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86-536: The Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the Repco Supercars Championship awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion. The first Australian Touring Car Championship was held in 1960 as a single race for Appendix J Touring Cars . This

172-608: A LHD RS500 version, have set up some elaborate versions of the Sierra RS Cosworth for private customers, replicating some of the RS500's specs. A tuning business with experience of this model is Wolf Racing, which was racing with the Sierra from 1986 to 1989 in the German touring car championship Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft . The official tuning kit for the engine included: Concerning

258-500: A World Championship event, although in the hands of drivers such as François Delecour and Massimo Biasion it did take several second and third places. Initially it was unreliable, the gearbox being an especially weak point, and although by 1992 the reliability problems had been solved the Cosworth was never quite as effective in most conditions as some of its rivals. It was a relatively large car, slightly heavy, and less sophisticated than

344-553: A class win therefore although the Sierra finished first in 9/12 rounds of the 1987 season and first in every race from 1988 to 1990 it only took the drivers title once in 1990. The RS500 was successful in the 1988 DTM with Klaus Ludwig in the Ford Team Grab winning the drivers championship and Wolf Racing winning the Team Championship. Both Grab and Wolf were Ford Works Teams and beat Mercedes-AMG along with BMW M Sport for

430-699: A common design. Touring car racing is also referred to as saloon car racing . Worldwide Modern World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) started in 2005 , evolving from the reborn European Touring Car Championship . The series merged with the TCR International Series and became the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) starting from 2018 . In 2023 , the WTCR was replaced by the TCR World Tour . Running at major international racing facilities, this series

516-399: A different shell to the original three-door Cosworth, along with its more discreet rear wing, recorded a drag co-efficient of 0.33, thus allowing it to register slightly better performance figures (top speed of 150 mph [240 km/h] and 0–60 mph [0–97 km/h] of 6.1 seconds) compared to the original Cosworth. In January 1990 the third generation Sierra RS Cosworth

602-480: A drag-reduction system (DRS) designed to encourage overtaking. More than 20 works-backed entries of the Opel Astra , Audi TT and Mercedes-Benz CLK contested the revived 2000 DTM series but a serious issue developed for the series when Opel pulled out ahead of the 2006 season. BMW would eventually replace Opel as the series' third manufacturer for 2012, while Mercedes-AMG withdrew at the end of 2018. Mercedes-AMG

688-653: A few in Denmark . The most successful car makes were Volvo, BMW, Audi, and Nissan. In 2010 the championship merged with the Danish Touringcar Championship to form the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship . The 2010 champion was Robert Dahlgren , because he had achieved the best results from selected races in the Danish and Swedish championships. Rickard Rydell and Johan Kristoffersson won

774-460: A four-door, second generation, Sierra RS Cosworth. To find a suitable gearbox proved more challenging. The Borg-Warner T5 , also used in the Ford Mustang , was chosen, but the higher revving nature of the Sierra caused some problems. Eventually Borg-Warner had to set up a dedicated production line for the gearboxes to be used in the Sierra RS Cosworth. Many of the suspension differences between

860-516: A fully suitable car. The Cosworth was very powerful but, with only rear-wheel-drive, lost out to the four-wheel-drive Lancias and Mazdas on loose-surface events, while the four-wheel-drive XR4x4 had an excellent chassis but an elderly engine producing only around 230 bhp, at least 80 less than the Lancia. For the 1987 season the team ran both, using the XR4x4 on loose surfaces and the Cosworth on tarmac, but

946-579: A lesser trim level such as roll up rear windows, no air conditioning etc. In the UK, the RHD 1988–1989 Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworths are badged with small "Sapphire" badges on the rear door window trims. All 1988–1989 LHD models are badged and registered as Sierra RS Cosworths with no Sapphire nomenclature at all. "Sapphire" being viewed as a Ghia trim level that saw power rear windows, air conditioning and other minor options. The Sapphire Cosworth, being based on

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1032-451: A much easier time passing than in open-wheel racing , and the more substantial bodies of the cars makes the subtle bumping and nudging for overtaking much more acceptable as part of racing. As well as short sprint races, many touring car series include one or more endurance races , which last anything from 3 to 24 hours and are a test of reliability and pit crews as much as car, driver speed, and consistency. Touring car racing started in

1118-475: A non-championship race at Fuji Speedway along with the full GT500 grid, labelled the 'SUPER GT x DTM Dream Race'. Aston Martin withdrew from the event as they intended to focus on developing the Vantage package for 2020, however this never eventuated as the program was ended. Audi announced in late April 2020 that they would be discontinuing their involvement in the series after the end of the 2020 season, following

1204-402: A second seat (although they are rarely fitted any more). While rules vary from country to country and series to series, most series require that the competitors start with a standard car body , but virtually every other component may be allowed to be heavily modified for racing, including engines, suspension, brakes, wheels and tires. Aerodynamic aids are sometimes added to the front and rear of

1290-508: A series sponsor. The sponsor that was found was oil giant Shell who put up some $ 275,000 worth of prize money from the 1987 ATCC , ensuring the long-term future of the series. 1992 saw the unhappy demise of Group A and with the international touring car scene fragmenting in several directions (moving towards DTM , Super Touring and Super GT ) Australia forged its own path evolving the Group A specification Holden Commodores and re-introducing

1376-403: A trophy. In Australia, Supercars enjoys a strong support base that is still driven in large part by the tribal Ford versus Holden battle. Over 200,000 total spectators attend the four-day Adelaide 500 and Bathurst 1000 events, and the 2019 Bathurst 1000 drew a maximum of 2.36 million television viewers across the country. This compares favourably with other major sporting events such as

1462-480: A year of running its Nissan Altimas privately, Supercars reverted to a two-make Ford vs. Holden competition. Different sets of regulations do apply: Ford Sierra RS500 The project was defined by Stuart Turner in the spring of 1983. He had recently been appointed head of Ford Motorsport in Europe, and realised right away that Ford was no longer competitive in this area. Turner got in touch with Walter Hayes , at

1548-493: Is a motorsport road racing competition that uses race prepared touring cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing , which is popular in the United States . While the cars do not move as fast as those in formula or sports car races, their similarity both to one another and to fans' own vehicles makes for well-supported racing. The lesser use of aerodynamics means following cars have

1634-468: Is supported by BMW , SEAT and Chevrolet . The latter fields a works team, whereas the other two only sell racing kits to be installed on their cars, providing technical support to their customers. In 2011, Volvo also entered the championship, fielding a one-car team as an evaluation for a possible heavier commitment to the series. The World Touring Car Championship features 1.6-litre cars built to Super 2000 regulations based on FIA Group N . Following

1720-520: The 1987 Bathurst 1000 in Australia for wheel arch panel irregularities. These had been deemed legal in every other race that year however this deprived Klaus Ludwig and Klaus Niedzwiedz of the drivers' title. Eggenberger won the 1989 Spa 24 Hours . Robb Gravett won the 1990 British Touring Car Championship in a RS500. The BTCC points system was such that divisions below the Sierra (3500cc & under, 2000cc & under) would gain more points for

1806-557: The 1990 Sandown 500 with Glenn Seton and George Fury . Robbie Francevic won the New Zealand Touring Car Championship in 1989 and 1990 for Mark Petch Motorsport . The RS500 also won 3 out 4 rounds of the 1988 Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship , however due to Division 2 vehicles (2000cc-3500cc) gaining more points for outright places, it did not take the title with Colin Bond taking second place. The RS500 won

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1892-579: The 2016 season manufacturer team entries came from BMW, Subaru , MG , and Honda . Since BTCC budgets have been kept relatively low, there is a strong independent and privateer presence in the championship. Manufacturers represented by privateers include Vauxhall , Ford , Toyota , Volkswagen , Chevrolet, and Audi . Prior to 2001 the BTCC was contested by cars built to 2.0-litre supertouring regulations and had in its heyday up to nine different manufacturers. Joachim Winkelhock stated on several occasions that it

1978-543: The 2020 season , while Ford returned for the 2019 season with the Mustang project. The Commodore will be replaced with a Chevrolet Camaro , which will be sold in Australia by General Motors Specialty Vehicles. Other manufacturers have also appeared in the series, including Nissan with Kelly Racing , Volvo with Garry Rogers Motorsport , and Mercedes-Benz in a non-factory-supported program from Erebus Motorsport . With Kelly Racing's switch to Ford Mustangs for 2020 after

2064-645: The AFL Grand Final with 2.2 million TV viewers in 2019 . Supercars is also popular in New Zealand , with a regular round formerly held in the country (previously held at Pukekohe ) being the only international event on the series calendar. Attempts at further international expansion were made in China , Malaysia , the Middle East , and the United States during the 2000s and 2010s, none of which have survived. As

2150-575: The Ford Falcon into the new Group 3A regulations that would later be renamed as V8 Supercar . The ATCC continued to be used until the end of the 1998 season , after which V8 Supercar organisers altered the name of the series, eventually adopting its present identity, the Supercars Championship . Accurate to the 2015 Coates Hire Sydney 500. Current full-time drivers are highlighted in bold text. Touring car racing Touring car racing

2236-554: The Ford Sierra due to be replaced with the all new Ford Mondeo for the 1993 model year, the BTCC , DTM and other championships moving away from the Group A format from 1990 onwards due to increasing costs, lack of manufacturer participation and the RS500 still winning over 3 years after it had been homologated, Ford saw no reason to produce another 'Evolution' model. Motorsport Magazine stated

2322-602: The Japanese Touring Car Championship in 1987, 1988 & 1989 with team Object T. Ballast and Boost restrictions for were increased for the 1989 season, with only two wins it did not win the drivers title but retained the manufacturers title. Major series and race wins by the Ford Sierra RS500 include: The RS500 can be seen as the catalyst for the downfall of the Group A format due to its dominance in every Group A sanctioned event from 1987 onwards. With

2408-536: The Nardò circuit in Italy, a prototype was presented to the project management. This was based on an XR4i body with provisional body modifications in fibreglass and aluminium. The car's appearance raised little enthusiasm. The large rear wing caused particular reluctance. Pinske insisted, however, that the modifications were necessary to make the project successful. The rear wing was essential to retain ground contact at 300 km/h,

2494-570: The Next Generation Touring Car specification, from 2011 , started a phased transition from Super 2000 cars in an effort to cut costs and improve the sport. Germany/Europe The DTM series, the initials standing for Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft until 1996, then following a hiatus, revived as Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters in 2000, features advanced purpose built 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-powered space frame machines, covered with largely carbon fibre bodyshapes resembling

2580-566: The 'fastest touring cars in the world' racing at speeds that can reach nearly 300 km/h. They are also the most expensive touring cars in the world with each car costing in excess of $ 1 million (AUD) which includes bespoke $ 250,000 (AUD) 5.0-litre V8 engines producing approximately 635 hp (473 kW). The current formula was devised in 1993 (based on Group A regulations) and branded as 'V8 Supercars' in 1997 and 'Supercars' in 2016. The series features grids of approximately 25 cars, although selected events feature wildcard entries which add to

2666-440: The 4X4 head. Suspension was essentially the same with some minor changes in geometry to suit a less aggressive driving style and favour ride over handling. Spindles, wheel offset and other changes were responsible for this effect. Approximately 13,140 examples were produced during 1988–1989 and were the most numerous and lightest of all Sierra Cosworth models. Specifically the left hand drive models (LHD) which saved weight with

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2752-600: The ATCC saw the annual event held mostly at rural circuits, before finally visiting a major city circuit, Lakeside Raceway on the outskirts of Brisbane in 1964. This race was also the first not won by a Jaguar with Ian Geoghegan driving a Ford Cortina GT to win the first of his five titles. From 1965 the title would largely be won by an American V8 powered muscle car , most notably the Ford Mustang which would be used to win five consecutive titles in 1965 to 1969 with ( Norm Beechey ) and Geoghegan. The first championship victory by

2838-517: The ATCC, known at the time as Group C were amalgamated with the more basic Group E Series Production Touring Cars regulations which governed the Bathurst touring car endurance race in a compromise between the two, creating a single class for touring car racing that would hold sway of Australian Touring Car racing until the introduction of Group A in 1985. This period saw a rise in the tribal style conflicts between Holden and Ford and in particular

2924-465: The Australian agents of the two big American companies, the trend starting in 1981 with BMW , Mazda and Nissan . The international Group A regulations that already utilised by European and Japanese touring car series came into full effect in Australia from 1985 and allowed the international manufacturers to compete on equal terms. Holden was forced briefly into catchup phase and all but backed out of

3010-487: The Cosworth was a popular car with private teams. Moreover, below world championship level, four-wheel-drive opposition was limited at the time, and the Cosworth was as fast as any of its two-wheel-drive rivals. It lacked the fine handling of the BMW M3, for example, but on the other hand it was much more powerful. It was also very reliable. Consequently, it became a very popular car at the national championship level, and during

3096-545: The Escort went on sale in May 1992, more than a year after the first pre-production examples were shown to the public, and was homologated for Group A rally in December, just as the Sierra RS Cosworth was retired. The 4x4 Cosworth made a few appearances as a works rally car in 1990, and then tackled a full World Championship programme for 1991 and 1992. It was not a great success and never won

3182-573: The IMSA cars was excellent feedback for Ford. Some production parts from the XR4Ti made their way into the Cosworth such as the speedometer with integral boost gauge and the motorsport 909 chassis stiffening plates. In April 1983, Turner's team decided on the Sierra as a basis for their project. The Sierra filled the requirements for rear wheel drive and decent aerodynamic drag. A racing version could also help to improve

3268-552: The Japanese sports car series Super GT which runs a near identical set of rules and regulations in its GT500 class. Honda, Toyota – represented via Lexus , and Nissan each entered a wildcard entry for the final race of the 2019 season at the Hockenheimring . The cars entered were a Nissan GT-R (R35), a Lexus LC 500 and a Honda NSX . For the weekend of the 22nd-24 November, DTM sent three BMW M4s and four Audi RS5s to take part in

3354-582: The NLS series of ten typically four-hour-long races. Cars range from old 100 hp (75 kW) road legal compacts to 500 hp (370 kW) Porsche 996 and even modified DTM cars (1,250 kg (2,760 lb)). Most entrants of the 24 Hours Nürburgring collect experience here. Sweden/Denmark Between 1996 and 2010 the Swedish Touring Car Championship contained various races in Sweden and

3440-558: The Pre Production Prove out Process cars produced in February 1986 and the main production of the vehicle commencing summer 1986, the final cars off the production line were in December 1986. 3 colours were produced, Black, White and Moonstone Blue, with White and Moonstone Blue both seeing around 2/5th of the total number of Right Hand Drive models produced with Black cars around 1/5th. The following number of vehicles were registered in

3526-470: The RS500 is statistically the most successful road derived racing car of all time, winning 84.6% of all races it entered. The Sierra Cosworth was also pressed into service as a rally car, and saw some success. After the abolition of the Group B formula in the World Rally Championship at the end of 1986, manufacturers had to turn to Group A cars and Ford, like most others, found itself without

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3612-415: The Sierra had ceased, and most of the team's effort was directed towards the upcoming Escort Cosworth, which promised to be a much more competitive prospect. Like the rear-drive car, the Cosworth 4x4 was popular at lower levels of rallying and a consistent winner at national championship level, and it remains a popular car among amateur rally drivers. Andy Rouse Engineering produced two modified versions of

3698-432: The UK with cars built to Next Generation Touring Car specification, with ballast being used to equalise performance. From 2011 , cars that ran to the BTCC's own Next Generation Touring Car specification were eligible to compete in a phased move away from Super 2000 regulations. Cars are 2.0-litre saloons , station wagons and hatchbacks with over 350 bhp (260 kW) and can be front or rear-wheel drive. During

3784-611: The UK: As published in the 1986 RS catalog: Mike Moreton was head of the team that planned to develop an evolution edition aimed at making the car unbeatable on the race tracks. In March 1987, Aston Martin Tickford was signed for the job of converting the 500 cars. The Cosworth RS500 was announced in July 1987, and was homologated in August 1987. The main difference to the Sierra three-door Cosworth

3870-455: The XR4x4's power disadvantage was too great and from 1988 the team concentrated on the Cosworth alone, and continued to use it until the arrival of the Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 in 1990. The rear-drive car never won a loose-surface World Rally Championship event, but in the hands of drivers such as Stig Blomqvist , Carlos Sainz and Ari Vatanen it frequently finished in the top five, except when conditions were particularly slippery. On tarmac it

3956-492: The aesthetics: The declared power was 260 PS, although some owners claim at least 40 PS more. In August 1987 the Sierra RS500 Cosworth was homologated. Ford took pole position in all the remaining six 1987 World Touring Car Championship events and was first over the finish line in four of them. The works Eggenberger Motorsport team won the entrants' World Championship, although the team's cars were disqualified from

4042-548: The automotive engineering company Cosworth , where they were presented a project developed on Cosworth's own initiative, the YAA engine. This was a twin cam , 16-valve engine based on Ford's own T88 engine block, better known as the Pinto . This prototype proved an almost ideal basis for the engine Turner needed to power his Group A winner. Therefore, an official request for a turbocharged version (designated Cosworth YBB) capable of 180 HP on

4128-553: The cars. Regulations are usually designed to limit costs by banning some of the more exotic technologies available (for instance, many series insist on a control tire that all competitors must use) and keep the racing close (sometimes by ballast weight where winning a race requires the winner's car to be heavier for subsequent races). Touring cars share some similarity with American stock car racing governed by NASCAR . However, touring cars are, at least notionally, derived from production cars while today's NASCAR vehicles are based on

4214-525: The championship in 2011 and 2012 , in a Chevrolet and a VW , respectively. In 2013 the series merged with the TTA – Racing Elite League to form the 2013 STCC – Racing Elite League season , starring 17 drivers for Volvo, BMW, Saab , Citroën , Dacia , and Honda. Australia and New Zealand Formerly the Australian Touring Car Championship , Supercars are recognised internationally as

4300-504: The country in pursuit of the title. In 1984 , the final year of the Group C rules, it was estimated that the Brisbane based Johnson team had covered some 20,000 km in travelling to and from championship meetings, often for as little as AU$ 1,500 for a win. When CAMS increased the title to 10 rounds in 1986 , with little change to the prize money, the teams were threatening that the ATCC would see smaller and smaller grids unless CAMS found

4386-635: The decline in sales and eventual discontinuation of the Falcon in 2016 and Commodore in 2020 (the two models that exclusively competed in the V8 formula from 1993 to 2012). Ford withdrew all financial support after 2015 , and Holden cut most of its support back to only the Red Bull Holden Racing Team from 2017. Holden was shut down as a brand during 2020, ending its factory involvement in Supercars after

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4472-406: The driver of an Australian car was that of Beechey in 1970 driving a Holden HT Monaro GTS350 . As of 4 December 2011 Beechey and Jamie Whincup are the only two people to have won the championship in both a Ford and a Holden. The 1971 and 1972 championships were won by 1962 and 1963 champion Bob Jane who drove a 7.0 litre Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 in 1971 before CAMS rule changes forced Jane to use

4558-540: The grid. The cars are currently based on the Ford Mustang GT and Holden Commodore (ZB) The minimum weight for a Supercar including driver is 1,395 kg (3,075 lb). The Commodore will be replaced by a Chevrolet Camaro in 2022. The race cars themselves are derived from production body panels and space frame chassis. Both body styles feature an aerodynamic package incorporating large front and rear wings designed to ensure equal aerodynamic performance between

4644-459: The honours. For the 1989 season, the cars were reined in with even higher weight and boost penalties (partly due to protests from BMW and Mercedes who felt they were at a significant disadvantage) until they were no longer competitive, subsequently forced induction engines were banned for 1991 season onwards. Knowing they were unable to be competitive, Ford left the DTM at end of the 1989 season. The RS500

4730-645: The late 1980s Sierra drivers won many national series. For example, Jimmy McRae took the British Rally Championship in a Sierra in 1987 and 1988, whilst Carlos Sainz won the Spanish Rally Championship , and Didier Auriol won the French Rally Championship in those same years. The Cosworth was popular with spectators because it was visually dramatic, with its flame-spitting exhaust and tail-sliding, rear-drive handling; and it

4816-499: The latter generations of the Lancia Delta and Toyota Celica in terms of transmission systems and electronics. Biasion was reputedly strongly critical of the car on his first events for the team in 1992, but earned its best World Championship finish on that year's Rally of Portugal, where he finished second. He also brought its World Championship career to a close with fifth place on that Lombard RAC Rally. By then technical development of

4902-488: The manufacturers' road machine (although the roof and roof pillars do originate from the production car). In order to lower costs, the engine power is limited to 610 hp (450 kW), and transmissions, brakes and tyres (Hankook) are standard parts for all. Also, dimensions and aerodynamics are equalised. The approx. 985 kg (2,172 lb) (without driver) DTM cars corner incredibly quickly and wear spectacular bodykits incorporating huge wheel arches and diffusers, plus

4988-403: The mid twentieth century as a long-format style of competition that took place on public roads between numerous towns. The cars were crewed by a driver and, because of their unreliability, a mechanic who carried tools and spares. The legacy of these beginnings can still be seen in modern touring and GT cars – the driver sits offset from the centreline of the car and there is space for

5074-491: The opening between the headlights was needed to feed air to the intercooler and the wheel arch extensions had to be there to house wheels 10” wide on the racing version. Eventually, the Ford designers agreed to try to make a production version based on the prototype. In 1984, Walter Hayes paid visits to many European Ford dealers in order to survey the sales potential for the Sierra RS Cosworth. A requirement for participation in Group A

5160-452: The original Sierra RS Cosworth was not embraced. The more discreet 4-door version was considered to have a better market potential. It was therefore decided that the new car should be a natural development of the second generation, to be launched in conjunction with the face lift scheduled for the entire Sierra line in 1990. The waiting time gave Ford Motorsport a good opportunity to conduct extensive testing and demand improvements. One example

5246-435: The poor, and somewhat undeserved, reputation that the Sierra had earned since its introduction in 1982. Lothar Pinske, responsible for the car's bodywork, demanded carte blanche when it came to appearance in order to make the car stable at high speed. Experience had shown that the Sierra hatchback body generated significant aerodynamic lift even at relatively moderate speed. After extensive wind tunnel testing and test runs at

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5332-573: The power was therefore increased to just about compensate for this. The Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 received, if possible, an even more flattering response than its predecessors and production continued until the end of 1992, when the Sierra was replaced by the Mondeo . The replacement for the Sierra RS Cosworth was not a Mondeo however, but the Escort RS Cosworth . Based on the Sierra Cosworth platform,

5418-518: The price on the car. As an example, the car was only offered in three exterior colours (black, white and moonstone blue) and one interior colour (grey). There were also just two equipment options: with or without central locking and electric window lifts. European models differed from UK models in their specification with a basic radio cassette and no amplifier being fitted rather than the Ford Sound 2000 head unit and amplifier. The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

5504-412: The same path Mercedes-Benz did after the end of the 2018 season; focusing on electric motorsport, most notably Formula E . This will leave BMW as the sole manufacturer left, putting the series' future in serious jeopardy. Germany Since 1997, and nowadays still on the over 20 kilometres (12 mi) long famous old Nürburgring and other circuits worldwide, in average over 150 touring cars compete in

5590-444: The series has grown, major international motorsport organisations have become involved such as Team Penske , Andretti Autosport , United Autosports and Triple Eight Race Engineering . Both Ford and Holden financially and technically supported their favoured teams and took an active role in promotion of the series from its beginning, but began to wind back and ultimately withdraw their financial commitments approximately in line with

5676-401: The series' revival in 2000. Engine power was increased from ~500 hp to 610 hp, with an extra 30 hp available as part of a push-to-pass system available to drivers for the first time. Downforce levels were also reduced to encourage overtaking and increase top speeds to 300 km/h (186 mph) in order to improve the racing spectacle. In 2019, DTM formed a partnership with

5762-454: The smaller 5.7 litres 350 Chevrolet in the Camaro in 1972. A major shift occurred in 1973. The championship had grown from a single race into a multi-event series in 1969, but the competition had not changed markedly. The ' Supercar scare ' that had rocked the buildup to 1972 Bathurst 500 forced sweeping changes through touring car regulations. The Improved Touring Car regulations which governed

5848-640: The sport in 1992 after Group A had been dominated by more track-focused production cars such as the turbocharged Ford Sierra RS500 and various Nissan Skylines , as well as the BMW M3 . By the mid-1980s, a number of the leading teams including the Holden Dealer Team , Dick Johnson Racing , JPS Team BMW and the Peter Jackson Nissan team had begun to make a lot of noise about the very little amount of prize money on offer for their efforts in crisscrossing

5934-510: The standard Sierra and the Cosworth attributed their development to what was learned from racing the turbocharged Jack Roush IMSA Merkur XR4Ti in America and Andy Rouse 's successful campaign of the 1985 British Saloon Car Championship . Much of Ford's external documentation for customer race preparation indicated "developed for the XR4Ti" when describing parts that were Sierra Cosworth specific. Roush's suspension and aerodynamics engineering for

6020-436: The street and 300 HP in race trim, was placed. Cosworth answered positively, but they put up two conditions: the engine would produce not less than 150 kW (204 HP) in the street version, and Ford had to accept no fewer than 15,000 engines. Turner's project would only need about 5,000 engines, but Ford nevertheless accepted the conditions. The extra 10,000 engines would later become one of the reasons Ford also chose to develop

6106-659: The time the vice-president of public relations at Ford, to get support for the project. Hayes had earlier been the driving force behind the development of the Ford GT40 that won Le Mans in 1966, and the Cosworth DFV engine that brought Ford 154 victories and 12 world championships in Formula One during the 1960s and 1970s. Hayes found the project very appealing and promised his full support. Turner then invited Ken Kohrs, vice-president of development, to visit Ford's longtime partner,

6192-561: The trend of recent FIA rules, cost control is a major theme in the technical regulation. In 2011 the rules concerning the engine capacity have changed, switching from 2000 cc to 1600 cc turbo engines. Cars equipped with the old 2000 cc engines are still eligible in the championship. Many technologies that have featured in production cars are not allowed, for example: variable valve timing, variable intake geometry, ABS braking and traction control . United Kingdom The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) currently competes at nine circuits in

6278-420: The two marques leading drivers, respectively Peter Brock and Allan Moffat who between them would claim seven of the eras 12 championships (and nine of the associated Bathurst victories). By the mid-1980s Group C had become wracked with infighting and almost random parity adjustments between competing marques. Attention focussed purely on Holden and Ford had blurred as European and Japanese manufacturers joined

6364-560: The two vehicle types. The series incorporates the world famous Bathurst 1000 race as a championship round. Because of the longer distance, regulations require two drivers per car for this race. This also applies to The Bend 500 & the Gold Coast 600 . These events make up the Pirtek Enduro Cup , which is a championship-within-a-championship where the driver combination with most points collected over these three endurance races wins

6450-533: Was Cosworth's uprated competition engine. Its new features were: The RS500 also had minor external cosmetic differences to its parent the Sierra three-door Cosworth: Exactly 500 RS500s were produced using the 500 Sierra RS Cosworth vehicles that were produced at Genk in December 1986, all of them RHD for sale in the UK only - the biggest market for this kind of Ford car. It was originally intended that all 500 would be black, however 56 white and 52 moonstone blue cars were also produced. Some European tuners, missing

6536-540: Was a much more serious competitor, and a young Didier Auriol won the 1988 Corsica Rally outright, the only time that season that Lancia were beaten in a straight fight. However, as Lancia developed the Delta Integrale further and new cars such as the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 appeared, the Cosworth became steadily less competitive. Thanks to strong support and readily available parts from Ford Racing,

6622-413: Was also seen as essential in Australia which used standing starts compared to the rolling starts used in Europe. Glenn Seton won the 1990 Australian Endurance Championship driving a Sierra RS500. The RS500 won the Bathurst 1000 twice; in 1988 with Tony Longhurst and Tomas Mezera and in 1989 with Johnson and Bowe. It also won the 1988 Sandown 500 with Allan Moffat and Gregg Hansford and

6708-675: Was first presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1985, with plans to release it for sale in September and closing production of the 5,000 cars in the summer of 1986. In practice, it was launched in July 1986, and 5545 were manufactured in total, of which 500 were sent to Tickford for conversion to the Sierra three-door RS500 Cosworth. The vehicles were manufactured at Ford's Genk factory in Belgium in both Left and Right hand drive, with

6794-487: Was launched, this time with four wheel drive. As early as 1987, Mike Moreton and Ford Motorsport had been talking about a four-wheel drive Sierra RS Cosworth that could make Ford competitive in the World Rally Championship. The Ferguson MT75 gearbox that was considered an essential part of the project wasn't available until late 1989 however. Ford Motorsport's desire for a 3-door "Motorsport Special" equivalent to

6880-562: Was popular with amateur drivers because it was competitive, robust and relatively cheap. To this day it is a fairly common sight at lower-level events. The second generation four-door Sierra Sapphire Cosworth was assembled in Genk, Belgium, with the UK-built Ford-Cosworth YBB engine. Cylinder heads on this car were early spec two wheel drive heads and also the "later" two wheel drive head which had some improvements which made their way to

6966-609: Was reflected the rising popularity of races held for passenger sedans; as opposed to those for purpose built open wheel racing cars , or sports cars . The race was held at the Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit in Orange in rural New South Wales , west of Sydney . It was won by journalist racer, David McKay driving a Jaguar 3.4 Litre prepared by his own racing team, which to this point had been better known for preparing open-wheel and sports racing cars. The early years of

7052-447: Was replaced by a privately funded Aston Martin Vantage program that did not last beyond the 2019 season. For the 2019 season, major technical changes occurred. Turbochargers were reintroduced in accordance with new regulations impacting engines and power outputs, as all cars are now required to have 2.0-litre 4-cylinder single turbo engines, replacing the 4.0L V8s that had been used since

7138-498: Was successful in Australian touring car racing with Dick Johnson Racing dominating the 1988 and 1989 Australian Touring Car Championships , with Dick Johnson and John Bowe finishing one-two in both years. Early in 1988, the Johnson team also took the step of homologating a modified Ford nine-inch axle for the Sierra, eliminating the car's drivetrain weakness and allowing the cars to be driven harder with less fear of failure. This

7224-406: Was that 5,000 cars were built and sold. The feedback was not encouraging. The dealers estimated they could sell 1,500 cars. Hayes did not give up, however, and continued his passionate internal marketing of the project. As prototypes started to emerge, dealers were invited to test-drive sessions, and this increased the enthusiasm for the new car. In addition, Ford took some radical measures to reduce

7310-536: Was the best touring car championship in the world, and many champions of that era now race in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). Between 2002 and 2006 the BTCC ran its own Touring class with Super Production/Super 2000 cars making up the numbers; the Touring class was phased out (only privateers are eligible to run old Touring cars) with the intention of a pure Super 2000 series. The introduction of

7396-428: Was the return of the bonnet louvres. According to Ford's own publicity material, 80% of the engine parts were also modified. The improved engine was designated YBG for cars with a catalytic converter and YBJ for cars without. The former had the red valve cover replaced by a green one, to emphasize the environmental friendliness. Four wheel drive and an increasing amount of equipment had raised the weight by 100 kg, and

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