HONDA CIVIC (FK2 NGTC)

The whole point of the ‘Next Generation Touring Car’ regulations was to keep costs under control and the field close. More than a decade since they were introduced, you’d have to say that those rules have been hugely successful, but some cars have still shone brighter than others. Despite so many spec parts, there have been dominant periods from the BMW 125i M Sport, Subaru Levorg GT, BMW 330i M Sport and Ford Focus ST – but it’s Honda’s FK2 Civic that has to be considered as the NGTC machine.

Introduced in 2012, the Civic – in hatchback, Touring (nee estate) and Type R forms – won 66 races, as well as four drivers’ titles with works ace Gordon Shedden and Eurotech/pirtek star Andrew Jordan. Between them Shedden, Jordan and Matt Neal scored 56 of those 66 victories, but six other drivers also crossed the line first in the Fk2-model contender. It was almost certainly the best privateer BTCC machine of the 2010s.

An emphasis on aerodynamics and grip made the car almost unbeatable at some circuits, such as Thruxton, and the BTCC’S boost adjustments sometimes had to be at their most draconian to keep the

Team Dynamics-built cars in check.

The subsequent FK8 model was successful too, but not to the same degree as its predecessor, which was still good enough to score podiums during 2020 in the hands of Jake Hill.