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Steve Holmes
08-21-2013, 04:04 AM
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In the 1990s, the 2 Litre Super Touring category became a world-wide phenomenon. It changed forever, the style of racing touring car competition produced, making it more combatant, intense, aggressive, and unpredictable.

The Group A era that preceded it set to create close racing through allowing a large variation of makes and models, all quite different in terms of size, weight, number of cylinders, and engine capacity, to try and co-exist using a sliding weight and wheel width scale, which invariably failed to work successfully, usually resulting in complete domination by one make and model. But the Super Touring formula effectively made each car on the grid the same, by setting the maximum cubic capacity at 2 litres, and only allowing normally aspirated engines. From there, wheel sizes were also controlled, with all cars being identical, with differing weight limits applied depending on whether the vehicle was front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, or four wheel drive. Ultimately, four wheel drive would eventually be phased out altogether.

The new formula, initially called ‘2 Litre Touring Cars’, was introduced in the 1990 British Touring Car Championship, where it was created, and where it was always strongest, and run alongside Group A, which was to be phased out at the end of the season. 1991 was the first year in which the BTCC was open only to 2 Litre Touring Cars, and the grids consisted of a combination of newly built 2 Litre specific cars, and ex-Group A cars, adopted to the new rules. In the case of the previously dominant Sierra RS500’s, this meant now being normally aspirated. Will Hoy, driving a former Group A BMW M3 for Vic Lee Motorsport, won the championship that year.

In 1991, the rights to the BTCC were bought by the TOCA group, owned by Australian Alan Gow. TOCA completely transformed the way in which the BTCC was produced, making more of a ‘show’, including a very intense television package, which was almost arcade-like in its execution, with rapid camera switching between various in-car cameras, and a vast array of track-side cameras, along with the excitable tones of veteran commentator Murray Walker. Visually, the cars looked great, sitting very low to the ground on impossibly hard-riding suspension that made them dart about like single seaters, and with huge diameter wheels and low profile tyres tucked right up inside the bodywork.

The 13 rounds making up the 1991 BTCC produced six different race winners, and some hugely close and exciting racing, with plenty of body contact between the cars which turned out to be a huge draw-card for race fans. The 1992 championship saw the series boom, and the championship came down to a three-way nail-biter between Will Hoy (Toyota), John Cleland (Vauxhall), and Tim Harvey (BMW), with the BMW driver emerging as champion, following some unbelievably dramatic incidents.

In 1993, 2 Litre Touring Cars was officially defined by the FIA, and France, Italy, Portugal, and Australia all adopted the formula. 1993 also saw the reinstating of the World Touring Car Championship (officially a World Cup), which had been dropped after 1987, although it would now be run as a single event, rather than a full series.

The formula continued its global explosion in 1994, and was adopted by Japan, Germany, Belgium, South Africa, New Zealand (brought in as a one-off mini series rather than a full championship), and was also used for the Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship.

Manufacturer support was huge, with the formula becoming the ultimate marketing tool, to help sell otherwise fairly ordinary four-door mid-sized sedans. The ‘Super Touring’ name was eventually applied in 1995. 1995 was also the third and final year of the World Cup.

As the decade wore on, so Super Touring continued to grow (there were even pc games created of the BTCC), even being expanded into the US, but with such heavy manufacturer involvement, and with the cars becoming so sophisticated, and so expensive, as the 1990s drew to a close, so Super Touring was fast losing momentum. 2000 was the last year in which the formula was used in the BTCC, where it began, and a new, more cost effective category was created to replace it, albeit, to the disappointment of many who found the new formula lacking the visual and aural appeal of the out-going class.

Today, 2 Litre Super Touring Cars have become prized possessions, and are appearing in ever greater numbers at historic events around the world. The annual Silverstone Classic event runs a touring car category that is largely made up of 2 Litre Super Tourers, such is their popularity among historic racing competitors.

The 2 Litre Super Touring category is now long since dead, but the style of racing it produced, the controlled environment created to make each car almost identical in performance, along with the hugely entertaining television package, are all used in various touring car categories to this day. It broke new ground.

Snoozin
08-21-2013, 04:07 AM
If I could like this, in a Facebook style fashion I would. Nothing gets me fizzing quite like 2l touring cars/super tourers.

There is quite a good writeup on the origins of the class on this from the most recent Autosport magazine, I have seen it transposed online from people who have paid to read it - I could put it here if that's considered ethical?

Seems to be many of these cars on these shores though...

Steve Holmes
08-21-2013, 04:24 AM
Thanks for that, it was your thread on the Radisich Mondeo that got me thinking a dedicated thread on the formula, with all related pics and info, deserved a place on here for Super Tourer fans.

Oldfart
08-21-2013, 04:57 AM
The Alain Menu Laguna is a fascinating bit of gear in South Auckland!

Snoozin
08-21-2013, 05:21 AM
I heard about the Laguna! I would love to see that...

Steve Holmes
08-21-2013, 06:18 AM
Lots more pics to come from this class in the 2013 Silverstone Classic thread, but here are a couple of pics, showing a great mix of Group A and Super Tourers, among others.

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kiwi285
08-21-2013, 06:27 AM
The rules were obviously spot on because co many of the manufacturers got involved in the class. For some it would have been a first and perhaps only entry in motorsport for many years.

I remember watching some of the events on TV here and the events were fast and furious with no quarter given - mind you that seems to be European racing anyway.

Steve Holmes
08-21-2013, 06:32 AM
As posted on the Paul Radisich Mondeo thread, this is a snap I took at Rick Michels workshop of the Vic Lee Motorsport BMW with which Tim Harvey won the 1992 BTCC. This was one of the famous drug smuggling cars. 1992 was the last year two door cars were allowed in the BTCC.

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Terry S
08-22-2013, 12:17 AM
There was a popular saying in Australian racing at the time that:
"The only good thing that comes in 2 litres is milk"

Oldfart
08-22-2013, 12:31 AM
There was a popular saying in Australian racing at the time that:
"The only good thing that comes in 2 litres is milk"
Possibly because these things were as quick as the taxis?

Steve Holmes
08-22-2013, 01:20 AM
There was a popular saying in Australian racing at the time that:
"The only good thing that comes in 2 litres is milk"

I recall at the time there were some heated arguments over the direction Australian touring car racing should take, moving on from Group A, and while some considered the 5 Litre Touring Car formula which became V8 Supercars to be the best option for a market where the Falcon and Commodore were enjoying strong sales, others felt an international set of regulations that had already proven itself in Europe was the better option. I guess you could say, with hindsight, the V8 option, which is Australian run and policed, turned out to be the right choice.

Steve Holmes
08-22-2013, 02:04 AM
The final round of the '92 BTCC came down to a three-way tussle for the championship, which could go to either Will Hoy in a Toyota, John Cleland in a Vauxhall, or Tim Harvey in a BMW. Hoy was in control early in the race, as the leader of the three main title contenders. Steve Soper, as Harvey's team mate in the Vic Lee Motorsport BMW was very quick, but got involved in some drama which brought about body damage and dropped him down to last place. Harvey managed to catch Hoy, but in attempting to pass him, put them both off the track, allowing Cleland ahead.

Then, as Soper came storming back through the field, he pushed by Cleland to got the Vauxhall driver between himself and Harvey. As Cleland tried to get back past Soper, he allowed Harvey back through, and Soper immediately dropped in behind his team mate to play defence. First Cleland clunked into Soper as he tried to get back by, then, a few corners later, Soper dive-bombed him, and both cars were eliminated on the spot. It was dramatic stuff and did wonders for the growth of the category!

Here are the last three laps from that race. With three laps to run, Hoy is heading for his second title:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCij9mYIokA