Opel Applies Minor Changes To Astra TCR Racecar For 2017 Season

The Opel Astra TCR racecar, which races in the various regional TCR championships across Europe, has received a number of updates and upgrades for the 2017 circuit racing season.

It’s not clear what improvements Opel has made to the 350 horsepower Astra TCR for 2017, with the German automaker vaguely stating it used “lessons learned from the 2016 debut season,” to optimize the touring car’s performance. It will undergo Balance of Performance checks during a sanction test at the Adria International Raceway near Venice, Italy on March 1st and 2nd before it’s given the green light to go racing.

Belgian racing squad DG Sport Compétition will field two Astra TCRs in the TCR International Series this year after the Opel team won the 2016 TCR Trophy Europe last year with driver Pierre-Yves Corthals. DG Sport Compétition, along with every other Opel Astra TCR team, will now receive support for their cars via Opel partner Kissling Motorsport, with the automaker this year deciding to move most of the responsiblity for the customer racecars to the Bad Münstereifel-based shop.

The Astra TCR debuted in late-2015 just in time for the 2016 racing season and is powered by 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 330 horsepower and 309 lb-ft of torque. As per TCR series rules, the car is driven by its front wheels and features no traction control, ABS, or other electronic assistance systems.