COVERS COME OFF NEW COMMODORE
THE new Commodore that will take the Supercars fight to Ford has been tested for the first time on the Gold Coast.
The ZB Commodore Supercar prototype – built in secrecy at Triple Eight Race Engineering headquarters in Brisbane – was rolled out for its first laps on a racetrack yesterday at the Norwell Motorplex on the northern Gold Coast.
In a landmark day for the sport, Red Bull Racing Australia top-gun Jamie Whincup cut 60km in the ZB in an outing that counted as an official Supercars’ shakedown.
The next-generation Holden will be rolled out next year with both V8 and V6-engined models set to line up on the grid for the Supercars championship.
The V8 engine was strapped into the prototype 2018 Commodore for yesterday’s hit-out.
Holden’s first six-cylinder Commodore will race next year as a wildcard entry at selected Supercars rounds.
All other Holden teams will continue using the current 650-horsepower engine next year before going exclusively V6 in 2019.
The 2018 Commodore V8 Supercar will be given a thorough workout at an official test day at Ispwich’s Queensland Raceway next week.
Under Supercars rules, Holden will be allowed three full official tests before homologating the vehicle to race in the championship.
The V6 engine that will be used in the wildcard VXR entry has already been put through a series of tests with the team using a promotional current model Commodore, called the “Sandman”.
Holden stars Whincup, Craig Lowndes, and Steven Richards became the first drivers to pilot a V6 Supercar when they drove the car at a test day in June.
The controversial engine will be put on public display next month.
The Sandman will put in some demonstration laps on Mount Panorama over the Bathurst 1000 weekend.