Remember the Alfa Romeo Giulietta? Don't blame yourself if you've forgotten. It's been in production for nearly eight years now, and has long since been overshadowed by the newer Giulia sedan and Stelvio crossover. But it still has some life in it.
Or at least one racing team thinks it does, so it's taking it to the track to compete in the British Touring Car Championship.
Unveiled this week at the Autosport International show in the UK, the racer stems from a partnership between Duo Motorsport and HMS Racing (previously known as Handy Motorsport), with support not from the manufacturer itself, but from a council of Alfa Romeo dealers.
Exact specifications weren't revealed, but it's been built to comply with the championship's Next Generation Touring Car regulations. That means a 2.0-liter turbo four mated to an Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox, in this case likely driving the front wheels (like the road-going model on which it's based).
The ECU is furnished by Cosworth, and the clutch, pedal box, and brakes are supplied by AP Racing. The aero package is tightly governed, and the whole project is designed to be cost-effective – enough for an independent team to undertake it.
That's how the BTCC has attracted so many different entries: the Giulietta will be dicing it on track with NGTC versions of the Audi S3, BMW 125i, Ford Focus RS, Honda Civic Type R, MG6, Subaru Levorg, Vauxhall Astra, and Volkswagen CC. (Last year saw the Mercedes A-Class, Chevy Cruze, and Toyota Avensis too.) That's some varied field, so the Alfa will have to be mighty quick to make its mark in one of the most competitive racing series in the world.
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