Chevrolet Cruze at the WTCC Finale

December 16,2009

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published for The Philippine Star. Ulysses Ang is now a motoring correspondent for the nation’s largest newspaper. See his stories in the weekly Motoring as well as the bi-monthly Wheels and Wheels Deals sections.

If you want a car with real racing pedigree, forget Formula One or the World Rally Championship or the Dakar Rally for that matter. These racing series may feature cars, but they have little or nothing to do with your average road-going automobile with the exception of the brand and having four wheels. If you want a racing series with a direct connection to the car that you drive, try the World Touring Car Championship or the WTCC.

Run in 12 rounds with 2 races each (24 in total), the WTCC features what the FIA classifies as Group N racing cars, which means they’re basically standard production vehicles modified for competition. Changes in the Group N class are limited to a car’s engine ECU (liberating more power), gearbox (quicker shifting and longer life), springs/damper settings, weight reduction and body strengthening. As a result, the cars that you see racing in the WTCC are basically what you get on the showroom floor.

For a resurging brand like Chevrolet (now marketed and distributed by The Covenant Car Company or TCCCI), there’s no better way to prove your car’s worth than to see it race on a world-class racing circuit like the Circuito da Guia in Macau. Known as the ‘Monaco of Asia’, the 6.2-kilometer Guia Circuit shares the tight corners, perilous walls and casino backdrop of its namesake. Hosting the final two races of the WTCC, it also serves as a sneak peek of the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze—the compact car set to replace the Optra in the Philippines by early next year.

In its racing guise, the Cruze is powered by a RML (Ray Mallock Ltd.) built 2.0-liter engine based off the Cruze’s stock block. Fed on a diet of ethanol fuel, the Cruze’s engine can generate approximately 280 horsepower despite being normally aspirated. The Cruze is underpinned by GM’s Delta II platform, albeit with a widened front and rear track. Despite its front-wheel drive architecture, the Cruze was immensely fast through the twisty Guia circuit thanks to its experienced trio of drivers: Robert Huff, Alain Menu and Nicola Larini (who announced his retirement at the Macau race). A short chat with the drivers reveals the main difference between the WTCC versions of the Cruze and the Optra: the former feels much more confident and glued through the corners than its predecessor. And the results speak for themselves: a commanding pole position for Brit Robert Huff.

The Chevrolet Cruze drivers are backed-up by a team of more than 60 individuals, and a short tour of the garage just before the race showed how the team runs like clockwork. Despite the cramped working conditions and the stench of ethanol permeating in the air, each team member acted with extreme focus, unmindful of the two dozen or so press people buzzing around the pit area. The atmosphere is electric—perhaps like Formula One, except that the people were more accessible and smiling.

As the sirens sounded (indicating the start of the first race), the press vacated the pit area and headed to the grandstands. The first race was almost uneventful with Huff winning easily flag-to-flag, despite a late challenge by ex-Formula One, now SEAT driver Tiago Monteiro. Menu finished fourth and Larini seventh. With a reversed grid order for the second race, it proved more exciting as Huff clawed his way to eighth place despite damaging his hood. Larini settled for seventh, while Alain Menu made his Cruze kiss the barriers a lap before a huge shunt between two BMWs and a SEAT caused the race to be stopped prematurely. The weekend was certainly far from perfect for the Chevrolet Cruze racing team, but they more than proved a point by qualifying on pole position and claiming the win in the first race. The team shows such promise and potential that championship runner-up Yvan Muller announced his move to the Chevrolet ream for the 2010 WTCC season; perhaps just in time for the Philippine debut of the Cruze.

Though the Philippine specifications of the Cruze have yet to be finalized, a quick search on the Internet reveals some interesting facts: a family of Ecotec engines under the hood (headlined by a 140-horsepower 1.8-liter variant), a choice between 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatics and a 2,685-mm wheelbase (the longest in its class). Undoubtedly, the Chevrolet Cruze will have what it takes to tackle the big boys in its class. But for those with lingering doubts, the Cruze also has a genuine racing pedigree and you just watch to watch the WTCC to see how it can more than keep up with the big boys of the racing world.

By Ulysses Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang
Story Originally Published in The Philippine Star

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