Quote:
Originally Posted by crmalcolm
A) MG and Subaru were not on the grid this season
B) MG5 and Subaru Impreza would both be eligible.
Not on the grid this season, but the Ariya would be eligible.
Infiniti - true. The current Q50 would be eligible beyond 2025, but they have withdrawn from Western Europe. I guess you could look at Nissan?
Honda - 2022 Civic is being revealed today.
Toyota - Camry refresh due in 2021, with a new model in 2024.
The lack of ICE models will become irrelevant soon, when the UK prohibits the sale of ICE models from 2030.
I agree entirely that there seems to be a prevalence of small SUVs in most brands' range - but I disagree with the view that there are going to be no NGTC compatible base cars available.
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As you've said, there's still plenty of models around that are suited to NGTC and in particular the Golf/Focus-sized hatchbacks are still selling very well (at least over here), so they'll not be completely phased out in the next 5 years. Some manufacturers may do that, but pretty certainly not all of them. The larger saloons are a different story of course, I doubt we'll see any new direct competitors for the 3 series in the BTCC in the future.
The actual challenge for the BTCC as you mentioned will be the shift away from IC engines in the future. The introduction of the hybrid systems buys them a bit of time I think, but they'll have to look at the development of ETCR and how it's taken up by other series and the fans. Besides that, the circuits will have to think about the future as well. BTCC with its ~20min races may be well suited for electrification, but do places like Croft, Knockhill, Oulton Park have the necessary supply infrastructure to simultaneously charge 20+ race cars without causing a blackout in a radius of 20 miles around the circuit?