Opel teases racy Astra TCR heading to Frankfurt show
Astra touring car racer will compete in national and international championships, with 325bhp 2.0-litre turbo engine
It's not long since the new Vauxhall Astra road car reveal, but Opel's motorsport divison are already working on a race-bred version, shown in this teaser drawing. The Astra TCR will appear at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show, and development testing will begin in October.
It's been built to compete in the new TCR International touring car championship, inaugerated this year, a cheaper version of the long-standing WTCC championship. All cars built for this series will use a regulation-meeting 325bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine, with a torque output of 410Nm.
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The new Astra's sleek styling is evident underneath the race decals, but it bears little relation to the road-going hatch. A mammoth rear wing will provide downforce, while the whole lower half ot the car is swollen. Beefier wheelarches indicate a wider track, while the familiar racing front splitter and ventilated hood will be added to the TCR version.
After the wraps come off at Frankfurt race customers will be invited to place their orders for the start of the 2016 season, starting in March.
Would you like to see a VXR version of the new Vauxhall Astra looking like this? Let us know in the comments section below...
