V8s still likely to dominate the grid
The V8 engine is likely to remain as the category's most prevalent power plant well beyond the introduction of new Gen2 technical regulations in 2017.
Turbocharged V6s and four-cylinder engines may be eligible subject to current parity rules under Gen2 from 2017, as will alternative body styles once again subject to the existing parity rules, but sedans powered by V8 engines are expected to dominate the starting grid for some time.
"We are setting up a set of rules to future proof the sport over time," V8 Supercars Chief Executive Officer James Warburton told v8supercars.com.au.
Gen2, which was previewed last November and made public at the Castrol EDGE Townsville 400, is scheduled to run from 2017 to 2021.
Warburton forecast a gradual move to other engines and body styles on the grid during that time, while also potentially enticing new manufacturers on to the grid.
"But there will always be V8s participating - always," Warburton emphasised.
Warburton said the new technical regulations were intentionally an evolution of the Car of the Future rules launched in 2013, which 'opened the garage door' to brands beyond Holden and Ford.
"We are opening the garage door further to new participants," Warburton said. "But more importantly we are also opening it further for our current participants.
"We want manufacturers, we want to grow our fan base and having one or two more brands on top of our existing brands would be an ideal outcome over time."
The 2013 overhaul prompted factory Nissan and Volvo teams to return to Australian touring car racing, while Betty Klimenko's privateer Erebus Motorsport team also signed up to run privateer Mercedes-Benz E63 AMGs.
Gen2 is V8 Supercar's response to the rapidly and dramatically Australian and global automotive landscape. Local manufacturing will cease here by the end of 2017, ending the life of the locally-developed Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore sedans. Meanwhile, the popularity of the V8 engine continues to slide globally.
But because the technical rules are evolutionary and any new engines or bodies would be subject to the category's parity process, any Gen2 cars would have to line up alongside the current racers.
"The fans were concerned that we were going to make the cars slower," Warburton said. "Any new configuration including a new V8 has to come up to the current levels. So none of the current performance metrics - or any other metric - has been changed.
"Fans were also concerned about the noise. We have introduced a minimum decibel limit of 85 dba. Our cars have a range between 85 and 95 decibels and we currently have a 95 dba upper limit.
"The parity regime will be applied in equal force to every car participating. So the racing will be just as close as it always has been."
The Gen2 rules document is currently out for discussion with manufacturers and teams and once they have returned their comments and any updates needed are made, it will be offered to manufacturers currently not involved in the category.
V8 Supercars is currently developing a range of engine configurations including a V6 twin-turbo engine scheduled to run in the first half of 2016.
