You want to see who’s really the best driver? Put them in identical cars and have them go at it on the track. No excuses, no complaints; just pure racing. What’s better is to have those cars be something rather pedestrian, or at the very least something that isn’t some million-dollar machine far removed from any actual road-spec automobile.
What street car do you think would be good to use as a single-make-and-model racing series?
America tried this years ago with the International Race of Champions, putting drivers from different series into identical racing Camaros to duke it out on famous tracks. You might remember the Long Beach races where celebrities competed in identical Toyota Celicas.
There are plenty of other examples of same-make race series where everyday cars rubbed door handles and separated the amateurs from the pros. Renault has been especially active in this area, most famously with their Renault 5 Cup series.
These are maniacal heats that end up looking like those soccer games your five-year-olds played in where everything is just one big pack moving against each other. Either that or just an answer to the question, “what would it look like if a traffic jam moved along at sixty miles an hour?”
In America, Renault even created a series with their R9-based AMC-built Alliance.
This was surprisingly entertaining stuff, and if you’ve ever complained that some series is totally uncompetitive, then this is the antidote.
Still, what kind of car would also be ideal as the basis for a series? I’m thinking a bunch of Toyotas like a Prius (what is the plural of Prius?) might work:
Oh, how about Mitsubishi Mirages? Laugh all you want; put some good drivers in these tin cans, all looking for any kind of edge, and we’ll separate the adults from the kids in short order.
So what’s your choice? A Maverick Cup? Altima-te Challenge? Let us know!
Top graphic image: Renault
350 mi endurance race in VW Id buzz.
We have it, and it’s Class 11. The rallies, the sprints, the circuit and oval races, they’re all a riot to see and I dream of joining them one day.
I was going to say that Gran Turismo had the virtual market cornered on fun one-make races, and was going to post a video of my favourite.
But then I did a bit more searching, and it turns out people have done these one-make races in real life, so here’s an actual one-make race of the Daihatsu Midget II:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSHI2mDWLGY
The obvious answer was USPS Gumman LLVs. Right hand drive, huge bumpers, slow. When the race is over; they just go back to delivering mail still as these trucks will never die.
Since a one-make race series quickly uses up all available cars and spares and makes them extinct in no time at all, I’d like to see a Nissan Juke series.
A one-make series for CyberTurds would be hilarious. Bonus points if it’s a one-make demolition derby.
The funniest was probably backwards DAF racing, since they were equally fast in reverse. Our own Mike Harrell has two so we can start a US version.
For a more modern option Chevy Spark rallycross
Speed: Yugos.
Endurance: Yugos.
Off road: Yugos.
AMC Pacers.
Chevy Suburban Cup. I started typing out some other ideas, but the concept of these big boys with zero sporting DNA jockeying for position on a road course is really sounding fun. And they are “stock cars”. Everyone’s Suburban is mechanically the same as the one you saw at youth soccer practice last week.
Speaking of which, it’d be cool just to see some actual “stock car” races again. Yeah put a cage inside, but that is it. Otherwise everyone is running the same car I could go buy tomorrow.
(what is the plural of Prius?)
https://www.cars.com/articles/plural-of-prius-prii-not-according-to-latin-experts-1420663174060/
Careful…you’re kinda stepping into a shitshow there. Toyota did a poll and embraced the winner, “Prii”, but it only won with 25% of the vote…followed by “Prius” at 24%.
Anyway, much as I like my Prius v, I’ve always hated the name, not least because it sounds too close to “priapism” (not to be searched on your work laptop, unless you’re in the medical profession).
I used Prions as the plural of Prius, from the early oughts when it was the preferred vehicle for eco smug virtue signaling and the connotation of brain disease. Now that EVs are the virtue signal of choice and the Prius is simply the car for people who want cheap and durable I may need to rethink that.
“If you have an erection for more than four hours, you may or may not be a lucky bastard”.
Prions, a race where you get bonus points for swerving wildly like an insane bovine.
Here in the UK we have two race series based around the Citroen C1 / Peugeot 107 / Toyota Aygo (effectively all the same car, with different badges).
These cars have a 1.0 non-turbo 3-cylinder engine.
One is a normal race series.
https://brscc.co.uk/formulae/nankang-tyre-citycar-cup-championship/
The other is and endurance series, with driver changes. Most races are 3 hours, but there’s a 24 hour race at Silverstone.
https://c1racing.club/
And the guys at bad obsession Motorsport (of project binky fame) did a great series on their entry.
What a shout. I watched the C1s racing at Knockhill, Fife and it was an absolute hoot. Rarely did they have all four wheels on the tarmac and we were all waiting on at least one of them rolling off. The guys who drive these cars have never heard of the word ‘fear’!
You didn’t even come up with the two best Renault-based series: A 1st-gen Twingo series for funsies and an R5 Turbo or Clio V6 series to bring back the mayhem and death toll of Group B rallying.
The Chevy Chevette Classic
Iron Duke engine, plywood floor, 13″ tires and top speed of 85mph only with a tail wind and a long downhill
Add in the vertical radio.
Chevette was never available with the Iron Duke. Not sure about the plywood floor.
For sheer entertainment value I’m all for a vehicle that had no thoughts of competitive driving attached. Give me a Kia Soul series on figure 8 tracks.