Best Touring Car Era

[PTRACER]

Autosport have just ran an article claiming the Ford RS500 was the best touring car ever - 560bhp, top speed of 175mph, wheelspin in 5th gear through Club at the old Silverstone. Big and bold, like an '80s haircut.

It's before my time, but I understand you had no chance if you drove a BMW M3 or anything else.



My granddad always told me stories about the 1960s touring cars - big American muscle like the heavy, overpowered Galaxies and Mustangs, which would roar off on the straights, trying to beat the lightweight, underpowered Cortinas and Minis which would catch up in the corners. David vs. Goliath.

My all-time favourite will always be Supertouring though. I grew up watching the races at the track and the BTCC stars of the 1990s were all my heroes. Haven't cared for touring car racing since.

I also have a weird interest in ITC and early-2000s DTM even though I never saw any of the races. Anyone seen them?

[Everso Biggyballies]

I always liked the 1970's Touring Car scene.... the likes of the Dave Mathews Capri, Gardner's Camaro, Dave Brodies 'Run Baby Run' Escort, the early (pre RX7) Rotaries, Broadspeed Dolomite Sprints etc.

However I also loved the true giant killing days of the mid / late sixties with the Minis against the mighty V8s, with a few Anglias and Cortina's thrown in.

[John]

I'm with Admin Boss here. The 1990's super touring era was so special, so competitive, and THAT engine sound.

I remember spending the Monday evenings watching the BTCC races from 1994 onwards with my dad, with all those great drivers like Hoy, Leslie, Winkelhock, following it through it's peak in 1998 (arguably the best season ever? Just look at the abundance of manufacturers). It all went downhill from there and I've never bothered since.

It wasn't just the cars and the drivers, it was the tracks as well. Touring cars aren't meant to be driven around wide-open F1 circuits, it needs Croft, Knockhill, Snetterton, Oulton Park and the like. Silverstone was the odd exception that worked.

[Cheeveer]

Supertouring was my childhood. Can still vividly remember the first STCC race I was at in 1999. Was also at the last professional supertouring race at Mantorp in 2002.

Wildcard: Aussie group C (1973(?)-1984):

[erwin greven]

DTM end 80's/early90's

Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Alfa...


They raced at old Hockenheim

Nordschleife

AVUS

Norisring

[PTRACER]

I kind of forgot about the more recent Aussie touring car scene.

I mean, Group A was used Down Under until 1992 and then these came out in 1993:


Followed by these:


I can't change the poll now though else it'll wipe the options.

[kals]

The 550bhp Group A Beasts (1986-1990): Sierra RS500, BMW M3, Commodore

BMW's M3 (and 325i) was only Class B in BTCC, ETCC, WTCC and many other touring car championships and was the basis of the Super Touring rules sets for launch in 1991. The M3 wasn't really able to challenge for many outright wins but did win titles because of the multi-class points systems of the time.

My understanding is only the Australian Touring Car Championship (until the V8 rules were launched in 1994) had an evolution version of the M3 which was Group A eligible.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Wildcard: Aussie group C (1973(?)-1984):

Yup, the Group C as we know it was introduced in 1973, but technically it also covered the period prior, what we refer to now as Improved Production, which to give it its official title was Group C Improved Production Touring Cars.... they were cars such as the Camaros, Mustangs, Novas, even 911's.

When the Improved Tourers got out of hand with the limited edition roadable race cars (Homologation Specials for want of a better word) like the GTHO Falcons, and later similar 'Supercars' which in road trim were scary fast and caused a big scare with the general public as to their viability, given the out of control road toll, dodgy roads, lack of road rules etc. Given the bad press they were attracting, the Australian manufacturers all agreed to stop producing the homologation specials if CAMS introduced a new category with defined performance modifications, bodywork mods to their regular production cars such as Toranas, Falcons, Commodores etc. with the introduction of other cars over time (like the XJS, BMW 635) until Group A came along, mixed it and then took over as we tried to become more 'Internationally acceptable.' (Bathurst was briefly a round of the WTCC)

As it happens I am fairly sure that the first RS500 Cosworth Sierra Touring Car win happened in Australia, in 1987, making this year the 30th anniversary of that.

[PTRACER]

I take it you all know the Super1000mph YouTube channel, which features dozens of 1970s and 1980s Australian touring car race broadcasts?

I've managed to update a few options in the poll. Especially as there was one important period of touring car racing which I totally forgot

[Everso Biggyballies]

I take it you all know the Super1000mph YouTube channel, which features dozens of 1970s and 1980s Australian touring car race broadcasts?

I've managed to update a few options in the poll. Especially as there was one important period of touring car racing which I totally forgot

ETCC Group II ?
Maybe the Spa version of Group II aka Group 1.5, although I think they were later when the Group II numbers dwindled.
To me this was the glory era of the ETCC.

[theracer120]

I take it you all know the Super1000mph YouTube channel, which features dozens of 1970s and 1980s Australian touring car race broadcasts?

I've managed to update a few options in the poll. Especially as there was one important period of touring car racing which I totally forgot

ETCC Group II ?
Maybe the Spa version of Group II aka Group 1.5, although I think they were later when the Group II numbers dwindled.
To me this was the glory era of the ETCC.

Group 2 was what early Trans-Am ran as well, which was the one time touring car racing took off in the US as well (and for good reason)

[John]

Look at the amount of cars. Wow.

[John]

Autosport have just ran an article claiming the Ford RS500 was the best touring car ever

@ PT: That article is locked behind their Fort Knox-paywall. Can you post it here?

Pretty please?

With sugar on top?

[theracer120]

Wildcard: Aussie group C (1973(?)-1984):

This is my personal favorite as far as Australian stuff goes, and I would have voted for it if there was an option for it. I particuarly like the 81-84 era, even though there was a lot of political bickering around it the cars were quite wild and IMO there was a more diverse mix of outright competitors then at any other point since the mid-60s. From what I've seen the racing was reasonably good considering the era as well.

I did vote for Supertouring, the 63-73 era and the late Group A era. As far as current rulesets go my personal favorite would be the British one, it seems to have the best racing of the lot.

[PTRACER]

ETCC Group II ?
Maybe the Spa version of Group II aka Group 1.5, although I think they were later when the Group II numbers dwindled.
To me this was the glory era of the ETCC.

A mixture of Group 2 and Group 5 rules apparently. It was mainly BMW CSLs and 2002s against Ford Escort RS 1600s and Capri 2600s, with 1.3, 1.6 and 2-litre Alfa Romeo GTVs in the mix as well. The races were quite long - 4 hour races at Monza, Nurburgring, Brno and Zandvoort among others.

I haven't ever seen any footage of this era of the ETCC, but if it was anything like the sights and sounds of this...DAMN: