Touring vs Racing Cars? – Difference for the Car Enthusiasts

With BTCC well underway we thought we’d explain what makes a touring car different to a road car. Car enthusiasts are keen on recent developments in the automobile sector. And, of late these enthusiasts are eager to know about the basic difference between a touring and a racing car.

What is a Touring Car?

A touring car is a luxury performance vehicle. It is a mix of speed and luxury and since this term “touring car” comes from Italy, there are several Italian Sports Cars in the market to make this coined term a staple one.

Do you have a picture in your mind already?

High speed, premium materials, and sleek design are what you think. Right? Aren’t all those features considered a part of sports cars?

Touring Cars

When it comes to racing cars, it may be enough to have power, speed, and agility without the need for a roadworthy vehicle!

This is because a touring car is one that is specifically designed for the off-road use but this doesn’t necessarily mean it is sporty. Now, the question is – how is it different from a road car?

Touring cars are motorsport racing cars seen in competitions with heavily modified road going cars. This type of automobile is quite popular in Australia, Argentina, Britain, Brazil, Sweden, Germany, and Norway. It has similarities and dissimilarities from stock car racing, which is very much popular in the United States.

Though it is not as fast as Formula One, the similarity of the cars is acceptable to automobile enthusiasts.

As a casual observer, there could be a lot of confusion when it comes to classifying closed-wheel racing cars which are also known as touring cars. The fact is that there is very little technical difference between the two and nomenclature is often a matter of practice.

Touring cars are generally modified road cars (such as estates, sedans or hatchbacks), while GT racing cars are created upon dominant sports cars, such as Lamborghinis or Ferraris (and are thus usually coupés).

Beneath the exterior, a touring car is normally narrowly connected to its road-going roots, using many unique components and mountings, while some top-flight GT cars are purpose-made tube-frame racing chassis beneath a cosmetic body shell.

While touring cars usually have a lower technical level than sports cars, there is some exemption. The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters – DTM is considered to be one of the most technically progressive racing series in the world, with cars that, beneath their body shells, are more purebred racing mechanisms than most FIA-GT vehicles.

When Sports car racing was made in the inter-war period of the Twentieth century, however, sports cars achieved the name Touring Cars that they do today, as the manufacture car variant of racing related to the specialized vehicles competing in Grand Prix racing. Over time Touring Cars has glided from its role as racing cars created on modern road cars with types like DTM and NASCAR having little to or no relation to road cars.

Still, not clear what the difference between the two vehicles is, then check out this infographic from Kwik Fit.