Gen3 heated windscreen 'worked perfectly'

Heated windscreens "worked perfectly" in the Gen3 prototypes during wet-weather running at Sandown.

The Gen3 Camaro and Mustang prototypes were lapped in the rain on Monday.

It gave Supercars its best chance yet to test the heated windscreen function, which has been mandated for 2023.

The heated windscreens have been supplied by Isoclima.

Supercars moved from glass to polycarbonate front and rear screens in 2013.

Polycarbonate windscreens are said to have 250 times the impact protection of glass.

Wet weather, coupled with rising temperatures inside the cabin, trigger fogging.

On rare occasions, some teams have encountered fogging, and even resorted to to using squeegees.

Notably, Triple Eight drivers were forced to use squeegees during the rain-hit 2017 Bathurst 1000.

Most recently, Macauley Jones used a squeegee at last month’s OTR SuperSprint.

Supercars Head of Motorsport Adrian Burgess said drivers on Monday didn’t even notice a difference.

"Running in the rain on Monday at Sandown gave us a chance to have a look," Burgess told Supercars.com.

"Both cars are fitted with a heated screen that we’ve mandated for 2023.

"It worked perfectly well, there was no fogging, it was really clear.

"Obviously there are no problems when the drivers have no comments, it means it worked.

"We turned it on and it went really well, it did what it says on the tin."

The heated windscreens are just one of several new overall enhancements for Gen3.

Gen3 has also offered Supercars an opportunity to introduce new technology, such as single-nozzle fuel receptacles.

The wheel nuts have been made smaller, which offers a shift to pneumatic wheel guns.

The introduction of heated windscreens is just another opportunity for Gen3 to capitalise on advanced technology.

"We had them a long, long time ago, but that was when windscreens were glass," Burgess said.

"We’ve used perspex for a long time, but technology has moved on.

"It works really well, you won’t see any more fogging issues in wet weather."

Supercars will return to New Zealand on September 9-11. Purchase your ITM Auckland SuperSprint tickets now.

Gen3 will return on track in Bathurst. Tickets for this year's Repco Bathurst 1000 are on sale now.