Holden has taken its first step into the future of Supercar racing.
The Red Bull Holden Racing Team has confirmed it successfully tested the next-generation twin-turbo V6 powerplant in a private shakedown test at Queensland's Norwell Motorplex this week.
Supercar stars, Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup and Steven Richards, drove the team's promotional Sandman supercar fitted with the first twin-turbo V6 engine this week, with the team reporting it exceeded initial expectations.
"We are very happy with the initial running, GM Racing has given us a great base to work from," Red Bull Racing boss Roland Dane said in a statement.
"The test has been about getting kilometres on the engine and understanding what it needs at this point to prepare it for racing in Supercars."
The team intends to introduce the Gen2 engine with a staggered program next year, with the three main drivers - Lowndes, Whincup and Shane Van Gisbergen - continuing to use today's 5.0-litre V8 engines in their new-generation Commodore racers while a fourth car with a yet-to-be-announced driver will debut the V6 in a series of wild card entries to assess and develop its potential in the racing arena before a full-scale introduction in 2018.
The V6 engine will be unique to Holden in Supercars, and the first time a turbo charged engine has been used in top-level Australian touring car racing since the technology was outlawed in 1993 when the series reverted to a Ford versus Holden competition.
It will also be exclusive to the racing environment, as the next-generation road-going Commodore that is set to arrive in local showrooms early next year will be offered with a naturally-aspirated V6 in top-spec variants and a four-cylinder turbo in lower-grade models. The race cars will also retain a rear-wheel drive configuration whereas the road cars will have either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive transmissions.
- For more information visit our Holden showroom
6 Comments
Mr Majestyk | 2017-06-30 05:39:17
This is the sort of engine they need in the new Commodore. Originally they were talking OPC version and then that got killed, so there will be ZERO performance option from Holden. And wait until PSA take them over, we'll be seeing 1.6l engines trying to haul them around.
Old hack | 2017-06-30 10:32:35
Dear V8 Supercars, It's over. The whole foundation for the formula was on cars that kind of mirrored the original 500 and 1000 races of lightly modified production cars going back to the 1950's. We saw Vauxhall, then Cortina and Minis win until Ford and Holden decided that race on Sunday, sell on Monday worked ... and it did. Not anymore. People buy cars that meet basic needs, like refrigerators. If you have a large family you need a big fridge and a big car. If you don't, you buy a fridge and a car to suit needs, lowest upfront cost, best efficiency, lowest running costs. Call it function over form. The sport needs a new formula that just entertains and with all the sport being played and broadcast these days, that's a hard market. Recognize that 2017 is the last year. After that when the local industry is gone it's just diminishing returns until you go broke, unless you come up with a formula that really entertains, is available on FTA TV so you can win back lost audience and survive.
Ian Smith | 2017-06-30 11:14:43
I'm off to GT racing..... at least they race what you can buy (if you have deep pockets) Make believe Holdens with unobtainable engines don't do it for motor racing fans....
yarpos | 2017-06-30 20:40:55
Never really got Supercars anyway, all a bit same same. The cars will bear even less resemblance to anything obtainable so why bother? the is enough Production, GT and Historic racing to watch.
Dave | 2017-07-01 10:08:19
Listen to all the low IQ rednecks whinge about technology and what their Push Rod Powered Dinosaurs to remain forever
Dave | 2017-07-01 10:08:21
Listen to all the low IQ rednecks whinge about technology and what their Push Rod Powered Dinosaurs to remain forever