V8 Supercars Shake-Up: No More Ford, Fewer V8s, And A Lexus Factory Race Car

Anyone who’s watched V8 Supercars highlights on YouTube will know that it is one of the most competitive racing series in the world. The rivalry between Ford and Holden goes back years, and recently a number of other manufacturers have entered the fray: Nissan, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz all have cars in the series (though the latter through privateer teams).

But today marks the end of an era: Ford is withdrawing from V8 Supercars. Ford Australia confirmed it would no longer compete in the series from the end of the 2015 season. The withdrawal is indefinite, and has been put down to the fact that the company believes its marketing budget would be better spent elsewhere. The decision is also largely down to the fact that Ford will no longer make the Falcon from 2016.

As one door shuts, another opens, however, as Lexus has confirmed that it is in ‘high-level’ talks with V8 Supercars about introducing the Japanese luxury marque into the series. The championship is set for a huge shake-up, with the new ‘Gen2 Supercar.’ Simply put, the series currently restricts entry to strictly V8 saloon cars, however that is being opened up in the future to allow different body styles, and shock horror, different powerplants.

It is these regulation changes that have appealed to Lexus. The GT3 RC F pictured above would be ideal as a base point for an entrant. But it’s not just new manufacturers who see regulation changes as a required step in the continued success of the championship.

For motorsport funding to keep rolling in, cars have to be reflective of the market. It’s the reason F1 moved from V8s to hybrid V6s with a turbo - manufacturers are happy developing a unit that furthers the progress of their road engines as there is a direct correlation. In an era of downsizing, where the V8 is being left behind, a V8-specific series simply must adapt, otherwise it won’t just be Ford jumping ship.

Talking to CarAdvice, Nismo’s global head of brand marketing and sales, Darren Cox, said he thinks that ditching V8s is a good idea. “You got to welcome with open arms people like Volvo and Nissan and others to come in to the motorsport and that means not having a V8 engine, because how many people have a V8 engine? Ours is out of a truck in the U.S!” He continued: “It has to be something that is relevant in terms of the road cars and in terms of the technology so that probably means a downsized turbo.”

Naturally, purists will be up in arms. V8 Supercars without V8s is sacrilege. But if the sport is to survive these changes are essential. It’ll be interesting to see if the hardcore fans stick around when the ‘Gen2’ cars rock up in 2017. This is a huge moment for V8 Supercars, and we can only hope it survives the transitional period.