TCR Touring Car
Touring car racing specification
A TCR Touring Car is a touring car specification first introduced in 2014. Created by the WSC Group, led by Marcello Lotti, the ruleset is now employed by a multitude of series worldwide.
All TCR Touring Cars are front wheel drive cars based on 4- or 5-door production vehicles, and are powered by 1.75 to 2.0 litre turbocharged engines. While the bodyshell and suspension layout of the production vehicle is retained in a TCR car, and many models use a production gearbox, certain accommodations are made for the stresses of the racetrack including upgraded brakes and aerodynamics. Competition vehicles are subject to balance of performance (BoP) adjustments to ensure close racing between different vehicles.
01History
The project to develop the TCR specification was spearheaded by former World Touring Car Championship manager Marcello Lotti. All TCR cars have a common forefather; the SEAT León Cup Racer racing car which was introduced as successor to the SEAT León Supercopa used in several successful single-make series. The 2.0L engine formula was derived from this car, as well as the standardised front splitter and rear wing. Initially, the specification and accompanying international series was known as TC3, to indicate its intended position at the entry-level end of the touring car pyramid. However, upon being approved by the FIA in December 2014, the specification was renamed TCR.
02Technical regulations
On 15 September 2014, technical regulations for the category were announced. On 22 January 2016, minor changes were applied.
Eligible cars: 4/5-door vehicles
Body shell: Reinforced production body shell; wheel arch modifications allowed to accommodate tyres
Minimum weight: 1250 kg for cars with production gearbox, 1285 kg for cars with racing gearbox (both including the driver)
Minimum overall length: 4.2 metres
Maximum overall width: 1.95 metres
Engine: Turbo-charged petrol or diesel up to 2 litre
Torque: 420 N⋅m (310 lb⋅ft)
Power: 355 PS
Lubrication: Wet sump
Exhaust: Homologated catalytic converter using production parts
Traction: On two wheels
Gearbox: Production or TCR International Series sequential; production paddle shift accepted
Front Suspension: Production lay-out; parts free design
Rear Suspension: Original design of production car with reinforced components
Brakes:
- Front: max 6 piston calipers, brake discs max diameter 380mm
- Rear: max 2 piston callipers; production ABS accepted
Wheels: Maximum dimensions of rim: 10″ x 18″
Aerodynamics:
- Front splitter: 2014 SEAT León Eurocup
- Rear wing: FIA Appendix J Art. 263 2014
- Ground clearance: Minimum 80 mm
- Power/Weight Ratio: Subject to the Balance of Performance (changing between +70 and -20 kg from the minimum car weight)
- Drivetrain : FF layout
WTCR regulations
The FIA licensed the TCR regulations under the name of WTCR for usage in the World Touring Car Cup. The specification is identical, however it is frozen until the end of 2019, and cars are required to obtain an FIA passport after going through TCR homologation.
03TCR Model of the Year
Since 2017, TCR organisers World Sporting Consulting (WSC) have awarded the TCR Model of the Year award for the most successful TCR car across a year. The title is awarded on the basis of a points system that gives points to all the different TCR-certified cars competing in all the TCR-sanctioned races of the year. The points are adjusted by coefficients that take into account the level of the competition, the number of cars participating and the number of manufacturers represented.
Winners
| Year | Model |
|---|---|
| 2017 | SEAT León TCR |
| 2018 | Audi RS 3 LMS TCR (2017) |
| 2019 | Honda Civic Type R TCR (FK8) |
| 2020 | Honda Civic Type R TCR (FK8) |
| 2021 | Audi RS 3 LMS TCR (2021) |
| 2022 | Audi RS 3 LMS TCR (2021) |
| 2023 | Audi RS 3 LMS TCR (2021) |
| 2024 | Honda Civic Type R TCR (FL5) |
| 2025 | Cupra León VZ TCR |
04Eligible cars
05List of TCR series
As premier class
International
Regional
- TCR Asia Series
- TCR Europe Touring Car Series
- TCR Eastern Europe Trophy
- TCR South America Touring Car Championship
National
- Italian Superturismo Championship
- Russian Circuit Racing Series
- TCR Asia Challenge
- TCR Brazil Touring Car Championship
- TCR China Challenge
- TCR China Touring Car Championship
- TCR Chinese Taipei Series
- TCR European Endurance
- TCR Panamá Touring Car Championship
- TCR Mexico Series
- TCR Spain Touring Car Championship
- TCR UK Touring Car Championship
As subsidiary class
- 24H Series
- 24H Series Middle East
- Aurum 1006 km
- Austrian GT
- Belcar
- Britcar
- Campeonato Nacional de Velocidade
- CEZ Circuit Endurance
- China Endurance Championship
- China Touring Car Championship
- DMV Super Touring & GT Cup
- GT Challenge de las Américas
- GTC Endurance Challenge
- Golf Pro Car
- Michelin Pilot Challenge
- Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie
- Scandinavian Touring Car Championship (Series paused, planning for 2026/27 season)
- Spanish Touring Car Championship
- Sports Car Championship Canada
- Super Taikyu Series
- Supercar Challenge
- Supercar Endurance Series
- TC America Series
- TC France Series
- World Racing league
Defunct series
- ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship
- Canadian Touring Car Championship
- eTouring Car World Cup
- European Touring Car Cup
- TC Open
- TCR Australia Touring Car Series
- TCR Baltic Trophy
- TCR Benelux Touring Car Championship
- TCR Denmark Touring Car Series
- TCR Iberico Touring Car Series
- TCR International Series
- TCR Japan Touring Car Series
- TCR Korea Touring Car Series
- TCR Las Américas Series
- TCR Middle East Touring Car Series
- TCR Malaysia Touring Car Championship
- TCR New Zealand Series
- TCR Portuguese Series
- TCR Swiss Trophy
- TCR Thailand Touring Car Championship
- TCR USA
- Touring Car Endurance Series
- UAE Touring Car Championship
- World Touring Car Championship
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “TCR Touring Car”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- 2015 TCR International Series Malaysia Race 1 start.jpg by Morio, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Josh Files Honda Civic TCR.jpg by Poppo154, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Alfa Giuletta TCR (40940333003).jpg by AlessioMoscetti from Gubbio, Italy, CC BY 2.0
- Jean-Karl Vernay TCR Audi RS3.jpg by Poppo154, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Audi-RS-3-LMS-FIA-WTCR-2021.jpg by Speekman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- GIMS 2019, Le Grand-Saconnex (GIMS1215).jpg by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 24H Series 2022 Spa Nr. 159.jpg by Lukas Raich, CC BY-SA 4.0
- TCR Italy 2024 Mugello Nr. 3 Gurrieri.jpg by Lukas Raich, CC BY-SA 4.0
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