Supercars Gen3 Latest News – Racing Towards 2023!

The next generation of V8 Supercars is here, and we can’t wait for the races to begin! With more drivers having had the opportunity to take the new Gen3 models around the track, we’ve got an even better preview of what the 2023 debut of Gen3 will have to offer.  To add to the excitement of the new models, we anticipate new rivalries, new winners, and endless thrills as they compete and entertain in Australia’s pinnacle motorsport championship.

So let’s take a look at the latest on the Gen3 Supercar developments, the emerging rivalry between General Motors and Ford, and all the details on how the drivers feel about the cars as we all brace ourselves for a thrilling Gen3 launch.

This is an exciting new addition for one of the premier motorsport categories in the world, so with the latest Sandown testing featuring fan favourite Craig Lowdnes concluded, buckle up now and let us bring you up to speed with another update on Gen3 Supercars.

Lighter Gen3 Supercar with bigger engines

Despite the fact both the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 are around 150 kgs lighter than the previous models, the new Gen3 engines are actually bigger! This really adds to the sense of explosiveness when driven, according to those lucky enough to have tested them. Some of the test videos look incredible!

Teams will be given randomised engines, which is designed to prevent manipulation to gain advantages on the rest of the competition. The Mustang will be fitted with a 5.4 litre engine, while the Camaro will be powered by a 5.7 litre versus the 5.0 litre in the current Commodores and Mustangs. A minor late change to the chassis interior in July to accommodate working with the new engines has necessitated some final tweaks of the control chassis.

Team boss, Jamie Whincup, shed light on the redesign, telling Speedcafe.com, “So the wheelbase, and the width of the car will be exactly the same on the outside, just the inside, underneath the bodywork, it is going to be a little bit wider than it originally was to give the engine a little bit more room to be able to put in and out.” While the redesign comes late in the game, it’s an indication of the lengths Supercars is going to in order to get Gen3 as close to the ideal product as possible.

The videos and reports from those at the testing rounds report that the power and the sound will be crowd-pleasers!

General Motors or Ford? The race is on…

With the Ford vs Holden rivalry coming to an end – at least in Supercars – would you as a Holden fan naturally jump on board the Camaro? Or do you do the unthinkable and follow the Mustangs? They both look sensational, so which will create the biggest fan army?

All Supercar teams have now committed their allegiances to manufacturers for next year. Erebus Motorsport and Team 18 will be driving the Camaro in 2023. They join the likes of PremiAir Racing, Brad Jones Racing and Matt Stone Racing in the General Motors camp.

Erebus Motorsport CEO Barry Ryan was excited for the next evolution of his team, stating: “There’s no need to change from where we are now as GM or Holden, so we’re sticking with the same parent brand.” Ryan was also excited for the new generation on a philosophical level, saying “the Camaro is a good platform for the sport, it’s a very similar car to the Ford Mustang and it will be exciting to see them both go head-to-head.”

This excitement was further emphasised when Matt Stone laid down the gauntlet. He said that “MSR is not in Supercars to just make up the numbers, as we have shown with our continuous improvement and results. We are here to win, and the quality of our key partnerships is key to achieving that goal.”

On the other side of the coin, Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU) made the dramatic switch to Ford. This is a fairly seismic and historic given WAU have been with Holden since 1987, winning an extraordinary 10 Bathurst 1000 titles in that time. It also creates a very interesting dynamic for the rest of the 2022 Supercars season as they finish their commitment to Holden. They join Tickford Racing, Grove Racing and Blanchard Racing in the Ford Mustang for 2023.

All of this provides food for thought for current Holden fans going into 2023: where will your allegiances lie?

Who wins in 2023?

The Gen3 Supercars are finally becoming a reality. It is believed the season will open with the Newcastle 500 in March, with the date to be officially verified. The dates have been tentatively marked as March 10-12, which would mark the return to Newcastle Street Circuit for the first time since 2019, having been out of action due to the pandemic.

So, who is going to dominate the track in 2023 in the new models?

The Drivers

Well, as we speed towards the final straight of the current season, a few familiar faces have risen to the top. After Shane van Gisbergen recently dominated Tailem Bend and Sandown, he has a massive 500 point gap between himself and the challengers, Waters, Davison and de Pasquale. Admittedly, it’s hard to imagine anyone except van Gisbergen winning it all again next year. He has become such a force in the sport since we waved goodbye to McLaughlin, has the excellence of Triple Eight Engineering supplying his car and tech and is currently going from strength to strength.

But there are changes ahead as well. We would like to put on the agenda the possibility that former contenders like Mostert and young gun Broc Feeney could pick up some significant speed when Gen3 launches. After a strong start at the OTR SuperSprint, inexperience got the better of the 19-year-old Feeney. He explained: “I had really good speed at the start and got to second, and I was right behind Cam but I locked up and came off”. He added that he was disappointed to throw away a podium finish but still sits in an impressive 6th place in his first full-time season. Then there’s a big unknown of the Bathurst 2021 champion Mostert and whether a WAU Mustang could give him a car to bring him back to the top… we all know he’s got a ton of ability and experience.

The teams

Of course, this also brings up the question of Triple Eight vs Dick Johnson Racing. Anton de Pasquale has been very competitive and with veteran Davison, DJR has proven talent to fill the void left by Scott McLaughlin from 2018-2020 if they can find an edge with Gen3. DJR will be hoping the new cars and playing field next year helps them turn the tables on Triple Eight, but to do that they need to get past van Gisbergen. No easy task!

Is the end of Holden, the end of GM dominance?

Finally, how is this thrilling new Ford v GM rivalry going to play out? At this stage, GM seems to have the slightly bigger names, with Triple Eight and Erebus likely to have a large say on proceedings. But with DJR and Walkinshaw on the Ford side of things, they’ll be looking to use this new era of racing to bring the blue oval back to the front. Only time will tell.  The 2023 V8 Supercars calendar promises one of the most exciting seasons ever.

Get in a Supercar yourself before Gen3 launches

Check out our Gen3 inspired Mustangs and a range of exciting driving and hot laps experiences. We have access to some of the best tracks in Australia, including Bathurst. We’ll see you there!