyone.
 
Vectra may not be all that big. Remember in the old days of BTCC, Vauxhall would run the Cavalier, which is the predessesor to the Vectra. Also, the Vectra is used by Opel in the German Touring Car Championship, so it is raceable. (just wouldnt look good as is shown be the DTM version, although i like the OPC paintjob)
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Don't they use larger engines in DTM?

I didn't even relaise most the feild was FF. I thought they may have been converted. :stupid:
 
DQuaN
ab ba ba wha.........???

I thought it was fwd only :confused:

I remember the bmw's where production class or whatever it was called. I didn't think it had the same regs as the rest of the field. Otherwise it would have beaten everyone.
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Even if the car is officially in a different class the regs allow for 'normalisation' to allow them all to race equally. The Seat Cupra's are officially not BTCC reg cars, but S2000 (WTCC) reg cars, they carry additional ballast to allow them to compete.

The rules in fact state that you can use a FWD or RWD car as a base and that the final race version must retain the same drivetrain layout, you can not convert it.

The tightness of the regs in the BTCC are the main reason that no single drivetrain pattern will dominate. This years IS-200 and the BMW's of the past ran to the same basic regs as the rest.

You also have to remember that while RWD will give you major benefits in a road car, such as weight distribution, driven wheels, etc. A lot of these can be 'corrected' in a race car, the weight distribution can be managed in a FWD BTCC car to attain 50/50 and with the relativly low power output of the BTCC (for a race series) the advantage of driven wheels can be lost with power loss through drivetrain losses (which also weigh more).

Basically the regs allow you to keep the different drivetrains competing closely, but requiring different driving styles. Thats what makes the BTCC so damn great.

Heres a link to the current BTCC '05 rules

BTCC '05 Regs


On the subject of FWD race cars, it always reminds me of the last Bathurst 24hrs, in which production Celica's (the cars were road legal) came first and second in class E.

Bathurst 2003 Results

So what you may ask? Well take a look at the other cars competing in the same class.

Ford XR6 Turbo
Honda Integra Type R
Alfa 156
Holden Commodore SS
Honda S2000

You can see the full entry list here (scroll down for class E.

Bathurst 2003 Entry List

A couple of FWD '03 Celica's take on some RWD monsters over 24hrs on one of the toughest circuits in the world and win. Its not always as cut and dried as it seems. Made me proud of my Celica that event.
 
The new btcc astra looks amazing!......Love the VXR team colours
 
ExigeExcel
Don't they use larger engines in DTM?

I didn't even relaise most the feild was FF. I thought they may have been converted. :stupid:
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yeah sorry just looked it up, I think the Vectra's run a V6 or V8 in DTM.
 
sting
Muller18.jpg
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:lol:👍 Classic shot for most of any race from this series. This is what nascrap SHOULD be like.

Not a fan of either... one looks like a ho_da and the other is just ugly.
 
VipFREAK
:lol:👍 Classic shot for most of any race from this series. This is what nascrap SHOULD be like.

Not a fan of either... one looks like a ho_da and the other is just ugly.
Click to expand...

I'll have you know I'm a loyal fan of NASCAR, but I'll let you off considering we both seem to love the Viper :drool:
 
One thing that you all seem to have missed with regards the fwd/rwd is that the tyres used for the BTCC are designed for fwd cars ie stiffer sidewalls and more pliant compounds, they don't really work on rwd, hence why the BMW's struggled. This is one thing that GT4 doesn't have, the effect that different tyres form different manufacturers have on cars. To take the BTCC, when it switched from BFGoodrich to Dunlop, not only did EVERY car go a lot faster, but the different cars all found they handled differently.
 
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