If you’ve been watching the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) this year you will have witnessed high speed thrills on the track as some of the top professional racing companies battle it out to secure the title. We’re now over the halfway point so there’s still plenty of action to come before the championship is won in October. BTCC’s main sponsor Kwik Fit has teamed up with Toyota Corolla to look at the difference between a road car and a racing car.
Despite looking similar, a road car and a racing car are very different and once a road car has been transformed into a racing car it’s no longer legal on the road. Both cars have been designed for very different purposes, so whatmakes a racing car different to road car?
Weight
A racing car needs to reach high speeds so it needs to be as light as possible and a road car needs to be comfortable, convenient and safe. The BTCC Toyota Corolla weighs 1280kg whereas the Toyota Corolla 2019 weighs 1735kg.
Interiors
To make the racing car light, a lot of the features that are required in the road version have been completely stripped, such as the modern interior including the navigation system, Bluetooth and heated seats that make the road version so stylish. A bespoke steering wheel is fitted in the racing car making it easier to manoeuvre the car around the racing track.
Engine
Both the BTCC Toyota Corolla and the road version have the same 2.0L engine, although the BTCC version has 360+ BHP as it needs to generate as much power as possible. The road car is hybrid so it has a lot less power at 180 BHP and its priority is to provide ultimate comfort and safety for the driver.
Brakes
When driving on the track, the racing car’s brakes play a huge part in how it performs and so they come with high friction brake pads and ventilated discs brakes. The Toyota Corolla 2019 is only fitted with ventilated discs brakes.
Wheels
Both cars have different tyres but have 17” alloy wheels. The racing version has wheels that enhance the car’s performance and are fitted with specified rimstock centre-lock wheels whereas the road model’s wheels are designed for comfort and safety.
So although the two cars may look very similar, they are both completely different. Check out the infographic from Kwik Fit which highlights the main differences. If you’ve been watching the British Touring Car Championship this year and would like to share your thoughts on who you think will win in October, join in the conversation using #KwikFitBTCC.
