Ford out of V8 Supercars after 2015
Discussion
They've confirmed no sponsorship after the 2015 season
http://www.v8supercars.com.au/news/championship/of...
Which isn't good news.
Ford Performance Racing response here
http://www.v8supercars.com.au/news/championship/pr...
Going to be interesting to see how the series reacts. There is already talk of 6 cylinder engines, not having to use saloon bodies etc.
http://www.v8supercars.com.au/news/championship/of...
Which isn't good news.
Ford Performance Racing response here
http://www.v8supercars.com.au/news/championship/pr...
Going to be interesting to see how the series reacts. There is already talk of 6 cylinder engines, not having to use saloon bodies etc.
FourWheelDrift said:
Ford manufacturing plants in Australia are being shut down next October and the new FG X Falcon will be the last. Only two teams currently run Fords and with no updates they probably won't be very competitive in 2016. Then there's the possible rule changes for 2017 anyway.
The cars run a standard chassis which is intended to level the playing field. In reality the loss to the team is $ and presumably the ability to access Ford product to develop a body.Although Erebus run Mercs with no official factory involvement.
And so, the end of an era:
Supercars will move away from its V8 bedrock to allow new engine configurations and body styles as part of a dramatic rules overhaul for implementation in 2017.
The 'Gen2 Supercar' follows an earlier phase of reinvention in 2013 that ended Holden and Ford's exclusivity on the grid, resulting in Mercedes, Nissan and Volvo all gaining representation in the field.
This next step will further relax the regulations to potentially permit six-cylinder, four-cylinder and turbocharged engines to compete against the V8s.
The requirement that all cars be four-door will also be lifted.
Under the new guidelines, a model will need to be publicly available for sale in Australia, front-engined, right-hand-drive, and have a full four-seat configuration in order to be eligible for the series.
The race version of the car must be rear-wheel drive and accurately reflect the look of the road car.
V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton said that the changes were intended to enhance appeal for younger fans and ensure ongoing relevance for manufacturers, which have largely moved away from the powerful V8 sedans that the series was originally built around.
"It is imperative to keep the sport relevant to the current environment, entertaining and, critically, viable for the race teams," he said.
Michael Caruso, Nissan, Surfers Paradise V8 Supercars 2014
"The current climate in world motorsport is absolutely clear. Manufacturers want choice in what they go racing with, otherwise they won't participate.
"They want their DNA represented and so do we. We will not compromise our DNA - fast, loud and fierce racing."
Two working groups will spend the next 12 months developing regulations for the engine and body configurations to ensure parity, with the hope of delivering initial drafts for discussion in mid-2015.
The series aims to have the final version of the rules completed by the end of next year to enable testing from the start of 2016.
News of V8 Supercars' planned overhaul comes just days after Ford announced that it is ending its formal involvement with the series at the end of next year, bringing the manufacturer's decades-old rivalry with Holden to an end.
Supercars will move away from its V8 bedrock to allow new engine configurations and body styles as part of a dramatic rules overhaul for implementation in 2017.
The 'Gen2 Supercar' follows an earlier phase of reinvention in 2013 that ended Holden and Ford's exclusivity on the grid, resulting in Mercedes, Nissan and Volvo all gaining representation in the field.
This next step will further relax the regulations to potentially permit six-cylinder, four-cylinder and turbocharged engines to compete against the V8s.
The requirement that all cars be four-door will also be lifted.
Under the new guidelines, a model will need to be publicly available for sale in Australia, front-engined, right-hand-drive, and have a full four-seat configuration in order to be eligible for the series.
The race version of the car must be rear-wheel drive and accurately reflect the look of the road car.
V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton said that the changes were intended to enhance appeal for younger fans and ensure ongoing relevance for manufacturers, which have largely moved away from the powerful V8 sedans that the series was originally built around.
"It is imperative to keep the sport relevant to the current environment, entertaining and, critically, viable for the race teams," he said.
Michael Caruso, Nissan, Surfers Paradise V8 Supercars 2014
"The current climate in world motorsport is absolutely clear. Manufacturers want choice in what they go racing with, otherwise they won't participate.
"They want their DNA represented and so do we. We will not compromise our DNA - fast, loud and fierce racing."
Two working groups will spend the next 12 months developing regulations for the engine and body configurations to ensure parity, with the hope of delivering initial drafts for discussion in mid-2015.
The series aims to have the final version of the rules completed by the end of next year to enable testing from the start of 2016.
News of V8 Supercars' planned overhaul comes just days after Ford announced that it is ending its formal involvement with the series at the end of next year, bringing the manufacturer's decades-old rivalry with Holden to an end.
Sad news, but in the current world climate, V8 four doors just aren't relevant any more! Even in the USA things are changing, as long as the racing is as close as it is now, that will be the main thing, and I'm sure they will learn from F1, and ensure the new engines have just as much noise as the outgoing models!
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