BTCC 2021-2022 Cars Coming to rFactor 2 Starting Next Month

Studio 397 today announced that “several” of the cars of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) will be coming to rFactor 2 over the next few months, starting with the Infiniti Q50 and Toyota Corolla GR. Both cars are a part of the Q2 2022 content drop that also includes the recently announced Donington Park and Brands Hatch.

As Studio 397’s parent company is Motorsport Games and they had previously announced a BTCC title, no doubt some will be wondering what’s happening there and whether this is connected, but at this point it just seems that rFactor 2 is gaining access to content in the same way it did with IndyCar.

A 2022 livery and team update is also expected in the future.

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Infiniti Q50 Screens:

Description:

2021 would prove to be another mighty year for the revitalized Infiniti Q50 in the British Touring Car Championship. Now under the development leadership of Laser Tools Racing, the Q50 returned to the BTCC grid as a late addition to the field from round 6 onwards in 2019, as Laser Tools Racing and Aiden Moffett looked to put early development miles on the car following a few years mothballed following the failed Support Our Paras initiative with the original Q50 programme closed after just one season at the start of 2016.

Moffett would achieve limited success with the new machine during the remainder of 2019, however the real work went on behind the scenes as the Scotsman and his team looked to bring forward an accelerated development programme ahead of a full season assault the following year.

That hard work appeared to pay off handsomely for the team, as heading into 2020 Laser Tools Racing made a shock swoop for 2017 Champion, Ash Sutton, and right from the very start of the year at Donington Park the new partnership laid down a marker of things to come – showing massive pace to take pole position on the first attempt, and eventually clocking up no less than five race wins and the championship crown. Sutton would go on to repeat his success in 2021, taking a further five race victories’ en route to a second successive championship, a feat all the more remarkable considering the wealth of talent on display in modern BTCC racing.

As for the car, the Infiniti Q50 is something of an outlier within the NGTC rule set employed by British Touring Cars, in the fact that it joins just BMW on the grid as a rear-wheel drive machine, matching the drive train of its road going counterpart.

Engineered by Laser Tools Racing and running the TOCA / Swindon powertrain package, an engine configuration developed by the series organizers to allow teams who wish to purchase an engine off the shelf, an alternative to developing their own manufacturer derived unit.

Toyota Corolla GR screens:

Description:

One of the many newer generation cars to be introduced in recent seasons to the BTCC grid is the wonderful looking Toyota Corolla. Run by Speedworks Motorsport with support from Toyota UK, the Corolla quickly proved itself to be a very adept touring car machine, having taken the BTCC by storm since arriving on the scene at the start of the 2019 season. Replacing the venerable Toyota Avensis, the very first of the new NGTC specification cars, the Corolla immediately produced a significant uplift in performance for Speedworks, with lead driver Tom Ingram taking an impressive four race victories in the debut season of the car, securing for himself and the team sixth overall in the drivers’ championship, a mighty result considering the single car nature of the squad, and relative inexperience of all concerned.

2020 would be even better for Speedworks in terms of championship standings, with Ingram ending a hard fought year with a strong championship charge, falling just short of the title at season end, but still ending a mighty impressive fourth overall, with three race victories to his credit.

2021 would be all change for the team, switching up to a two car effort with revised driving talents of Rory Butcher and young charger Sam Smelt behind the wheel. Now officially a Toyota works team under the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK banner, a further three victories would be added to the team account, as Butcher performed solidly in his new team leader role to secure 7th in the final title reckoning.

Following conventional touring car wisdom, the Corolla is based on a front-wheel drive configuration, and just like the Infiniti mentioned above, runs with the TOCA / Swindon engine power unit.