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WSR has become the first British Touring Car Championship team to run a rear-wheel-drive car with the fully updated technical kit for the 2016 season.

The BMW team, which ran three 125i M Sport machines in 2015, went to Brands Hatch on Tuesday to test the reworked car, which has been fitted with a raft of RML-created control parts. RML got the deal to provide the updated kit to the BTCC in August this year.

Some front-wheel-drive cars had run some of the prototype parts before, including the Power Maxed Racing Chevrolet Cruze of Josh Cook during the final round of the 2015 campaign.

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WSR's was the first rear-wheel-drive car fitted with the full upgrade kit. Sam Tordoff drove the machine and the new parts include tweaks to the power steering, subframes and suspension.

Team boss Dick Bennetts said: "We were impressed with the parts although the conditions on the day made it hard to get a proper assessment.

"We had two guys with RML with us at Brands and they were pleased with the way things went.

"We've had to redesign certain things to make it all fit, but the car ran perfectly."

Porsche Carrera Cup GB title winner Dan Cammish and former British GT champion Jonny Cocker tested the older-spec WSR car at Snetterton last week.

They took over the driving role as Tordoff was unwell.