Originally built at a cost of £198,761.00 plus spares (approximately £145,000) in 1995 for the 1996 BTCC season by the respected Touring Car preparation outfit, Roger Dowson Engineering, based at Silverstone. This potent race car can truly be described as unique, as it is the only full-specification MAZDA 323F (Lantis) 2-Litre V6 Super Touring Car built for the BTCC. The Lantis (323F) was homologated for FIA Super Touring Car Championships of the period (FIA Homologation No: ST004). Originally commissioned for 'Team Magic' to be driven by ex-ABBA drummer, ATS F1, Tyrrell F1 driver and 1995 European Truck Racing Champion, Slim Bourgudd, the project stalled due to sponsorship issues, which ended up in the High Court in London, resulting in the car never racing although it was successfully developed and tested for Roger Dowson Engineering by Chris Goodwin and David Leslie. 

After five years of storage, Glebe Engineering MD Nic Cresswell bought the car in early 2000 and competed in approximately 16 races over a season and a half in the Northwest Sports and Saloon Car Championship. Work and other commitments meant the car again went unused until bought in 2005 by Shane Fearns who, whilst having the intention of racing the car, only took part in three track days and never actually raced the car. Another three years past by before the lightly used Super Touring racer at last changed hands to the vendor in December 2008. After a thorough pre-race check-over, it took to the track at Croft on 12th July 2009, where the vendor achieved a comfortable class win and set fastest time in his class in the process - a clear measure of the car's in-built performance and capability. This set the bar for the following year when the vendor completed a full season in the 2010 Northwest Sports and Saloon Car Championship scoring class wins and fastest laps. The winter of 2010 and most of the 2011 season saw the car enter a careful rebuilding programme - all of which is documented. Testing and set-up sessions came about in early September 2011 on the Oulton Park Fosters Circuit, recording a quickest in the very low 1min 05 seconds - an improvement of over 1.5 seconds on the previous year's recorded times. Continued testing proved favourable with the now 'classic' Mazda Super Tourer easily capable of keeping up with a new Toyota NGTC car on Oulton Park's formidable International circuit. Subsequent race outings showed a marked improvement on the car's ability - again easily picking up both class wins and fastest lap times after a very short number of laps.

There you have it - a properly set-up 300 bhp, unique Super Touring car in superb order from an emerging period that is now being picked up by enthusiastic historic race promoters such as Classic Touring Car Racing Club (CTCRC) and the Classic Sports Car Club (CSCC). With races for these cars being staged at prestigious events such as the Silverstone Classic in 2012 - what other 'ready to race' car could you buy for the money that could deliver as much? Why not buy it now and see for yourself, when the market for these great cars hasn't - as yet - gone through the roof!

A large Spares Package is available by separated negation (Not included in this Lot) including a brand new Test Bed-run only 2 -litre V6 Super Touring Car Specification Engine. Please contact COYS for further details.

Estimate: £18,000 - £22,000
This car is going under the hammer at Coys forthcoming auction at the Autosport Show on January 14th at the NEC. For further information please contact Coys on +44 (0) 208 6147 888 or go towww.coys.co.uk