MG ploughs lone furrow on V6, four-door route

While the 'big guns' of the re-launched series, Vauxhall and Peugeot, have opted for four-cylinder power and two-door coupe bodywork, the Rover-owned marque believes its chosen path - the four-door MG ZS - will prove competitive.

Only Ford (and briefly Mazda) used V6 power in the BTCC's Super Touring era, but the engine's shape and high center of gravity meant packaging was always a problem. In its early years, the Mondeo's engine was moved progressively lower and further back, until Prodrive finally gave the car a BTCC title last season with an engine moved forward once again.

The new, back-to-basics BTCC rules say engine position cannot be changed, so the KV6-based unit, built by AER, will be mounted 'as sold'. But West Surrey Racing boss Dick Bennetts, who will run a pair of the cars for Anthony Reid and Warren Hughes, says it will not be a problem.

"It's a nice engine," he said. "It's all aluminium with a quite nice cylinder head layout, and a lot of iron blocks would be just as heavy. Regarding the position of it, having the weight forward doesn't always hurt anyway."

Conventional wisdom says that a two-door car will be stiffer than a four-door machine, but Bennetts also believes this will not prove a hindrance.

"The bulk of the stiffness comes from the roll cage anyway," he said. "We've done our homework, so it shouldn't be a problem."

The car has already been tunnel-tested under the supervision of series organisers TOCA to determine its final aerodynamic configuration and a shakedown of the first complete ZS is scheduled for the third week in July. The marque will make its BTCC race debut at Silverstone on September 9 and will run the final three rounds in preparation for a full assault in 2002.

"The BTCC car has got all the ingredients to do well," said Reid. "I've worked with the engine-supplier before (with Nissan) and Dick's credentials speak for themselves. I would be disappointed if we couldn't get podium positions in the first three races."