2005 Chevrolet Lacetti WTCC R+ Concept

An FIA World Touring Car Championship Runner for Everyday Enthusiasts?

Think Chevrolet and racing, and you'll most likely link the two on a banked oval somewhere in the South, or on a

To mark its re-entry into the European market, Chevrolet has decided to take the plunge and join the action in the FIA World Touring Car Championships. (Photo: FIA)

road course at endurance races like the 12 Hours of Sebring. The kings of their respective courts are the Monte Carlo and Corvette, both of which use big-bore, pushrod V8s to muscle through for first place. Elsewhere in the world, a different kind of motorsport reigns supreme - the curious and wonderful world of touring cars.

To mark its re-entry into the European market, Chevrolet has decided to take the plunge and join the action in the FIA World Touring Car Championships, or WTCC for short. A continuously evolving motorsport, known last year as the ETCC (European Touring Car Championship), this fast-paced racing series transforms the everyday compact sedan into a highly-tuned, thoroughbred racer. Chevrolet recently

Chevrolet recently entered the series with a four-door Lacetti sedan to compete against the likes of BMW, Alfa Romeo, Seat, Honda and Ford. (Photo: General Motors)

entered the series with a four-door Lacetti sedan to compete against the likes of BMW, Alfa Romeo, Seat, Honda and Ford, all of which have proven worthy competitors.

To celebrate the racer's launch, Chevrolet has teamed up with partner Ray Mallock Ltd. to create a special, road-going concept version of the racing car called the Lacetti WTCC R+. Like the racing car, the road-going version is based on the GMDAT-engineered Lacetti (known to Americans as the Suzuki Forenza sedan), and is powered by a derivative of the same 2.0-liter inline-four engine as in regular models.