Tom Ingram is buoyant ahead of the new season, after his new Toyota Avensis has been enhanced ahead of the 2017 British Touring Car Championship.

Ingram will put the redesigned Avensis through its paces for the first time at Portimão in southern Portugal this week as Speedworks aims to make the most of some milder weather.

He said: “I’ve spent a lot of time up at the Speedworks factory over the winter, closely following the changes to the Avensis, and I cannot tell you how much of a buzz there is about the package we now have underneath us.

“On paper, we have improved the car pretty much across the board and if it goes even half as quick as it looks, we will be in good shape. I can’t wait to get out there.”

Speedworks enjoyed its most successful BTCC campaign to-date in 2016, as Ingram stunned with both his and the team’s maiden pole position and race victory in the Brands Hatch curtain-raiser. He added to that with a second triumph at Silverstone and was a consistent podium threat at every circuit on the calendar.

Not only that, but the talented young Bucks ace proved to be the fastest average qualifier in the field – no mean feat in a series uniting some of the very best touring car protagonists on the planet.

His results earned him fourth place amongst the 24 high-calibre contenders in the final Independents’ Trophy standings, with Speedworks snaring a best-yet third spot in the Independent Teams’ Trophy classification.

Team Principal Christian Dick added: “This is the biggest single overhaul the Avensis has ever had, and we are confident that we have taken significant strides in every respect.”