Based on the new Astra hatchback that debuted in Frankfurt, the track-only model was designed to compete in the recently-inaugurated TCR series, a three-pillar event that includes national, international and continental championships. All three series have the exact same set of regulations, so the Astra is eligible to race anywhere in the world.
The Astra TCR gains a full body kit that includes a deep front bumper with massive air dams, vents integrated into the hood, alloy wheels tucked under flared fenders all around and a wide air diffuser built into the rear bumper. An oversized roof-mounted wing provides the downforce required to keep the Astra on four wheels at high speeds.
Opel has fitted the Astra with a turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 330 horsepower and 309 lb-ft. of torque, the maximum permitted by TCR regulations. The turbo four spins the front wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox controlled by shift paddles. Performance figures haven’t been published yet.
Opel will begin testing the TCR-bound Astra later this month, and the first deliveries are scheduled for next year. In Germany, it carries a base price of €95,000, a sum that converts to approximately $108.000. When it lines up on the starting grid, the Astra will have to fend off competition from Honda Civics, SEAT Leons and Volkswagen Golfs, the same cars that it is up against off the track.
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