Building an £850 hatchback into a competitive race car

9 episodes · 2020

The global pandemic scuppered our carefully laid plans for the spring and summer of 2020 so we needed something else to pass the time and to look forward to. Enter the City Car Cup... Launched in June 2020, the new series from the BRSCC is open to the Citroen C1, Toyota Aygo and Peugeot 107 and captured our imagination instantly so we leapt upon the chance to whip out the grinder and set about finding a car to cut up. This new series will detail the build, preparation, testing, racing and development of the car. In a frankly unbelievable twist, the car is already finished and has been raced, so we're back on the other projects while this series airs.

Part 2 of our series on building a car for the BRSCC's City Car Cup. After fitting the cage and other items from the mandatory parts list inside the car in part 1, we turn to the stuff we have to fit outside the car. The new bushes are fitted along with the sports exhaust. We then take an angle grinder to a sensitive component because reasons. Thanks for watching, we hope you enjoy it!

In part 3 of Bargain Racement, we crack on with the build of our Citroen C1 race car. There's brakes to sort, seat to install, harness to fix and the cut-off switch and pull cable to set-up. We also take time to visit Croft circuit to drive one of the first cars ever built, on the media launch event.

In part 4 of Bargain Racement, we finish the build of our budget race car. There's wheels to fit, towing eyes to sort, fire extinguishers to plumb in along with a jolly good service and some modifications along the way. It won't be long before we can actually race our little Citroen.

In part 5 of Bargain Racement, we finally get to go racing. We take the long trip from Shropshire to Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire for our first outing in the little Citroen C1.

In part 6 of Bargain Racement, we look back at what happened in our first race and plan some improvements to try and go a little faster. We go to Wales for some testing before heading back to the shed for some last minute fettling.

In part 7 of Bargain Racement, we head to Silverstone for race 2 of the City Car Cup. We want to know if any of the "amendments" we've made to the car along with the testing will make any difference to our race day performance. Can we get on the podium again?

In the penultimate episode of Bargain Racement, we head up north to Croft circuit to take on a double header meeting. The heavens open and there's drama a plenty in the final races of the 2020 season. Did our amendments make it to Croft before they are banned? Can we make it on to the podium again? The answers to these questions, and many more in part 8.

In the final part of Bargain Racement, we look back on our short 2020 racing season, total up the costs of going racing, answer some frequently asked questions and then go to Thruxton Circuit for a special event with Mission Motorsport. We hope you've enjoyed the ride, thank you for watching! Normal service to resume soon.