Matt looks at BMW

[RIKB]

Word on the street is than Matt Neal is hoping to run a series 3 BMW in next years BTCC.

If he does manage to get one it raises a few intersting problems for the organisers. It would be the only Rear wheel drive car, and as such wouldn't be able to use the control gearbox.

There would also be the question of weight limits etc.

Would it be competitive though?

[Danielsun]

You said it in the 'weight limit' bit. That's always been the deciding factors for cars driven by other than the front wheels in the series. Audi dominated in 1996 because they didn't have so much of a weight penalty and they comparitively struggled in '97 because there was quite a bit of ballast thrown on board.

The same thing had occurred between 1993 and '94: the Schnitzer BMWs won it all in '93 and came back the following year uncompetitive because of the weight they were forced to carry.

The only way to know really is in pre-season testing - front wheel drive lap times versus rear-drive. But that's hardly going to happen, is it?

[kmchow]

So that means Matt may be returning to his "racing roots"? Wasn't he previously a BMW guy who then did a Mazda, Ford, Nissan stint?

So will it be coupe (ti), coupe (is) or sedan (i)?? And build it from scratch huh? There are lots of racing E46s out there by now?

[Danielsun]

Yeah, in South Africa, with a completely different build. That and they're sedans. The BTCC rules now seem to favour coupes again. It most certainly would not be the hatch - that would be too short, more than likely...