Feast your eyes on the Ford Focus GTCV8, the first purpose-built race car to join the just-announced Global Touring Car Series (GTC). It has a 500 hp V8 engine under the hood, powering the rear wheels through a sequential-shift transmission. Looks and sounds brilliant, doesn’t it?
Except that it isn’t actually a Ford Focus at all. It’s merely a silhouette racer, made to look like the production car but without any mechanical links to it. Still, could have fooled us all.
See, the GTC series runs a single-spec formula, with all entrants running a common chassis, engine, gearbox and such. The regulated spaceframe, however, has been designed to fit various bodyshells to resemble everyday sedans or hatchbacks. It’s a way to make the racing series more marketable, thus attracting more manufacturers.
The GTC series will be launched in South Africa in the third quarter of 2014, with more national franchises set to be announced soon. Each circuit racing series will be separately run, which will ultimately lead to a World Cup event in the future.
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Mmmm a V8. It’s an aural pleasure to hear this beast singing its heart out.
“common chassis, engine, gearbox”
may i know, by which manufacturer?
I don’t like this sort of ” silhouette” racing series, there’s no connection to the actual model other than the shape of the body shell. I much prefer production series where the actual models ,at least with their basic chassis, drive train and engine layout or their signature technologies. Otherwise it is just a one make racing with different body shells, like DTM or even NASCAR.
they can make 500hp Focus but still cannot change the ugly grill oh my….
Silhouette racers, they can looks & sounds and move in spectacular manner but lacks the connection to the road going cars. The cars in Italy’s Superstars Touring Car Series have 450+bhp V8/V6 engines which are based on actual production body shell & engine , which is follows the true spirit of Touring Car racing – this is the real thing.
Power is comparable to the DTM cars, but the face still so urrrgly.
Good news for DTM fans out there, Paul Di Resta back in Mercedes-Benz DTM cockpit for 2014 season. It’s Mercedes fight back after become the worst performer last season. Will Audi able to hold it’s No.1 position from it’s challengers?
it’s funny when many people and car manufacturers are claiming to be more concerned about the environment, more racing events like this coming up. so where’s the environmental-friendly part of all this?
Well it’s a silhouette but at least the kit is applicable to the production car.