While sedans and hatchbacks are generally the models chosen when a manufacturer wants to create a racing car based on production cars, occasionally engineering and marketing teams break away from the norm and present us with unexpected configurations. A frequent example is station wagons, cars that in their conception are aimed at unassuming drivers transporting their families, but which find their place on the track, occasionally surprising with their performance. In this publication we will explore 10 racing station wagons crossing the globe and different competition categories.
1. Volvo 850 BTCC
The most famous station wagon on this list is the Volvo 850 Touring, developed by TWR for the 1994 season. Chosen for generating slightly more downforce than the sedan body and being much more attractive from a marketing standpoint, TWR managed to meet the minimum weight requirements, and the 2.3-liter 5-cylinder naturally aspirated engine was tuned to produce 280 HP. The 850 competed with Jan Lammers and Rickard Rydell at the wheel, achieving its best results with a 3rd place on the grid and a 5th place overall at Oulton Park. For 1995, changes in the regulations allowed the installation of wings on cars, provided they did not extend beyond the roofline and rear bumper, making the 850 obsolete. It was replaced by the 850 Sedan, which competed in subsequent seasons.
2. Fiat Marea Weekend Endurance
One of the iconic cars of Brazilian Endurance racing in the early 2000s was the Marea Weekend prepared by the official Fiat factory team, which participated twice in the Mil Milhas Brasileiras (Brazilian 1000 Miles). The Five cylinder 2.0 Turbo Pratola Sierra engine was tuned to produce 240 hp (a gain of 60 hp compared to the street version). In both participations, it achieved a 5th and a 4th place in category I (where prototypes with turbo and V8 engines and GT cars also competed), even defeating another station wagon, an Audi RS2, in the 2003 edition.
3. Subaru Levorg GT BTCC
The Levorg GT is basically the station wagon version of the Impreza WRX, so its transition to a track car for Subaru’s return to the BTCC wasn’t difficult. Prepared by Team BMR, the Levorg debuted in 2016 driven by names like Colin Turkington, Jason Plato, and Ash Sutton, showing competitive performance with wins and podium finishes between the 2016 and 2018 seasons.
4. Honda Civic Tourer BTCC
Introduced in 2014, the Civic Tourer BTCC was developed in partnership with the official Honda Yuasa Racing team and driven by Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal. Born under regulations that allowed for balanced competition between sedans, hatchbacks, and station wagons, the Civic Tourer achieved victories and pole positions during its racing career, leading Shedden to third place in the drivers’ championship and Honda to second place in the constructors’ championship.
5. HSV Clubsport R8 Tourer
Another unexpected participant was the Clubsport R8 Tourer developed by HSV for the Bathurst 12 Hours. Imagine it as the station wagon version of the Holden Commodore (you can imagine it also as a wagon Pontiac GTO from the early 2000s) but equipped with the Corvette’s LS3 V8 engine. Competing between 2008 and 2010, the R8 Tourer carries the historical weight of being the last Holden to achieve a podium finish at the Bathurst 12 Hours in 2010, with Nathan Pretty, Cameron McOnville, and Andrew Jones at the wheel. With the arrival of GT3 cars from 2011 onwards, touring models began to gradually disappear from the race, with the R8 Tourer being one of the first casualties.
6. Subaru GL Family Huckster
A highlight of the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed shootout was Travis Pastrana’s participation at the wheel of a Subaru GL Family Huckster, a modest 1980s family car transformed into an 862-horsepower monster with active aerodynamics. Pastrana, a professional car and motocross driver, is already known for his daring stunts and maneuvers, and he didn’t disappoint at the Goodwood Shootout, setting a time of 46.20 seconds, which was only enough for fifth place. In 2023, Pastrana returned to Goodwood, securing second place with a time of 46.37 seconds.
7. Sakis Motorsport Fox Wagon Kit Car
Directly derived from the Brazilian Voyage and Parati, the Volkswagen Fox and Fox Wagon sold in the United States in the 1980s represent a little-known link between the Brazilian automotive industry and American motorsports. After thousands of technical adaptations, these models reached the US market, and a Fox Wagon served as the basis for a handcrafted rally project with Syncro all-wheel drive and a V6 engine. Developed outside the traditional factory circuit, the car competed in SCCA events, becoming a unique example of how a Brazilian car achieved an unlikely technical and sporting destiny outside the country. You can read the full story here.
8. Suzuki Baleno Wagon Kit Car
One of the most unusual models on this list, the Suzuki Baleno Wagon was prepared for the F2 class of the WRC, also known as Kit Cars, retaining the 1,840 cc J18A engine from the top-of-the-range versions. Competing between 1997 and 2000 in the ASIA-Pacific Rally Championship, with Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima at the wheel, it notably won the championship title in its class in 1997 and 1998.
9. Volvo V70 Cross Country Dakar
While the Volvo 850 made history on the track, its successor, the V70, had a rather challenging mission, being prepared for the 2003 Paris-Dakar Rally. Modifications included structural reinforcements and a raised suspension to handle the different types of terrain in the competition. With Ivan Reeditz-Thott driving and Nielsh Pedersen as navigator, the V70 was entered in the T2.2 class, abandoning the race after the second special stage.
10. BMW M3 Touring GT3
In an era dominated by SUVs, the M3 Touring 24h was born as an April Fool’s joke in 2025 and became a reality in 2026. Built on the M4 GT3 EVO platform, the station wagon shares its engine and several other elements, including the rear wing, and will be operated by the Schubert Motorsport team, with the quartet Jens Klingmann, Ugo de Wilde, Connor de Philippi, and Neil Verhagen driving. In the opening race of the NLS, Jens Klingmann and Ugo de Wilde took the M3 Touring to 13th place overall and victory in the SPX class, marking an excellent debut for the project.
Sources:
Twenty years since Volvo made its debut in the BTCC with the 850 Estate. Available at: https://www.volvocars.com/intl/media/press-releases/CF18835362B0D177/.
Volvo 850 BTCC. Available at: https://volvotips.com/850-2/850-btcc/.
Fiat Marea Weekend na pista. Available at: https://blogdamilmilhas.blogspot.com/2013/03/fiat-marea-weekend-na-pista.html.
The New Subaru Levorg. Available at: https://btcc.net/video-the-new-subaru-levorg/.
Gordon Shedden makes BTCC history in Honda Civic Tourer. Available at: https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motorsport/gordon-shedden-makes-btcc-history-honda-civic-tourer.
Holden Special Vehicles ClubSport. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Special_Vehicles_ClubSport.
BATHURST PODIUM WAGON BACK ON TRACK. Available at: https://www.theracetorque.com/2018/12/bathurst-podium-wagon-back-on-track/.
PPIHC Driver’s Profile: Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima. Available at: https://www.monster-sport.com/ppihc/j/backnumber/hillclimb/06/pikespeak/driver-e.html.
Suzuki Baleno GC41W Wagon Kit Car (1997). Available at: http://tech-racingcars.wikidot.com/suzuki-baleno-gc41w-wagon-kit-car.
1997-1999 Suzuki Baleno Wagon Kit Car. Available at: https://www.webcarstory.com/automobile.php?id=12024&photoid=12024&catg=r&resultats=1.
Suzuki Baleno Wagon 1800 GC41W. Available at: https://historicdb.fia.com/car/suzuki-baleno-wagon-1800-gc41w-0.
You have never heard of this Volvo V70 XC Dakar edition. Available at: https://autofans.be/nl/nieuws/fun/30907-van-deze-volvo-v70-xc-dakar-edition-heb-je-nog-nooit-gehoord.
Estreia espetacular na NLS em Nürburgring Nordschleife para o BMW M3 Touring 24H: ROWE Racing vence com o BMW M4 GT3 EVO. Available at: https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/brazil/article/detail/T0456569PT/estreia-espetacular-na-nls-em-nuerburgring-nordschleife-para-o-bmw-m3-touring-24h:-rowe-racing-vence-com-o-bmw-m4-gt3-evo?language=pt.
