Ford to return in 2004 with a diesel!

[Super Tourer]

According to Autosport mag

Ford are plannig to return to the BTCC in 2004 with a Focus BTC car.

They are lokking at entering a Ford Focus TDCi and have already met with TOCA to discuss the concept. RML are amongst the teams considered to run the factory effort.

[MGF]

Damn... You beat me to posting that news !!!

[NME]

That would be interesting to see, with Diesel car sales growing by the day, it would be wise to look on that direction.
Neverthless there was already a couple of experiences like here in Portugal. From 99 on we have had a Turbo-Diesel series with BMW 320d, Fiat Bravo JTD 105GT, Seat Ibiza 1.9 Tdii, VW Golf 1.9 TDI with an average of 12 cars, but ... this is the last year. No more Diesel racing in 03. The manufacturers never got official involved despite the sales numbers of diesel cars, so i am glad that Ford are willing to get involved in Diesel racing.

Did you know that for 3 yrs there was a Formula Diesel racing in France, with Formula Campus single-seaters ? Engine was Renault 1.9 Tdi, and the Diesel was a mix with Diester ... so it was Biocarburant (Bio-Diesel). They also quit due to lack of support from Renault.

[Super Tourer]

Sorry MGF! - I can only blame the Royal Mail for delivering my post so early.....

)

[Eddie_harasym]

Sounds very interesting. Pity it couldn't be in 03 though.

[SFonseca]

Originally posted by NME
Neverthless there was already a couple of experiences like here in Portugal. From 99 on we have had a Turbo-Diesel series with BMW 320d, Fiat Bravo JTD 105GT, Seat Ibiza 1.9 Tdii, VW Golf 1.9 TDI with an average of 12 cars, but ... this is the last year. No more Diesel racing in 03. The manufacturers never got official involved despite the sales numbers of diesel cars, so i am glad that Ford are willing to get involved in Diesel racing

Very good Experience....... but Now, The Championship is dead!!!

BMW won Spa 24h with a diesel car in the past

[Dani Filth]

TDCi .. so that means Turbo ... isn't the FIA formula for Turbo Diesel .. Capacity=1.5XDiesel capacity ... that would mean a new 3litre(2.0TDCI) class or a 2.7(1.8 TDCi)

[O'Schumacher]

Reigning champ Michael Neuhoff currently drives a Golf Tdi in the UK Volkswagen Cup, and he's had 4 podiums in 11 races, so maybe it's becomming more of an accepted thing now.

And Dani, is there much of a motorsport scene in Romania? Who's your most famous export? I cant say I can remember a Romanian in a top level series, but maybe I'm wrong.

[kmchow]

I wonder how will they be able to equalize a turbo diesel with the present cars. That should be very interesting...
A diesel racing series huh? That is definitely unique.

[MrTTraces]

sound interesting if nowt else.

[touringlegend]

It say's that the diesel would have less BHP than the petrol equivalents, because of the low end torque. It does seem to be more of a diesel promotion than a Focus one as a Ford spokesman said that they already have enough promotion with the WRC car.

Where did that Ford motorsport rulebook go? You know the one with all the marques can only do what the Ford bible says?

[Tim Harvey Fan]

Maybe if the BTCC were to switch to an all diesel format, the championship could have a bright future.

[Super Tourer]

and black smoke.....

[neilwaynesmith]

LOTS of black smoke.....

[Cosworth_RS]

Why not just run a Focus 2 litre petrol?

I can't believe all this rubbish about diesels!!

Next Tourers will have to have standard air bags and cup holders.

If a Focus ST170 race car was run even as a semi works effort, it would massacre the Astras big time. The Ford has one of the best chassis ever, so why think of running it with a diesel engine.

Ford go on about marketing and that the Focus is run in the WRC. The BTCC would be an excellent marketing tool for the Focus and the ST170 im sure is in need of it. You see loads of the Civic Type R on the road but I've only ever seen 2 ST170 Focuses.

If MG get told where to go over this V6 rev limit stuff, then surely Ford should get told the same when it comes to this silly diesel idea.

[racer69]

Seems Ford are ditching their 'certain racing markets for certain manufacturer' policy.

Ford is taking on Jag in F1, and is moving in on what Ford said a year or so ago was Volvo territory.

[Cosworth_RS]

Racer69, I see your from down under. It must be good to have a touring car series ie V8s that Australians are proud of and is exciting and competitive.

Just when the BTCC has started to improve it now seems to be returning to farce. Vauxhall, Honda and now MG to pull out? now Ford to run a Focus TDCi, wow exciting stuff or what!

If TOCA dont want to take the BTCC seriously why dont they just annoy all the manufacturers and teams enough that they go to the ETCC and then concentrate on the production class as the main class.

If TOCA arent careful they are going to be a total laughing stock. The ETCC is moving forwards, the BTCC backwards.

[touringlegend]

Diesel's have become better and better through recent years, and if Ford were allowed to run a diesel I'd see that as the BTCC moving forward, taking account of new technology and what maybe all BTC Tourers will run on in years to come. As I'm sure in my lifetime, the BTCC will need to be able to accomdate electric cars...

[runnyhunny]

TOCA are doing what they should - being fair. If TOCA give in to MG, then should they also give in to whatever Vauxhall, Honda or Ptoton might want in the future? Where would the bickering end? I'll tell you... a 2000-style season, which ended with two of the three manufacturers pulling out.

The ETCC is a similar sham. They have altered the rules to suit BMW, and now Alfa and Volvo are unhappy. That can't continue.

[Alfa Fan]

There is an Alfa Romeo cup for 147 Diesels in Germany currently. They have about 15-20 cars per round.

[kmchow]

It's hard to believe, but let me try to offer an unbiased opinion!! I think it would be a waste of money to promote the Focus h/b when the WRC already does that. I think the BTCC should be the Focus Sedan's mission? Or even the Mondeos?

[Carrie]

Personally I'd be quite interested to see what a diesel car can do in racing. I agree with TL on this one. We've already seen the LPG car in the Vectras, so why not a diesel in the touring cars. If it fits in with the manufacturer's marketing strategy and provides good racing then why not.

[Les]

I agree wholeheartidly with what Carrie says.
Now a days cars are supposed to be greener and leaner and use other forms of energy. If that means we get diesels, LPG, or even electric cars in the paddock then so be it - at least there will be cars.

[Tim Harvey Fan]

I agree with you kmchow, Ford should be promoting something other than the focus hatchback, since they already have the WRC programme. I think it's time to bring back the bigger cars like the Mondeo, Vectra, Accord, etc., even if they are not as technologically-advanced as the old supertouring machines.

[runnyhunny]

Originally posted by kmchow
I think it would be a waste of money to promote the Focus h/b when the WRC already does that. I think the BTCC should be the Focus Sedan's mission? Or even the Mondeos?

The Focus WRC is: (a) not an oil-burner, and (b) a shed.

Furthermore, it seems to be accepted that the new BTC-Touring regulations are slightly biased in favour of smaller cars (which was requested by Vauxhall and Ford during the 2000 season!).

Mind you, the MG ZS seems to be going well, and that is long enough to have been a Super Tourer! We'll have to keep an eye on that Proton Impian, too...