General Motors has delayed the development of the Chevrolet Camaro for Australia’s Supercars series until new regulations are introduced.
The automaker was set to develop a new Camaro body for 2020 based on the current Supercars control chassis, with Ryan Walkinshaw taking the lead on the program. The current Supercars chassis was originally intended for sedan bodies, but the series has elected to allow coupes following the demise of the Ford Falcon and the rear-wheel drive Holden Commodore.
However Ford recently showed its Mustang based on the “high roll hoop” sedan chassis and received criticism for the car’s awkward dimensions, which has convinced Walkinshaw to delay the Camaro program indefinitely.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Walkinshaw said he thinks the DJR Team Penske team that prepared the new Mustang chassis “have made sure that that thing is as fast as it is ugly,” but that he can’t risk tarnishing the Camaro’s image with a race car that doesn’t look like it.
“For us it’s very simple. Walkinshaw Group actually sells the Camaro here in Australia with General Motors Holden, and we’re not going to bring a car onto the race track that hasn’t got the integrity of the original product in its design,” he told the publication in a recent interview.
“If and when Supercars change the roll hoop regulation to allow cars with that sort of body shape into the category, and I’d like to think that they’re looking at that seriously, because it opens the door to all sorts of other exciting products that teams could race. We wouldn’t be stuck in this niche category of four-door sedans, or highly bastardised two-doors to try and make them fit a chassis that doesn’t need to be how it is, then we’ll definitely look at it. But at the moment, while the regulations are the same, it just doesn’t make any sense to us.”
You know what turns 1 and 2 at Adelaide mean…
Take-off ? #VASC pic.twitter.com/ItTADfIoHi
— Supercars (@supercars) February 28, 2019
The Ford Mustang Supercar will make its competition debut in the Adelaide 500 this weekend. Six Mustangs are set to contest the 2019 season –Â two for DJRTP Shell VPower Racing, three for Tickford Racing and and one for 23Red Racing. GM teams will continue with the Holden Commodore.
(source: Motorsport.com)
Comments
So in other words, ford beat us to it so now we dont want to do it and seem like we are showing up late to the party. As usual.
Looks like the Penske team, Is pulling the NASCAR trick , like their cars in the Cup series !
He’s not alone in his assessment. From the moment the Mustang was revealed it was universally pointed out that the proportions were off – and HORRIBLY so. As stated there is really no reason for this other than stretching and forcing a low slung US coupe body over a upright and narrow Australian sedan chassis.
The can do much better. Hopefully the powers that be have a new chassis in the works for the coupes. It’s already a “spec racing series, but at least it was one that made great efforts to look like the cars you could buy were racing on the track. This new Mustang does no such thing.