The long-awaited V8 Supercars ‘White Paper’ is in and the four-door sedan and V8 engine monopoly is over.
And surprise-surprise, after ditching the Nissan GTRs in the 1990s, Australia’s premier racing category now admits that in order to survive it must open-up to two-door coupes and turbocharged six-cylinder and four-cylinder engines.
Of course the ‘White Paper’ arrived the day after news of Ford terminating its financial support for the FPV team at the end of next year (although www.carshowroom.com.au understands the North American Ford Fusion – a larger version of the Mondeo – will be prepped for V8 Supercar’s Car of The Future specifications).
But in the so-called ‘Gen 2’ era, the ‘V8’ tag will be dropped – possibly as soon as 2016.
And perhaps reflecting Ford’s future model plans in Australia - with the two-door Mustang as its hero car - the ‘White Paper’ states: “The top line guidelines dictate that the (eligible) car must be publicly available for sale in Australia, is front-engine, right-hand-drive and a full four-seat configuration. The race car must be rear-wheel-drive and accurately reflect the look of the road car, retaining the essential DNA of the sport. All cars will use the existing Car of the Future chassis and control components, and be subject to engine and aero parity rules.”
According to V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton, the Gen2 platform “opens the way for additional engine and body configurations to compete alongside current V8 engines and four-door sedans”.
Sounds a lot like the European V8 series to us where cars like the Audi RS5, BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG 507 and an Opel version of a Holden Commodore do battle in tremendously exciting races.
Of course ‘borrowing’ a concept from overseas isn’t new to V8 Supercars where the technical regulations and race formats all mimick successful international racing formulas.
V8 Supercars said it consulted with manufacturers currently in the sport - and some who are not in the sport - in drawing-up the long-awaited ‘White Paper’ and Mr Warburton added that in order to keep the sport relevant manufacturers must be given choice.
Two working groups will now swing into action with the plan being to have draft engine and body-style guidelines published by the middle of next year.
Your www.carshowroom.com.au correspondent has spoken to management of several automotive brands who would be reasonably expected to compete and got a resounding “No interest whatsoever” response.
And of course Nissan CEO Richard Emery remains spine-chillingly furious about the clash of dates for the V8 test day at Eastern Creek with the Bathurst 12-Hour race next year which is preventing the company’s V8 drivers from joining their international team-mates in the NISMO GT-Rs coming to Mount Panorama.
For drivers, one of the major appeals of joining a factory team is the opening-up of doors to join international programs. The inflexibility of the V8 test day is denying that opportunity to the Nissan team’s Kelly Brothers, James Moffat and Michael Caruso – and we know of several other drivers who had aspirations to join factory teams at Bathurst.
Might we respectfully suggest that before looking to get other manufacturers involved, V8 Supercars needs to do a better job of ‘schmoozing’ those already in the sport.
