Photo: Polestar

First turbo engine for Gen2 regulations being built

By

The V8 Supercars organisation is in the process of building the first turbocharged V6 engine for the new Gen2 regulations, set for introduction in 2017.
“The Gen2 V6 has a different noise, is just as ‘grunty’ and just as fierce and ferocious as the current V8s. …and if we see a four-cylinder, it will have its own note as well – but they’ll still be just as loud,” said Craig Hasted of the V8 Supercars organisation to the official championship site.

The impact the new regulations will have on the current naturally aspirated V8 engines is a hot topic for debate in Australia, but the organisation is keen to underline that this is not the end of the V8 in the championship.

“Will this be the end of the V8 engine? Absolutely not. The V8 will be around for as long as manufacturers or the fans want it to be around and there is a need to race it. What we’re doing with Gen2 is creating an opportunity for alternative configurations, which will add to the colour and spectacle of our category,” said Hasted.

The organisers has got a tough job ahead of them in order to secure parity between the different engine types, especially in the longer races like Bathurst in terms of fuel consumption and more.

“Part B is to put the engine in the car and actually prove the on-track performance compared to the current cars,” said Hasted.

While keen to keep the V8s in the championship, the V8 Supercars organisers are expecting half of the field to run cars built according to the new regulations, which also allows for different body shapes, over the next five years.

“We’re all anti-change, but I think once they see it going and see it working properly, I think we’ll see more and more. In actual fact, I can see over the next five years, over 50 per cent of the teams will be on the Gen2 rules. The Car of the Future was a massive change. All teams had to basically build completely new cars. This is just two additions. For some teams it will make no difference at all, for others it will just be an engine change, some will be a body and an engine change,” said Hasted.