Bring on Nissan and Chrysler.Still remember Bathurst 1991 well with Jim Richards in the Godzilla.That Skyline was amazing.
The new challengers will also raise the profile of the V8′s International races.
Rolesy
The skyline still is buddy…,
Dave S
ess if anyone can get Nissan back into racing it would be Mark Skaife
http://profile.yahoo.com/IF4Y5YLNCOTK27DUE5QSXBEGCE Wayne
Forget Holden from 2013….Its will be dead for good !
scottjames_12
I’m predicting the Infiniti M as the entrant. It’s V8 and RWD, and Infiniti are launching in Australia soon. What better way to drum up some brand awareness?
http://www.caradvice.com.au/ Alborz Fallah
That’s an interesting point, ScottJames – I hadn’t considered that to be honest.
Turps
Typical journalist. 1% facts used to make a story. An extremely vague one at that.
Carydias
Agree
Guest
Wow can’t believe anyone still watches this crap! Go back to the old days for goodness sake, this current series is an absolute bore.
delux
Couldn’t be the existing 5.7 as its too large.
scottjames_12
Hmm, perhaps they could use the VK50VE 5.0L V8 from the FX50?
Turps
The VK50VE would still be to high tech for the series.
no idea
Alborz Fallah do you even know what the vehicle format and specs are for taxi racing?The COTF project still has both makes with 5lt engines. That makes the 5.7lt a fraction large. Also it must be a RWD and 4 door sedan. How does a GTR fit into that.
http://www.caradvice.com.au/ Alborz Fallah
It doesn’t. Hence why I said it would be a dream candidate
ABC
V8 Tiida
Leighh
Are you guys stupid? The cars will be exactly the same as the ford and Holden cars except for the outer panels that’s the car of the future rules they are just an identical kit car that’s the same for every team Haven’t you heard about it?
http://www.facebook.com/tom.reynolds Tom Reynolds
They might just source a Ford or GM 5.0ltr and re-badge it. Wouldn’t suprise me in the slightest.
Mad Max
I love the comments on this site. Apart from Turps, nobody seems to have ANY idea what V8 Supercars is or how it works but are still preparred to comment from a point of total ignorance. What amazes me is the normally intelligent and thoughtfull Alborz has no obvoius idea either. So let me explain and if I go too fast, then stop and read it again BEFORE you comment. V8 Supercars from 2013 (THATS 2013) introduce the car of the future. ALL V8 Supercars will share a common space frame chassis, rear mounted 6 speed trans axle (thats a diff and gearbox combined in one unit) common front and rear control suspension with the rear changing from live axle to independent, and bolt on carbon fibre body panels. The only major difference between the cars (apart from body panels) is the engine. Engines are limited to 2 valve 5.0litre push rod V8 although there is talk of allowing multi valve OHC engines with a reduction in capcity to control engine outputs to around the current 640/650 BHP. In 2014 V8SC are considering the introduction of a V8SC supplied engine that is rumoured to be based on the Chev V8 that will be unbranded allowing people to run say a Kia (or Hyundai), Mazda or whatever without having to develop an engine. The reason for introducing the car of the future is to reduce costs and to allow any car to enter. You could for example run a Chrysler 300c, Hyundai I45 or any other car so long as its a 4 door body style regardless of it being FWD or RWD as this is now a silouhette series that uses a control chassis. The reason for V8SC looking at the unbranded engine for 2014 (as an option) is to further reduce costs and to allow people to run a brand of car that does not have a suitable engine (like a Mazda or a Kia) available. Now have I made this simple enough???
http://www.caradvice.com.au/ Alborz Fallah
Mad Max, dare I say, not many actually read my whole article. I do clearly point out that these cars will more than likely be identical to the Holden/Ford entries!
scottjames_12
Thanks for the explanation Mad Max. One potentially important (dare I say very important) aspect which isn’t being mentioned much is aerodynamics. Could this not be a big potential differentiator for teams/makes?
Also the potential allowance of OHC multivalve engines is exciting (even if they have measures to ensure they are in the same performance realm as the existing pushrod V8′s).
My opinion is that the changes can’t make it MORE boring than it already is. Really, how different are the current Fords and Holdens anyway? The changes can’t come soon enough IMO.
Mad Max
scottjames_12, the point of the aero was brought up at a conference I attended last year by Mark Skaife. What happens at the moment when a new car is homologated (change from BA to FG for example) is that V8 supercars request the owners group supply a Ford and a Holden fitted with the aero kit. These are straightline tested at Avalon and then at selected circuits. Down force and drag tests are measured and compared, changes made (if needed) and approved. The same will happen with any other cars approved for racing. If for example (as rumoured) that Gary Rogers races a 300C, the aero kit will be designed and then tested on a car by V8 Supercars. I would assume that it would then look a bit different to the Holden and Ford due to the overall shape of the car. If say an I45 was raced the same process would occur and it would look different again. The overall aim is to have cars with the same or very similar top speed, entry, exit and mid corner speed.
Kampfer
So pretty much like NASCAR… May be we’ll see 2014 V8SC with Toyota Aurion as well… May be even Hyundai i45 and KIA Optima “V8 RWD race car”…
Production racing for me any day…
Mad Max
Kampfer I attend plenty of proddy races. They are fun but the racing is not the best. It has no (or very little) manufacturer support and no TV coverage. The basic problem with Proddy racing is getting the races to be close which is what the spectators want. How can you have a HSV Commodore, FPV Falcon and say a EVO or a WRX compete on equal grounds? You can´t. THen the next issue is that of reliability. Manufacturers in general don,t like Proddy racing as it shows up weaknesses in their product in a very public way. Its what killed off Group C and Group N racing in the 70´s and 80´s. The final area of Proddy racing that causes issues is safety. Like it or not, V8SC racing is VERY safe. Imagine Coulthards 2010 Bathurst crash in a Proddy car? Mr and Mrs Coulthard would have buried him a few days later.
Murphy
2 valve 5.0litre push rod V8 engines sound futuristic….
Mad Max
Yes they are low tech but they are also fast, easy to develop and very very cheap. A fully developed engine is around $100´000 all up and if serviced correctly will last a full season with a simple freshen up for Bathurst. Now convince me a multi-valve multi-cam engine program will cost such a small amount…
Shak
At the end of the day it is very good marketing for Nissan in Australia. Most people out there realise this is just a silhouette series now, but as some people have pointed out little things like aerodynamics and allowing the use of multivalve OHC engines in the future, combined with a skilled driver could make the series very enticing for brands looking to drum up brand recognition in Australia.
Andrew
Except the aerodynamics are tested against the aero packages of the other brands and are controlled to parity. The Nissan team can’t gain any advantage from aerodynamics.
440 R/T Charger
I dont think Nissan will join-in….very hard to make it as a business case to justify the money involved.
Mad Max
I think Nissan will join. Look a current 2 car team that runs at the fron´t (FPR, HRT 888) costs around $10m per season. This is expected to drop to around $7.5m with the new 2013 cars. If they hook up with a current fringe team (Kelly Bros) who have a good budget and a strong professional outlook, it might cost them $2 or $3m per year. Where else are you going to get the kind of on-track and TV expossure that will bring? The risk to Nissan is minimal as they could run the V8SC no-name engine branded as Nissan, the chassis, brakes and suspension is all the same so the car will handle stop and go like any other car so to me its cheap and low risk advertising.
Waxon57
Stagnant in recent years? Where are your meds?
Jas
V8 Tiida??
Stephen
Probably going to be the 4door JDM V36 Nissan Skyline platform/Infiniti G37 platform.
http://twitter.com/holotropik Holotropik
So they will be Nascars…pfft! another reason why I dont follow this crap! LOL, just LOL!
Big Daryl
Maybe someone will re-establish Silhouette Fashions and sponsor the Nissan Entry.
But which engine will they use? Nissan used to sell utes with Ford engines (rebadged Falcon ute) and it used to use Holden engines in the Pulsars.
Surely this is just a rumour, but if it isn’t, why can’t Nissan use a Renault diesel? What could be more exciting than seeing another Renault diesel explode, and at speed? Can you imagine the mayhem behind as the rest of the field crashes on the expired car’s oil?
It’d be huge!!!!!
Horse
Nissan has never sold a rebadged falcon ute. what crack are you smoking !
Jak
i think it was the xf ute, and ford took the nissan patrol and put the maverick name plate on it
Yotamotion
Obviously not as good as the crack you’re smoking Horse. Like Jak says, Nissan rebadged and sold the XF ute. Get your facts right before you start talking s**t. http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4105/5054684909_56cc0e2367_z.jpg
mick
where have you been for the last 30 years??
Kaas
It might be the Altima that Nissan plan to replace the Maxima with. But its FWD…..
The Infiniti G37s Sedan are also candidate…
Either way, this is good for Japanese OEM fans, best news for them since R32 GTR was dominating the races here….
Toyota should enter too, I think the main obstacle is they only want 1 team instead of the minimum of 2?
They can use a modified Aurion/Camry platform lol…. or Lexus GS?
I’ll most likely buy the Nissan gear now, huge fan of Nissan.
Gazza
The car of The Future Program would be a shoe in for TOYOTA if they allow ther TRD V8 as runnng n NASCAR, its a 5.0lt 2 valve push rod engine that has proven itself numerous times in NASCAR, a V8 Aurion DO IT TOYOTA !
Crikey
att : Gazza – NASCAR use a 5.7 V8 not 5.0 lts. Furthermore, 2012 is the inaugural year that NASCAR will use fuel injection, a move away from carby feed tech.
When Toyota first joined NASCAR, they were mandated to detune thier engines because they were dominating the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series ofwhich the American trio had a big dummie spit over.
Holden and Ford will be nannied from Nissan in 2013 just like they were 20 yrs ago and just like Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge were nannied from Toyota in NASCAR.
Very sad how the American manufactuers require babysitting from the authorities to stop the Japanese car makers embarrassing them in front of the motoring public.
Dave S
‘Nissan’s then R32 GT-R was outlawed as it proved too good for Holden and Ford’s entry.’?
Is that true. I thought that they changed formula, as they tended to do every couple of years. The world was moving away from group A, and adpoting different formulas.
We went to V8supercars, Nissan did not qualify with a suitable product. Holden v Ford – lots of great close racing ever since.
Des
Absolutely CORRECT!
V8SC was all about “formula” racing and reducing the budget needed. Heck, it’s well known that even if the formula didn’t change that the Nissans would have been dropped by the team the next season, because the cost had become too much.
This cr*p people like to trott out about Nissan being banned just shows their total ignorance (sorry Alborz, but it is).
Thrillhouse
You really belive that? Both Ford and Holden were trounced repeatedly and the bogan boofheads didn’t like it. That’s why they changed the rules. Belive the V8 Supersnores propaganda if you want but it won’t change the facts.
Des
I don’t “believe” anything.
There is a distinct difference in believing and knowing. Facts are facts!
Jason Hassard
Have to agree all V8 Super Cars is now different bodies with the same engine. How boreing. We need to see brand against brand using their own engines etc.
Guest2
The last RWD Nissan sold in Aust was the 200B/Bluebird.
Stephen
It was the Skyline/Pintara R31
jr
370z ????
cjt
not a 4 door sedan
GooSE
V8SC should really turn back into a touring car championship with production vehicles. That would be some awesome viewing for spectators
Dimma
Yeah infiniti launching this year i reakon M45 for sure, big way to come to OZ with a v8 supercar championship…
Mozza
Um, Nissan and Ford did have a deal way back in the 80′s up until the early 90′s. Under this arrangement, Ford got the Patrol and Pintara which it re badged and sold as the Ford Maverick and the Ford Corsair. In return, Nissa got the XF Ute and XF Panel van and badged them as Nissan’s !
Nissan has announced that Todd and Rick Kelly will be the official Nismo Factory backed team drivers with them defecting from Holden. Nissan will field four cars in the V8 series. Chrysler is rumored to be announcing soon that it too will enter the series and use it’s 300c.
Now there is only room for one more make, Hyundai is having talks with Tony Cochrane and co and has indicated it too may join the series. I guess the final place for the last Car make will come down to Hyundai and Toyota.
ROBOT
Being a Baby Boomer..I have grown up through 45 years of our premier class.
Todays V8 Supercars are just Sports Sedan with prescribed common parts
The cars of today are TOTALLY devoid of any Manufacturer engineering or design..so the alliance to a brand is pointless and worthless!
Making all cars common underneath next year makes the procession even more entrenched and boring.
Needs a back to basics approach with a relevance to cars that are similar to what we buy.
Lastly in reference to the GTR-32..it was nobbled after its first year with its boost and 4 wheel drive as it was just on another engineering level.
For the record I have enjoyed GT-HO’S straight of the showroom floor(all 3 phases)
Our family raced in series series production racing when I was a teenager with 2 of the 3 phase”s so I am Ford Fan but today I couldn’t care less.
Once they started putting Ford Diffs and Front Suspensions in Holden’s..it was all pretty pointless.
Not saying we should return to the good old days..but the current series pretty much sucks
Mozza
Being a Baby Boomer too, I Remember way back in the early 70′s watching Bathurst on our AWA black and white TV the epic battles between Moffatt in the GTHO and Brock in the XU-1 along with the plethora of Pacer’s, Charger’s and Mini’s.
Back then, you could buy your car off the showroom floor and drive it to the track and race. I do miss those days however, lets face it. Even back then if I bought a GTHO to race I don’t think I would have stood a chance against Moffatt or Brock. Those guys had Factory backing and the money behind them as well as the go faster goodies which I couldn’t have afforded. It wasn’t really even back then was it ?
Maybe we should go back to the Nations Cup style racing where all types of cars were competing such as the Dodge Viper, The Lambo’s, Ferrari’s, Evo’s, WRX’s, XR6 Turbo Fords etc but wait ! That wouldn’t be fair either. Holden would do what it did last time and bring out the 427 V8 Munro’s and win everything.
Andrew
It’s called the Australian GT Championship. I’d travel halfway across the country just to watch the SLS Merc, not sure I’d look over my back fence to watch the COTF. Great racing and big variety of DIFFERENT cars. http://www.australiangt.com.au
R.I.P V8 Supercars
V8 supercar racing has been getting more and more mundane for the last few years due to the similarity of the cars and the car of the future will kill it totaly. Instead of turning the series into nascar, why dont they roll back the clock so that we can have some good old balls to the wall racing (Brock sliding a VL commodore around bathurst comes to mind) If i want to watch a single build cadagory i can watch the carrera cup. Whats next for v8 supercars? oval circut racing, do they think they can dumb us down to the level of that crap. I think its funny that they are trying to grow the series overseas too. The racing in the middle east is so boring and the crowd of less than 500 was embarresing but also hilarious. I Can promise all of the big wigs who run the series that i will no longer be buying there merchandise and they can expect one fewer thru the gate at sandown this year.
ill finnish off by saying rembember the debarcle that this sport was before the v8 supercars format was created. The sport almost died
http://shigga.com/ SHIGGA
Who really cares about Nissan V8s?
Horse
wow, i stand corercted
Douglas779
This was due to a Federal Government Initiative called the ‘Button Car Plan’ or the ‘Button Plan’ from the mid 1980′s. Over the years I have heard numerous people (usually young males, who were probably still in nappies when this came into affect) who have criticized Japenese car manufacturers for copying Ford and Holden products. Completly ignorant to the fact it was an Australian Federal Government Initiative.
I know this because I am ‘old’ and have been in the car industry all my life.
mick
i prefer the lexcen too the commodore. just for the fact most commodores have been thrashed
Robj
Some amazing stupid comments here. Anyway, good for the sport. Lets see how it goes. Remember it is a nurture ground for Aussies drivers and teams and most major countries have a highly modified racing series. It’s not the 1970′s anymore people…move on..
Phil Makin
Great news. Falcons & Commodores were getting rather boring.
Well done Nissan, well done the Kelly Bros.
Maybe Lexus & some Europeon Manufacturers could be invited.
Andrew
Sorry Phil, how will Nissan make it less boring?
Dave_veight
Just to throw this out thee, even though they are based on there holden and ford road couterpart, the only thing they have in common with them is the silhoette, last time i check ford run a supercharged 5.4l V8 and Holden use between a 6 – 6.2 l V8, and i am pretty certain know of them run dog box’s roll cages, slick tyres, and weight 1500kg,
Buck$
Mad max I like your style , well informed and pretty much on the money .. But there are no personalitys driving no exceptional talents I’d rather watch paint dry… It’s all bland and boring bit like cricket or golf. .. give me moto gp any day .. Go stoner
Ym45
”Sorry Phil, how will Nissan make it less boring?”
For starters, we’ll hear less of the holden and ford
Benny of Bendigo
I don’t know about any Regs. for 2014 and the use of a common engine, but I believe that Nissan agreed to participate in COTF in 2013 on the understanding that they would use their own engines. This would surely mean that they will be able to use one of their current DOHC V8′s such as the VK50VE, or better still, the VRH50A race engine as used in the R391 Le Mans cars (LOL)! If they are obliged under the Regs. to match the opposition, I guess they would have to bore and stroke a few old Y44′s. I really can’t see why they couldn’t just run V8 powered R35 GT-R’s as the series winning JRM team did in last years GT1 Championship. Only got 2 doors you all chorus,WTF, Holden cut theirs down to fit the Regs. At least the GT-R’s rear end already complies with COTF! When was the last time any of you saw a road-going Dunnydoor or Foulcan with a “transaxle” gearbox/diff ? LOL! I can see a very enjoyable 2013 for us, disenfranchised for 20 years, Nissan fans.
