2004 Vauxhall Astra Coupe 888 BTC-T Chassis Number 11

Highlights

• Championship-winning ex-888 BTCC Astra Coupe, driven by James Thompson to clinch the 2004 Driver's Championship
• Described by the vendor as arguably the most successful BTCC car in the history of the series, having secured the Driver's, Team's and Manufacturer's Championships across four consecutive years
• Multiple podium finishes in the Classic Touring Car Racing Club's Thunder Saloon category, both in class and overall
• Spares package included, with many parts of 888 origin
• Technical support offered by the vendor to the new owner to return the car to competition

The Appeal

Manufacturers are wont to make bold claims about their racing success, often in carefully worded ways. No such chicanery was required for the Astra Coupe BTCC Super Touring racer. Between 2001 and 2004, piloted by Matt Neal, James Thompson, Jason Plato, and Yvan Muller, the ‘Triple 8’ cars took all 12 of the available titles, including driver, manufacturer and team. That’s every title, every single year.
Built for James Thompson, this is the very car that clinched the 2004 Driver's Championship and, in doing so, secured the Team's and Manufacturer's titles for Vauxhall — capping a remarkable four-year run of championship success before the Coupe was retired in favour of the later Sport Hatch.
Acquired by the present owner, the car was re-prepared for competition with a 500bhp 2-litre turbocharged engine and a heavily modified FWD gearbox capable of transmitting up to 400ft.lb of torque. In this guise, it was campaigned in the Thunder Saloon category of the Classic Touring Car Racing Club over a period of some six years, achieving multiple podiums both in class and overall. Since its last race, and after approximately 30 hours of competition, the drivetrain has undergone a check and rework, with the vendor reporting that only shell bearings required renewal alongside ring gap checks, cam follower clearance checks and bore hone quality assessment.
The drivetrain is presently removed from the chassis, allowing prospective buyers inspection of the engine, turbocharger, coolant radiator, charge cooler and all ancillaries. The car can revert to its original GM/Vauxhall Sodemo and Xtrac drivetrain without modification, offering flexibility for future use.
This is a retirement sale, and everything associated with the car is included: a spares package, jigs, drawings and tooling, a ThinkPad computer for ECU programming and diagnostics, and a folder of parts and service records. The vendor has also committed to providing technical support to the new owner to return the car to competition.

History & Paperwork

• Built by 888 Race Engineering for James Thompson for the BTCC
• Secured the 2004 Driver's, Team's and Manufacturer's Championships
• Campaigned in the BTCC for four years before Vauxhall withdrew the Coupe in favour of the Sport Hatch
• Acquired by the present owner and re-prepared for Thunder Saloon competition
• Raced in the Classic Touring Car Racing Club's Thunder Saloon category over approximately six years, accumulating around 30 hours of competition
• List of 888 parts and drawings included
• Folder of purchased parts and services included
• ThinkPad computer for ECU programming, diagnostics and race performance interrogation included with communications leads

The vendor says:
"Built by 888 Race Engineering for James Thompson to clinch the 2004 Driver's Championship and in so doing, secured the Team's and Manufacturer's Championship for 2004.
"After 4 years in the championship the Coupe ensured the Driver's, Team's and Manufacturer's championship for a total of 4 years - arguably the most successful BTCC car in the history and before Vauxhall withdrew it in favour of the later Sport Hatch
"Acquired by the present owner who race prepared it together with the fitting of a 500bhp 14 2 litre turbocharged engine and much modified FWD gear box and driveshafts capable of transmitting up to 400ft.lb of torque.
"It was then entered in the Thunder Saloon category of the Classic Touring Car Racing Club over a period of some 6 years where it achieved multiple podiums both in class and overall.
Since its last race and after some 30 hours of competition, the drivetrain has undergone a full check and rework to as new standards, requiring only the renewal of the shell bearings, checking ring gaps, cam follower clearance checks and bore hone quality.
"The drivetrain is presently out of the chassis to allow for greater inspection of the unit together with all ancillaries including turbocharger, coolant rad. and charge cooler. It can revert to the original GM/Vauxhall Sodemo, Xtrac drivetrain without modification.
A new owner will be given full technical support to return it to competition."

The Condition

• Drivetrain presently removed from the chassis to allow for inspection
• Drivetrain has undergone a check and rework after approximately 30 hours of competition
• Shell bearings renewed
• Ring gaps checked
• Cam follower clearance checks completed
• Bore hone quality assessed
• All ancillaries including turbocharger, coolant radiator and charge cooler available for inspection
• 888-designed electronics with Efi ECU, incorporating launch and traction control with three primary settings and ten intermediate functions in each
• D2 dash fitted in place of the original Pi dash, allowing mapping and performance data download
• Three onboard air jacks fitted

Thanks to the knowledge and effort of this car's current keeper, the car's condition very closely replicates its period spec. It has been campaigned in the meantime but presents well in photos. It would work either as a show display or capable historic racer.

The Mechanics

• 2-litre (2,000cc) turbocharged engine producing 500bhp, derived from a seasoned GM iron block re-machined to original dimensions apart from bore and re-hone
• The power unit is derived from a seasoned GM iron block engine (reminiscent of BMW's approach to developing their 1000bhp+ F1 engine where BMW acquired old/ well used iron blocks)
• Modified 5-speed FWD gearbox with dog engagement, converted from an AWD unit, with ratios ranging from approximately 60mph in first to 150mph in fifth
• Steel crankshaft with forged con-rods and pistons
• K&S cylinder head (later casting with .....700 casting number), accommodating high-lift cams and oversize inlet and exhaust valves
• CatCams camshafts with asymmetrical valve period and lift relative to inlet and exhaust
• Garrett GTX 3076R turbocharger capable of delivering approximately 50lb air/min at 2.3bar absolute, with cockpit boost control
• Charge cooler feeding a 3-litre inlet plenum through a 50mm throttle body
• Eight staged Porsche/BOSCH injectors, each capable of delivering approximately 450cc/min
• BOSCH 0044 high-pressure fuel pump with 5-pump aircraft-style fuel tank (four lift pumps to swirl pot, one HP pump to engine)
• Turbosmart fuel pressure regulator (3barg static to 3barg plus boost)
• Gripper plate limited-slip differential
• Can revert to the original GM/Vauxhall Sodemo and Xtrac drivetrain without modification
• Spare new short motor with F1 head sealing, bare cylinder head and spare turbocharger included
• Suspension hubs (front and rear), bottom wishbones and front brake discs included
• New Penske 3-way damper sleeves with linear bearings and new suspension upright clamps included
• Flight case containing jigs, drawings and tubing for rear suspension axle repair/rebuild included
• Wheel centre lock nut torque wrench included

We are told that Chassis Number 11 has been deliberately kept as close as possible to 888 racing specification. That has been the driving principle through a long list of mechanical renovation work, which you can read about above.
The vendor says:
"The power unit is derived from a seasoned GM iron block engine(reminiscent of BMW's approach to developing their 1000bhp+ F1 engine where BMW acquired old/ well used iron blocks) which has been re-machined to as original dimensions, apart from bore and re-hone
Crankshaft is steel together with forged con-rods and pistons
"Cylinder head is a K&S later casting with the .....700 casting number. This allows for no significant re-machining to fit high lift cams and oversize In and Ex valves and overcomes some of the early issues associated with oil gallery internal leaks (K&S) and the extra machining required on the Cosworth/CosCast head.
"Camshafts are of CatCams origin but developed with asymmetrical valve period and lift relative to In/Ex.
"Turbocharger is a Garrett GTX 3076R capable of delivering some 50lb air/min @ 2.3bar.abs but with cockpit boost control. This turbocharger was selected for its wider operating range between the surge and choke lines of the compressor. This feeds an inlet plenum via charge cooler, of some 3litres capacity (1.5 x swept volume) through a 50mm throttle body and fitted 8 staged injectors of Porsche/BOSCH origin, each capable of delivering some 450ccs/min -for a total capable delivery of some 3.6 litres/min at max power for the design consumption rate of some 3 litres/min fed via a BOSCH 0044 high pressure pump from a 5 pump aircraft style fuel tank (4 lift pumps to swirl pot and one HP pump to engine).
"Fuel pressure control is via a Turbosmart pressure regulator of 3barg static to 3barg + boost to the desired pressure ratio.
"Gearbox is a much modified AWD box converted to FWD with revised dog engagement and ratios to give a 5speed range from some 60mph/1st to 150mph/5th together with a Gripper plate LSD. (there was no FWD gearbox capable of up to 400ft.lb at the time - although the design office at Xtrac did try to see if it was possible from one of their existing boxes)
Electronics are all of 888 design using the Efi ECU modified with the addition of launch and traction control - the latter having 3 primary settings with 10 intermediate functions in each to allow for varying track conditions. The Pi dash has been replaced with a D2 dash to allow for mapping and engine and chassis performance download - negating the need for a separate data logger.
"Along with the sale are all parts and spares, largely of 888 origin and some new and to include:
Spare, new short motor using F1 head sealing, bare cylinder head, turbocharger. Suspension hubs, front and rear. bottom wishbones. Front brake discs. New Penske 3 way damper sleeves together with linear bearings. New suspension upright clamps together with a build case of various 888 small parts. A flight case containing jigs, drawings and tubing for the repair/rebuild the rear suspension axle
"A Think Pad computer for engine/ECU programming, diagnostics and race performance interrogation, complete with comms lead and hard wired lead for modem connection and remote programming.
"Air lance and pressure regulator for the 3 onboard air jacks Wheel centre lock nut torque wrench. List of 888 parts and drawings together with a comprehensive folder of purchased parts and services. This is a retirement sale and will include everything associated with the car, spares, its build specification and operation etc. More information on request. The owner is now concentrating only on engine development and rebuilds."

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