Page 1 of 1 Reigning champion Vauxhall launched its assault on the 2005 British Touring Car Championship with a brand new three-door Astra - the Astra Sport Hatch. The new generation VX Racing car made its competition debut in the opening rounds of the 2005 BTCC at Donington Park in April, in the same week its sister car, the three-door Astra Sport Hatch went on sale across the UK. Based on the latest generation Astra road car, Vauxhall's new racer comes with a strong racing pedigree, its predecessor, the out-going Astra Coupe, being the most successful car ever in the BTCC.
BTCC technical regulations require the racing cars to retain a strong similarity to their roadgoing counterparts, retaining essentially the same suspension layout, engine structure, engine position, and bodywork. The new Astra Sport Hatch's chassis is stiffer than its predecessors, which benefits roadholding; the front and rear tracks are a little wider, which will aid stability and increase the grip potential; and the front and rear suspensions, while remaining essentially the same as the road car's in layout and geometry, have been re-tuned to increase installation stiffness and improve control. The new three-door Sport Hatch has a particularly low roofline, which gives a useful aerodynamic advantage. Page 1 of 1
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Reigning champion Vauxhall launched its assault on the 2005 British Touring Car Championship with a brand new three-door Astra - the Astra Sport Hatch. The new generation VX Racing car made its competition debut in the opening rounds of the 2005 BTCC at Donington Park in April, in the same week its sister car, the three-door Astra Sport Hatch went on sale across the UK. Based on the latest generation Astra road car, Vauxhall's new racer comes with a strong racing pedigree, its predecessor, the out-going Astra Coupe, being the most successful car ever in the BTCC.