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Jason Plato expects BTCC title challenge with BMR in 2015

Double British Touring Car champion Jason Plato says Team BMR can challenge for the 2015 title, even though he admits its Volkswagen CC is not yet a proven race winner

Plato, who has left the MG factory team after a three-year stint to join the independent outfit, will partner 2014 champion Colin Turkington. race winner Aron Smith and team boss Warren Scott this year.

While the 2001 and 2010 champion accepts the car, which won twice in BMR's maiden season last year in the hands of Smith, is not the full package, he believes a big technical push pre-season will fast-track its progress.

"My plan is to go out and win at event one," he told AUTOSPORT.

"We want to be popping it on pole and winning, anything less will be a disappointment.

"The level of commitment is second to none and in a very short space of time we want to be ready to start as we mean to carry on.

"The title is what we're here for, we're not out to make friends."

With 2013 champion Andrew Jordan leaving his family Eurotech team to replace Plato at MG, Turkington out of his title-winning WSR outfit and Honda's plans yet to be confirmed, the front end of the BTCC grid has undergone a huge shift in the off-season.

Plato says the changes, coupled with the fresh challenge of turning BMR into a title-winning outfit, have left him with a renewed excitement for the coming season.

"It's quite interesting," he added. "For me the biggest shock of all the moves was Andrew leaving Eurotech.

"It's one I completely understand, he's got a brilliant package, three years of hard work from all of us making it the best FWD car on the grid.

"Nevertheless, I've got that information in my head. We know how the VW will shake up on paper.

"There are some areas where it's better and some we need to improve.

"We've got heavyweights in the same team from a technical point of view and the two guys who were the focus last year on track.

"I think it's going to be amazing. I'm dead excited."

Analysis of Team BMR's superteam and what Turkington and Plato think is achievable in 2015 is available in this week's issue of AUTOSPORT, available now online and in stores

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