Leading on from the BTCC vs WTCC vs DTM vs V8SC thread, lets get some ideas going for our ultimate touring car championships. here are my thoughts:

First off, for me the ultimate TCC would be a much improved WTCC. There is nothing in motorsport outsdie of F1 like the idea of a global championship for touring cars that can capture the imagination. If done right.

so that also means no diesels and no hatchbacks.

First off: The Cars. S2000 is perfect for BTCC, don't get me wrong. NGTC will be great for it as well. But for a World Championship? Not good enough. WTCC cars should be some of the most powerful and fastest TCs around. Ie, V8 engines. as for bodywork, I love looking at a DTM car. but not too close, otherwise I see all the annoying flappy bits. for me the ultimate touring car has V8 engine, the epic low and wide profile of a DTM car, but without such aero bits and instead something simpler, but just as aggresive. I think TC2000 is the perfect inspiration for this. so, fans of V8SC, DTM, TC2000 and as later explained NASCAR could all fall in love with such cars. plus ofcourse, us brits ad the scandinavians arent going to say no are we.

For the record I think a global V8 TC engine would be excellent because of cost effectiveness for manufacturers. obviously used by V8SC and why not TC2000 and DTM as well? maybe even NASCAR could make an adaption.

Where to race: Zolder. Valencia. Curitiba. These places are boring. For me, Interlagos, Potrero de los Funes, Macau, Brands Hatch, Pau, Oschersleben or another german track, Monza, Portimao, Mexico City, Suzuka, Motorland Aragon are the type of places I think touring cars work (or hopefully would work). These sorts of places all in the same championship would be spectacular. For me there are two other countries to go to and markets to explore: the USA and Australia. S2000 cars would never appeal in these countries. Not when you look at NASCAR and V8SC cars respecitvely. but a DTMprofiled-TC2000bodyworked-V8powered-AwesomeSounding-Fast-Spectacular-UltimateTouringCar would appeal to such people I think. They'd see this kind of car as like that of NASCAR and V8SC, that just go round corners quicker. And as such, drivers in both series would more likely be interested in having a go in such a car. and having a few nascar and V8SC drivers in an Ultimate-WTCC race in such countries would certainly draw the fans in IMO. Laguna Seca and Phillip Island then, anyone?

Appeal:This is the most important aspect. an ultimate-TCC should appeal to fans, manufacturers, teams, sponsors, and drivers alike. so it needs:

*MAJOR MEDIA EXPOSURE
*quality tv coverage worldwide
*good branding and promoting
*epic cars and tracks to race at (as mentioned above) that bring appeal to fans AND drivers
*good fan relations
*good rules (no reverse grids and success ballast)
*good stewards (a rareity nowadays it seems)
*good organisation
*fun image
*star drivers, teams and variety of manufacturers
*good racing-and if there is variety and spectacular cars at great tracks, this should follow. which in turn attracts more people and the spiral continues......

oh, and just an idea:
say if you had 16 race meetings per year. 2 races per weekend. (longer than WTCC races shorter than DTM) 32 cars per race. what if in race one of every meeting, there is a random grid. it would work like this:

*the grid has 16 rows
*in 16 races (the first of the 2 at each meeting), each driver gets to start on each row over the course of the season.
*a draw is held on the thrusday/friday before the race weekend for each row of the grid with a drawing system involving some balls and some pretty women. this system keeps track of where evryone has started over the season.
*a secondary draw is held to establish on which side of each row everyone starts
*this race has a rolling start to keep things as fair as possible between which side of the grid a driver starts on, with no official pole sitter, rather 2 front row men

the second race features a normal qualifying format for its grid.




So there's my ideas, lets here yours: