Lada 110 2.0 WTCC

[Yannis]

Here some photos of the new Lada 110 2.0 WTCC. As it has been announced, the car is expected to make its maiden appearance at the WTCC official test session in Valencia, on April the 15th and 16th.

http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/2513/ladawtcc1ba5.jpg

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/7286/ladawtcc2qs3.jpg

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/3434/ladawtcc3ob5.jpg

http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/6739/ladawtcc4fy0.jpg

Russian Bears Motorsport homepage: http://www.russianbearsmotorsport.com/eng

[m0rk]

interesting design handcuffs there....

girder across the front end to "improve" understeer

engine tilted really far forward (all ahead of the front axle)

it's nice to see other cars, but that's going to be a mobile chicane

[Winchester]

Looks like it will have all the aero performance of a breezeblock!

[VkmSpouge]

I really hope they do enter the WTCC, it would be great to see Lada racing :D

[VX_Rules]

Just out of interest, how old is the road going version of this beast, its design looks so ancient.

[Marc W]

I believe it was launched in 1996 but as the car it replaced was based on a 60's design it's almost futuristic in comparison! ;)

[stevenlcroucher]

Look at the engine.....

It is the good old Vauxhall red top C20XE.

[VX_Rules]

Are they allowed to use an engine from another brand in the WTCC.

1996! makes me think of the Rover 45 AKA MG ZS.

[LiamM]

Are they allowed to use an engine from another brand in the WTCC.

1996! makes me think of the Rover 45 AKA MG ZS.

Depends what the actual Lada uses, could be the same engine

[Allyc85]

Looks like a candidate for worst touring car ever to me!

[Rollo]

Looks like a candidate for worst touring car ever to me!
Good. They might learn something.

After driving quite a few Hyundais I've come to the conclusion that the first car that they produced that wasn't either rubbish, hopeless or gutless or some combination, didn't happen until after they went in the WRC.

The same went for Proton. People may deride Freaky Hairdoman but it must be said that what Proton learnt from the BTCC shows up in the Gen-2, which is starting to appear half way decent.

By going motor racing, you can find where and how cars break so that you can improve the breed. I hope Lada are using the WTCC for this purpose.

[LeonBrooke]

Those wheelarches look like some sort fo Max Power boy racer addition to me...

[AndyRAC]

I thought it was an April Fools Day!!

Is the 110 the amount of BHP??

[mikiec]

must admit I thought it was an April Fools joke too!!! :D

Do you have a genuine link to it?

[Rollo]

Our esteemed colleague Yannis provided one:
Russian Bears Motorsport homepage: http://www.russianbearsmotorsport.com/eng

It looks pretty genuine to me.

[racer69]

Lada have had motorsport success before, and it must be mentioned this is not a factory effort.

I'm the proud owner of a Niva, which amongst other things locally, Geoff Portman won the 1984 Australian Off-Road Championship in one.

[Mighty]

The Russian Bears Motorsport Team has official announced two cars for WTCC 2008 Championship!
If i look to this chassis, i would say they better would take the version of the 2006 official Lada Motosport prototype car which was developed at germans engineering Company MTEC.
But good luck for the team, will be a hard season for them!!

[MrJan]

Ha.Reading through this I was convinced you'd all been done by an April Fools joke. Good luck to them, I quite like Ladas :up: :D

[Yannis]

Well, as you can see, it's not a April Fools joke!
As far I know the team has bought the cars MTEC SPORT and Lada Motorsport had developed in 2006.
The engine is the known Opel C20XE (the 2litre version of the road car, the Lada 21106 available in the russian market, has the same engine, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Ecotec_engine#20XE.2C_20XEJ.2C_C20XE)
The road car has been developed at the end of the 80's - early 90's. The designers had achieved a very sufficient aerodynamic indicator (Cx=0.30)
Below some photos from the development period:

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/4143/jart61rp1.jpg

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/9061/vaz21102001mx6.jpg

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/9910/vaz21102002jr8.jpg

http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/7182/21181os4.jpg

However the production of the car has been finished since the successor of it, the new Lada Priora (Lada 2170 for the european market) is already available in the rusian market (visit http://priora.lada-auto.ru (http://priora.lada-auto.ru/)).

[Yannis]

Below you can find some videos from the test held last Friday @ Zandvoort:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9OOpRGvutk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66HDvv-292A&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWTb5Q7HCpY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzTzjcjsF_Q&feature=related

More info at:

http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2214
http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2220

And some new pics:

http://www.russianbearsmotorsport.com/news/release260.html

[CroftPilgrim]

Thanks for those links Yannis.

It's good to see another make and model represented, especially in the WTCC. It's nice to see them being realistic about their chances too.

[Eurotech]

I Must say that the wheel arches look stupid and a bit too wide for the WTCC.

But hey, it should be good at defending!!!!!!!

[Yannis]

Russian Bears Motorsport returned to Zandvoort last Wednesday to complete their first tests with the car. This time, except Victor Shapovalov, Jaap Van Lagen also drove for 7 laps.

Of course there is still much work to do , but the basis of the Lada is good. The assessment in the car was not yet optimum, in order to may put down hopeful times, Jaap van Lagen said
(translated from dutch, see http://jaapvanlagen.nl/2008/05/02/van-lagen-aangenaam-verrast-door-lada-110-wtcc/#more-249).

see also: http://www.fiawtcc.com/fiawtcc/sport_sto1559848.shtml

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/4079/lagenlada3yw5.jpg

[mattie007]

Looks ok, but did I read that right? The design started in the late 80's??

[VkmSpouge]

I wouldn't be surprised, Lada are a little behind the times, the car certainly looks like something from the 80s. I do like it though :D I wish Russian Bears the best of luck (they'll probably need it).

[mac853]

I don't understand nothing, as they say the car are so good then hope in the last season could put the car in indep. cup podium, why don't show the fastest time?
As i could see there are 1 solution, the car is difficult to run any further position nor could be qualified, just bluffing then know already of that project have no future, just to convince the sponsors of they didn't waste the money to zero.

[VkmSpouge]

I don't understand nothing, as they say the car are so good then hope in the last season could put the car in indep. cup podium, why don't show the fastest time?
As i could see there are 1 solution, the car is difficult to run any further position nor could be qualified, just bluffing then know already of that project have no future, just to convince the sponsors of they didn't waste the money to zero.

I think we will see how good the car is at Valencia where it will hopefully make its debut. Frankly I think if they're not dead last then they'll have had a good weekend.

[Yannis]

We're only at the beginning of the project, so we can still make a lot of progress. The Lada 110 WTCC really surprised me. We had very good lap times. I have a lot of confidence in the future. Perhaps we can get into the top three of the privateers at the end of the season, van Lagen said according to TouringCarTimes.com

source: http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2235

[mac853]

Then Bears' guys must go make more improvements in the suspension and steering handlings, instead the Ladas' bumpers will suffer so much in the Macau Guia's uphill steel walls, i have guaranteed on it! :laugh:
Honestly i have very interesting on this project, look that car in installed with a powerful and awesome Opel engine and many other things, just remain only the chassis originally, make me a tuning car feel, nice.
Anyway i personally think this attitude should be absolutely all right to put the late '80 basic car to best performance.

[Yannis]

Here the car's technical specifications:

http://www.fiawtcc.com/fiawtcc/vehicule_vehid465.shtml

and here the updated entry list of 2008 with the "Russian Bears Motorsport" drivers (Nrs 28 & 29) :

http://www.fiawtcc.com/fiawtcc/entry-list/2008/entrylistmotor.shtml

[F1boat]

Best luck to Lada, their design looks old, but on the other hand WTCC is not DTM, so this shouldn't be such a problem.

[Yannis]

On their first appearance alongside their fellow WTCC competitors, Russian Bears Motorsport took only part in the morning session. Although he completed only 15 laps before being stopped by an engine failure, Viktor Shapovalov clocked a best lap of 1:40.319 in the LADA 110; an encouraging start for the Russian car.

OFFICIAL TIMING – DAY 1
R. Huff (Chevrolet Lacetti) 1:35.324 / 93 laps
G. Tarquini (SEAT León TDI) 1:35.795 / 84 laps
J. Thompson (Honda Accord) 1:35.840 / 46 laps
A. Farfus (BMW 320si) 1:35.856 / 102 laps
A. Priaulx(BMW 320si) 1:35.874 / 99 laps
J. Müller (BMW 320si) 1:35.866 / 112 laps
Y. Muller (SEAT León TDI) 1:36.073 / 58 laps
R. Rydell (SEAT León TDI) 1:36.150 / 98 laps
F. Porteiro (BMW 320si) 1:34.436 / 83 laps
A. Zanardi (BMW 320si) 1:36.601 / 96 laps
V. Shapovalov (LADA 110) 1:40.319 / 15 laps


Source: http://www.fiawtcc.com/fiawtcc/sport_sto1564894.shtml

[VkmSpouge]

Day 2 Timing:
1. Yvan Muller SEAT 1m35.227
2. Augusto Farfus Jr. BMW +0.260
3. Jörg Müller BMW +0.308
4. Félix Porteiro BMW +0.607
5. Andy Priaulx BMW +0.799
6. Alessandro Zanardi BMW +0.845
7. Nicola Larini Chevrolet +0.931
8. James Thompson Honda +0.940
9. Jordi Gené SEAT +1.128
10. Jaap van Lagen LADA +1.249
11. Tiago Monteiro SEAT +1.319
12. Viktor Shapovalov LADA +2.526

LADA only 1.249s off the pace, that's pretty impressive even in testing.

[mattie007]

Thats very impressive! Faster than Monteiro! Good luck chaps, I will watch this amazing story unfold with great interest!

[Robinho]

i never would have picked Lada picking up a cult following in WTCC, but thats the way its heading, fans love an underdog and if the testing pace is for real it will be great to see the old Lada out there mixing it with the big names

[CroftPilgrim]

Day 2 Timing:
1. Yvan Muller SEAT 1m35.227
2. Augusto Farfus Jr. BMW +0.260
3. Jörg Müller BMW +0.308
4. Félix Porteiro BMW +0.607
5. Andy Priaulx BMW +0.799
6. Alessandro Zanardi BMW +0.845
7. Nicola Larini Chevrolet +0.931
8. James Thompson Honda +0.940
9. Jordi Gené SEAT +1.128
10. Jaap van Lagen LADA +1.249
11. Tiago Monteiro SEAT +1.319
12. Viktor Shapovalov LADA +2.526

LADA only 1.249s off the pace, that's pretty impressive even in testing.

That is quite astonishing!

[100%hondafan]

ermm.... wow! thats bloody good just think how far seat and chevy where when they first appeared aswell ;)

[Allyc85]

I really hope they wernt running light as thats a stunning time!

[tyreman2]

If thats correct and the car was running legal it's very impressive.Especially as the driver alone must be considerably slower than a works pilote

Lets hope they can carry that form into their first race

[F1boat]

It will be great! Good luck to Lada!

[Catilina]

Do they really manufacture that engine again?
As an owner of two GSi Kadetts I am honestly shocked by arousal.
The weight/power ratio is really excellent.

[Allyc85]

Also does anybody have any links to high-res shots of the cars?

[VkmSpouge]

Look on the WTCC website gallery in the cars section. It has a few pictures of the Ladas there.

http://www.fiawtcc.com/fiawtcc/mcd_dia937.shtml#