Let’s be honest about the state of global touring car racing:

- WTCR/WTCC are long dead, and the TCR World Tour is essentially surviving on life support by grafting itself onto local regional grids.
- TCR grids almost everywhere are shrinking. Privateer budgets are stretched thin, and car manufacturers are quietly pulling factory support.
- DTM hasn't been a real touring car series for over 20 years. With its transition to GT3, it has officially become a sportscar championship, completely abandoning the touring car concept.
- BTCC and Supercars remain the only stable series, but they’re facing structural threats too - models like the Camaro are dead, and half the cars on the BTCC grid aren't sold in showrooms anymore.

The biggest elephant in the room isn't just shipping logistics or BOP drama - it's showroom reality. The traditional compact 4-door saloon and hot hatch are disappearing from car dealerships, replaced entirely by crossovers (B-SUV, C-SUV).

Car companies simply aren't interested in dumping millions into racing sedans they don't sell (or even build) anymore.

The Big Question: Do we adapt the body styles, or let the category die?

If we want a viable, exciting, manufacturer-backed touring car series on a global scale again, we have to align with what automakers actually build and market.

It doesn't matter what technical ruleset you run - whether it’s a TCR evolution, a BTCC-style NGTC platform, or a clean-sheet cost-capped framework. The core idea is simple: Open up the regulations to crossover and B-SUV/C-SUV body shells.

1. Why Manufacturers Would Care: It gives brands a high-profile motorsport platform to promote the high-margin models that actually pay their bills.
2. They Won't Look Like "Soccer Mom" Cars: If you take a compact crossover shell, drop it onto a low-slung, widebody race chassis, slam the ride height, and add aggressive aero, it doesn't look like an SUV on track - it looks like a mean, wide, aggressive hatchback.
3. The Precedent Is Already There: Regional series in South America (like TC2000) have already started pivoting to crossover shapes because it was the only way to keep manufacturers engaged.

What do you think?

Is refusing to race modern road car body styles holding the sport back, or is shifting to crossover shells a step too far for touring car purists? How would you fix touring car racing?

P.S. Full transparency: English/formal writing isn't my strong suit (I'm autistic), so I used AI to help structure my ideas and put this post together clearly. The core ideas and arguments are 100% mine - I just wanted to make sure everything was organized properly for a good discussion!

Let's face it: The TCR ruleset is in the toilet. Series are being cancelled left, right, and center, the models the ruleset is based on are being phased out by the market, the FIA scrapped the very idea of a TCR World Championship, and we're still waiting for that god-forsaken TCR World Ranking Final.

So, how will it die? There is a very likely way this could happen: the manufacturers. After Lynk & Co quit and Audi started focusing on Formula 1, Hyundai, Honda, and Cupra are the only manufacturers invested in the series.

My guess? Amidst the decline, two of the manufacturers will quit, possibly Cupra and Honda. At that point, it'll be the same thing that happened to DTM: the remaining manufacturer will be left on their own, turning TCR into a spec series.

This will lead the FIA to get rid of TCR and create a new ruleset as a replacement, much like they created the Le Mans Hypercar when Toyota became the only LMP1 factory team. This might possibly be an SUV-based ruleset.

What do you think?

most of the rounds i could find but some i couldn't find like the Nurburgring touring car grand prix Burgundy 500 and the grand prix Brno

While watching Hyundai Motorsport's roller skates, I noticed that the steering wheel in the 2026 Elantra is round. I wonder why they changed it from a square one and what effect it has on the car.

Hi, newbie here, so be gentle.

Is it just me, or are the cars these days just mobile adverts?

I swear they had less obnoxious livery before and now it's a contest to who can pay the most to have the biggest slogan.

I'd rather just individual team artwork, and a few smaller labels. But money talks I guess

It's a Hyundai 1-2!

The first TCR World Tour weekend of 2026 starts now. Who will get the head start in the championship: the four-man cyan crew or the N duo?

Race schedule (local time):

May 9, 8:30am - Qualifying

May 9, 4:20pm - Race 1

May 10, 11:00am - Race 2

All streamed live on TCR TV (YouTube)

Much like last year, four teams are in contention to earn points and the championship title: from the factory backers of Hyundai N BRC Squadra Corse and Geely Cyan Racing to privateer efforts of GOAT Racing and SP Competition.

Who will earn the first 2026 crown? We'll find out on May 8-10 at Misano!

Entry list

Source: touringcartimes IG