Revealed: First look at Gen3 chassis prototype

The first of two Gen3 chassis prototypes has arrived back at the Triple Eight Race Engineering factory after being painted this week.

It marks another key milestone in the Gen3 program, which is set to debut in the 2022 Repco Supercars Championship.

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The new chassis design allows for more road car look and feel to be included in the race car’s design, and features a number of key upgrades, including a tubular chassis design, removable front and rear clips, and lower roof lines.

The chassis has entirely new dimensions that allow for greater flexibility and suitability of marques, including the low-slung Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

Front and rear sections of the chassis are removable, meaning accident repairs on the front and rear of the car can be more quickly executed. Critically, this will provide teams with a greater chance of keeping cars on track over a race weekend, especially after significant accidents.

Additionally, there are a number of key safety developments; notably, the driver will be further away from the door than the previous car and there will be a small hatch in the roof to allow medical crews to treat a driver through an access point in the case of a serious accident.

Supercars CEO Sean Seamer said the Gen3 chassis is testament to the category’s commitment to increased road relevance, improved racing and greater safety.

"We’re excited to present this latest milestone in the Gen3 program," Seamer said.

"I'd like to thank the teams that have put in thousands of hours to reach this point, particularly Triple Eight Race Engineering.

"We’re proud of the developments with regards to safety and repairability, which was a key objective of the program."

The Camaro ZL1 will join the Supercars Championship grid in 2022, under the category’s new Gen3 rule package.

A render of a Gen3 Camaro ZL1

Ford’s Mustang is also set to undergo a revamp to tackle its traditional GM rival. The current Mustang replaced the Ford Falcon in 2019.

Seamer added: "Considerable work has also gone in to the design and styling of the cars, they look incredible, and we can’t wait to release details and images soon."

A render of a Gen3 Mustang

The 2021 season will continue this weekend at Symmons Plains for the Beaurepaires Tasmania SuperSprint.

Cars will hit the track at 9:20am AEST on Saturday morning, with the 44-lap Race 6 to commence at 4:25pm.

The event will be broadcast live on Foxtel and will be streamed on Kayo with highlights on 7 and 7 Plus.