While Toyota rolls out the new Corolla Hybrid sedan
at the LA Auto Show this week, its European division has introduced a decidedly
racier version on the other side of the Atlantic. The Corolla Hatchback is being
prepared for an assault on the highly competitive British Touring Car
Championship, to be campaigned by Team Toyota GB and Speedworks Motorsport.
The new touring car replaces the larger, outgoing
Avensis, with which Speedworks took both the team and driver trophies in the
independent category the past two years running. And the same driver, Tom
Ingram, who helped Toyota and Speedworks achieve those feats will take to the
wheel of the new Corolla in next year’s championship.
The move will see Speedworks step up from the ranks
of the independent teams to the manufacturer-supported works field, which will
put it in challenging territory. Though Toyota’s the only team confirmed so far
for next season, this year’s constructor entries included racing versions of
the Honda Civic Type R, Vauxhall Astra, Subaru Levorg, and the BMW 125i M Sport
that won the championship outright the past three years running.
The 2019 BTCC series kicks off at Brands Hatch on
April 6.
