BRITISH motorsport is revved up for a revolution this year with the launch of Autogas powered cars in the Dunlop 2010 MSA British Touring Car Championship, which opens at Hampshire’s Thruxton circuit in just a week’s time.

In a six-figure sponsorship deal with market leaders Calor, Team AON’s star racers Tom Onslow-Cole and Tom Chilton are taking the wheel of new Ford Focus STs powered by a specially designed Prins Liquid LPG system on a Mountune-built Duratec 2.0 engine.

The LPG – or liquid petroleum gas – innovation was the brainchild of Will Putter, commercial director of Prins Autogas UK in Southampton, two years ago, as previously revealed in Wheels.

The Race LPG system component development project was managed by him in Southampton, but while this is for racing, it is set to give a major fillip to the environmental and financial benefits for both commercial and private motoring.

For as fuel prices soar under a growing tax burden, LPG is less than half the price of petrol, gives 20 per cent less carbon dioxide and half the nitrogen oxide yet the comparative impact on performance is indiscernable, as seen on the track.

Will said: “Working closely with Paul Onslow-Cole, Tom’s dad, it has taken two years of serious negotiations and technical development. But this project is going to prove a winner on the tracks and on the forecourts when motorists and businesses discover how much they can save and cut emissions without loss of power.”

Converting an ordinary four-cylinder petrol car to run on LPG as well – a bifuel conversion that also extends the range – costs between £1,000 and £1,500 that can be recouped in a year or two with the guaranteed petrol-LPG price differential.

As well as financial assistance, Calor will also provide all fuel for the race cars and technical support to Team Aon.

The LPG component parts, adapted from the soon to be released Prins LI conversion kit, have been hand-built for the project by Calor’s sister company Prins Autogas-systemen BV of Holland.

Chris Taylor, Autogas development manager at Calor, said: “The launch of the first competitive LPG car specially developed to suit a motorsport environment is testament to the hard work that has gone into improving performance for Autogas vehicles.

“We’ve been delighted with how it’s worked on the test track and we’re very much looking forward to watching both drivers in action during the new season.”

The season opens at Thruxton on Easter Sunday, and after seeing team tests at Brands Hatch this week it’s sure to be a thriller.

■ To contact Prins Autogas call 01902 866266 or check out the website prinsautogasuk.co.uk.