BMW 330i M Sport BTCC Racer Adds Appeal To UK’s Touring Car Series

Following last month’s preview, BMW has lifted the veil off its new BTCC contender for the 2019 season, the 330i M Sport.

BMW will field three cars in the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and they will be driven by three-time BTCC champion Colin Turkington, Tom Oliphant, and Andrew Jordan.

Based on the G20 3 Series road car, the BTCC racer replaces the 1 Series in the championship, where it will go up against rivals such as the Honda Civic Type R, Ford Focus RS, Vauxhall Astra, Mercedes A-Class, Audi S3, Toyota Corolla, MG6, Subaru Levorg, and VW CC.

Obviously, it’s not the first time a 3 Series races in the BTCC. BMW’s compact sedan was a regular competitor between 1988 and 2009, winning five drivers’ and two manufacturers’ titles during that period. In 2013, the automaker returned to the BTCC with the 1 Series.

Prepared by West Surrey Racing, the 330i M Sport adopts two different liveries: the cars driven by Turkington and Oliphant feature BMW Motorsport’s iconic colors while Jordan’s car features title sponsor Pirtek’s livery. No specs were revealed, but the standard 330i packs a turbocharged 2.0-liter turbo-four that makes 255 hp (258 PS) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque, enabling a 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) sprint of 5.6 seconds.

“Having won my first BTCC Drivers’ title in a 3 Series, the confirmation that BMW was bringing the car back to the championship was the best news ever. The Team BMW livery is stunning, and those unmistakable M Motorsport colors add a real sense of presence and heritage,” said Colin Turkington.

BMW’s new BTCC racer has had its first full day of testing on March 27 at the Brands Hatch track alongside all the other cars on the grid. The racing debut comes next month (April 6/7) at the season opener on Brands Hatch’s Indy Circuit.