The racing car in the picture bears an uncanny resemblance to a souped-up Chevrolet Optra. If you look a bit closer, though, the car is leading a red Alfa Romeo, which instantly tells you that the race is not an Indian one.

That said, however, the car in question is very much a Chevrolet, but one from Europe, called the Lacetti or Nubira depending upon which part of the Western world you?re in. Chevrolet is pulling out all the stops to sell its cars in Europe and what better way to promote the product than show it racing! Especially as General Motors needs to prove that the new range, built by GM Daewoo Auto and Technology in Korea is as good as any other European product.

So for the first time ever, GM is participating as a full factory team in an official FIA world championship ? the 2005 World Touring Car Championship that used to be known as the European Touring Car Championship earlier and was restricted to, obviously, Europe.

The WTCC season has begun, with the first few races already having taken place in Italy (Monza) and France. A full calendar awaits fans, what with the Championship travelling to the United Kingdom (Silverstone, May 15), the Czech Republic (Brno, May 29), Mexico (June 26) and Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps, July 22) next.

These races are followed up by a whole lot more, at Germany (Oschersleben, August 28), Turkey (Istanbul, September 18) and Spain (Valencia, October 2). The season?s finale is scheduled for the city circuit of Macau in the People?s Republic of China on November 20.

The WTCC campaign is being spearheaded by Ray Mallock Ltd., a British racing team. After five successful years in the FIA World Sports-Prototype Championship, RML moved to touring car racing in 1992, running a pair of privateer Ecurie Ecosse Vauxhall Cavaliers (Opel Vectra in some markets). They are also involved in developing rally cars and supercars like the Saleen S7.

So how different is Chevrolet Optra?s racing version from the road-going car? Well, it looks like an Optra on steroids courtesy its wide racing tyres and low stance. The wheelbase is 2,600mm while the length and height are 4,500mm and 1,360mm respectively. It has a front track of 1,560mm and a rear track of 1,560mm while the kerb weight is 1,140kg. The body, made of steel and composite material, is based upon a steel unitary construction that includes a roll cage. The front suspension consists of MacPherson struts and the tyres are competition versions of, what else but, normal tyres.

What really makes all the difference though, is the engine ? a 2.0l, 4-cylinder unit with a displacement of 1,998cc. This is a 16-valve unit with a compression ratio of 11:1. What that translates into in terms of power and torque is way beyond the output of the Optra available here ? 270 bhp of power at 8,400 rpm and 197 ft/lb of torque at 5,800 rpm. On the track, that engine takes the Lacetti or Nubira or Optra (call it what you will) to a top speed of 254kmph.

Of course, racing cars need to slow down at times and this is achieved by a combination of front and rear brakes ? 4-pot machined aluminium callipers operating on a 295 x 32 vented steel disc with air cooling in front and 2-pot machined aluminium callipers operating on 290mm steel discs at the rear. The gearbox of the racing car is very much designed for racing ? it uses a mechanical linkage but is a 6-speed sequential shift type, which allows the driver to change gears quickly ? a crucial factor in the heat of a race where a missed gear change could mean the loss of one or maybe, two track positions.

Who?s the chosen one for the Chevrolet racer? GM has opted for an ex-Formula One driver, Nicola Larini. The 40-year-old Italian has driven in more than 30 F1 races and several touring car races during his successful career that led to two championships in the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, 1993) as well as in the Italian Superturismo championship (1992). Larini won eight races between 2001 and 2003 in the European Touring Car Championship (ETTC) that is turning into the WTCC in 2005. Along with Larini, the other driver is former BTCC champion driver, Alain Menu. Having won the BTCC twice, he has raced in the German touring car championship as well as in the Australian V8 Supercar Series.

Chevrolet is competing in the WTCC against the likes of BMW, Alfa Romeo and Seat, as well as Peugeot, Honda and Ford entries. Honda and Ford already have a presence in India, so why not have an Indian touring car championship up and going instead of only Esteems? Will GM India lead the way please?

My first car

Shaun Kenworthy
chef

The very first car I owned was a Vauxhall Viva and I bought it, second hand for about 750 pounds back when I was in college in Manchester. It was 1987 and its previous owner had kept it in immaculate condition, even though it was a good 10-12 years old.

A few months down the line, I started my first job, in Yorkshire. And I remember my first trip back home in the Viva being an eventful one. Earlier, I’d checked the engine for oil but couldn’t see any. Being an auto-novice, I topped the engine up with oil. A big mistake, as I found out after doing just 10 miles. The engine got so hot that it actually cracked. The car was towed back and I had to fork out 750 pounds to fix it.

I drove it for another five months before selling it for 350 pounds. It was a wreck by then with bumps and scratches. But I got that much as it had a pretty new engine.

I’ve fond memories of that car and looking back it’s retro look would’ve looked really good today