Details of Third Triple Eight Car Revealed

Xbox Australia with Triple Eight Race Engineering today announced the Xbox One Racing Team, to take part in the 2013 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. 

With international champion race car drivers Andy Priaulx and Mattias Ekström behind the wheel, the Xbox One Racing Team will be boosted by the support of long time Xbox ambassador and team mentor, Mark Skaife and Triple Eight Race Engineering Team Owner, Roland Dane.

To celebrate, Xbox Australia and Turn 10 Studios – the makers of the Forza Motorsport series – have also announced Mount Panorama will be included in the highly-anticipated racing game “Forza Motorsport 5” set to launch exclusively with the new Xbox One console on November 22, 2013.

Regional Vice President, Microsoft, Greater Asia Region Alan Bowman said the addition of the Bathurst circuit was at the request of fans.

“Xbox has had a strong association with the sport of V8 Supercars over the last decade and for years Australians have been asking us to include the Bathurst track into the Forza Motorsport games.

“We have taken notice and to celebrate the inclusion of the Bathurst track and two V8 Supercars in ‘Forza Motorsport 5’, we will launch a truly international and competitive racing team.

“This is unprecedented in Australia. After months of working in secret to create a piece of racing and gaming history, we are excited to finally reveal that the wildcard entrant and 29th car making its mark at Mount Panorama this year will be the stunning Xbox One Car.”

The Xbox One Racing car is the latest Holden VF Commodore and comes equipped with a 5.0 litre naturally aspirated V8 Holden which has an estimated output of 640bhp and a top speed of almost 300kph.

Triple Eight Race Engineering Team Owner Roland Dane said, “There is no surprise that we love a challenge. When we heard this unique proposition from Xbox to turn everyone’s most-loved racing game into a reality on-track, we knew it was too good an opportunity to pass on.

“Andy and Mattias are two of the best Touring Car racing drivers in the world today and I can promise Bathurst and V8 fans that this will be one team to watch come race day in October.”

Priaulx (pictured right) has previously competed in a V8 Supercar at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, though his best result in the series was in a Triple Eight Holden Commodore paired with Craig Lowndes in 2010 at the Surfers Paradise event. He won three World Touring Car Championship titles before being lured to the highly fancied German DTM series and has widely been dubbed "Britain's Schumacher".

With two DTM titles in 2004 and 2007 under his belt, having competed in the series since 2001, Ekström has also proven on numerous occasions he feels comfortable in other motorsport disciplines with successful runs in the World Rally Championship, in the US NASCAR Series and by clinching three titles in the Race of Champions.

Ekström believed the pair had just as much chance as anyone to win the Great Race, Priaulx pointing out Skaife and Triple Eight have won the 1000km race 11 times between them. 

Six-time Bathurst Champion Mark Skaife said he was proud to work with Xbox in creating racing and gaming history. 

Developed by Turn 10 Studios, “Forza Motorsport 5” is a cinematic automotive journey designed exclusively for the Xbox One.