BMW wins World Touring Car Championship and spins out a homologation special

Additionally, the BMW 320si features Touring Car-style alloy wheels with BMW Motorsport motif. The front wheels are 8J x 18 fitted with 225/40 R18 tyres while at the rear the 8.5J x 18 wheels are fitted with 255/35 R18 tyres. Finally, mirror caps finished in satin chrome differentiate the car from a standard 3 Series.

Andy Priaulx scored a brace of second place finishes in his BMW 320si at the demanding street-based Guia Circuit, at Macau, a result which not only landed the 2005 world title but also secured the coveted Manufacturers’ World Championship for BMW.

Priaulx was understandably overjoyed with the result and commented: “It’s really just a strange feeling at the moment. Macau is so special. To qualify on pole meant a lot but I felt that only ten per cent of the work was done. After Race 1 was over and I learnt Dirk Muller had finished tenth and Fabrizio Giovanardi did not finish, it looked good for me. The pressure was still there though. It was great during the race when I heard I was world champion and it has been fantastic ever since!”

Priaulx won the title with a total of 101 points, with Dirk Muller of BMW Team Deutschland in second with 86 points and Fabrizio Giovanardi driving an Alfa Romeo in third place with 81 points. Priaulx scooped top honours courtesy of consistent driving throughout the season, making it to the podium 11 times.

BMW won the manufacturers’ title with a total of 273 points, 37 points ahead of its closest pursuer.

The new 2006 BMW 320si promises to be the latest in a long line of highly successful saloon-based Touring cars. The FIA World Touring Car title was Andy Priaulx’s second championship win in a row after his success in the 2004 European Touring Car Championship, again in a BMW 320i.

Historically, Touring Cars has been BMW’s most successful racing category, with success in 24 FIA European Championships as well as the only previous World Touring Car Championship in 1987.

The racing version of the BMW’s E30 M3 remains the most successful Touring Car ever, having won every official touring car championship in the world in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.