This was originally posted on Richard’s F1…check it out here! Ladies and Gentlemen, in announcement in Melbourne yesterday something special was revealed.
It was the car that you have all been curious about…The 2013 V8 Supercar in the form of a Nissan Altima!
In an event yesterday, Kelly Racing co-owners Rick and Todd Kelly and Nissan Australia Managing Director William F Peffer Jr unveiled the modified Nissan Altima that will make its first appearance on the track in Adelaide’s Clipsal 500 in 2013.
The car has been built to the “Car of the Future” regulations, including 18” wheels, a 100kg weight reduction, independent rear suspension and a transaxle gearbox. The engine is a modified Nissan's VK56DE engine, a 5.6-liter V8 that is said to be slotted into the 2013 Nissan Patrol SUV.
V8 Supercars CEO David Malone remarked on the exciting time this was for fans and indicated this was the beginning of a new era for the series.
"New manufacturers joining the series will mean heightened competition and new technology racing on circuits around Australia and the world.” he said.
"2013 is a revolutionary year for V8 Supercars and the unveiling of the Nissan Altima is just the beginning. I congratulate Kelly Racing and Nissan for their hard work and look forward to seeing the cars' debut."
Todd Kelly was also, quite rightly, proud of the achievement.
"This is the proudest day in the relatively short history of our team, as well as one of the most significant days in recent times for the sport of V8 Supercars," Kelly said.
"Our team has done a tremendous job to design and build an all-new V8 Supercar, including a new engine, in roughly nine months."
What a job they have done! It will be interesting to see how the newcomers perform on track come 2013; this is the first time a non Ford/Holden vehicle will grace the series since 1995.
Come 2013, the Altima will be sporting the Jack Daniel’s Livery, so that will be something to watch out for as well.
Until then…the cards are on the table. What will Mercedes show? Exciting times indeed!
 |
|