Editing Touring car racing (section)

===British Touring Car Championship===
[[File:2016 British Touring Car Championship, Brands Hatch GP (30245906692).jpg|thumb|right|2016 BTCC Brands Hatch]]
''United Kingdom''
{{main|British Touring Car Championship}}

The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) currently competes at nine circuits in the UK with cars built to [[Next Generation Touring Car]] specification, with ballast being used to equalise performance. From [[2011 British Touring Car Championship season|2011]], cars that ran to the BTCC's own [[Next Generation Touring Car]] specification were eligible to compete in a phased move away from [[Super 2000]] regulations. Cars are 2.0-litre [[Sedan (automobile)|saloons]], [[station wagon]]s and [[hatchback]]s with over {{convert|350|bhp|abbr=on}} and can be front or rear-wheel drive. During the [[2016 British Touring Car Championship season|2016 season]] manufacturer team entries came from BMW, [[Subaru]], [[MG Cars|MG]], and [[Honda]]. Since BTCC budgets have been kept relatively low, there is a strong independent and privateer presence in the championship. Manufacturers represented by privateers include [[Vauxhall Motors|Vauxhall]], [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], [[Toyota]], [[Volkswagen]], Chevrolet, and [[Audi]].

Prior to 2001 the BTCC was contested by cars built to 2.0-litre supertouring regulations and had in its heyday up to nine different manufacturers. [[Joachim Winkelhock]] stated on several occasions that it was the best touring car championship in the world,{{Citation needed|date=June 2008}} and many champions of that era now race in the [[World Touring Car Championship]] (WTCC). Between 2002 and 2006 the BTCC ran its own Touring class with Super Production/Super 2000 cars making up the numbers; the Touring class was phased out (only privateers are eligible to run old Touring cars) with the intention of a pure Super 2000 series. The introduction of the [[Next Generation Touring Car]] specification, from [[2011 British Touring Car Championship season|2011]], started a phased transition from Super 2000 cars in an effort to cut costs and improve the sport.