Controversial Holden ‘replacement’ General Motors Specialty Vehicles is unlikely to be involved in racing in the near future – if at all.
By MARK FOGARTY
GMSV will replace HSV and be the new outlet for imported niche models like the mid-engined C8 Corvette and locally converted American pick-ups and SUVs.
Walkinshaw Automotive Group, Holden’s long-time partner in HSV, has been contracted to locally ‘remanufacture’ vehicles to right-hand drive for the new entity, which has not been a popular move.
Auto Action has learned that WAG will not be involved in GMSV’s sales and marketing activities, including a possible involvement in racing.
Walkinshaw’s racing division, which ran the factory backed Holden Racing Team from 1990-2017, will not automatically be tabbed to run any future GMSV motorsport program.
Walkinshaw Andretti United, an Anglo-American alliance, is in discussions with non-GM brands for a Gen3 Supercars program from 2022.
WAG boss and WAU co-owner Ryan Walkinshaw deflected speculation of a racing link with GMSV.
“That’s a question for GMSV and not for Walkinshaw Group because they’re going to be in charge of all their sales and marketing,” Walkinshaw said.
According to insiders, any racing involvement was very low on GMSV’s priorities as it seeks to establish the new brand, headlined by factory-made RHD Corvettes, over the next few years.
GMSV is also fighting severe criticism of GM’s re-entry to the Australian market via ‘boutique’ imports, after dumping Holden.
While the Camaro remains a possibility for Gen3, it is no longer imported by WAG for local conversion and is not on GMSV’s initial roster.
The obvious candidate for racing would be the Corvette, which as a mid-engined GT would not be eligible for Supercars under the current front-engine requirement.
Even Gen3’s facilitation of low-slung two-door coupes doesn’t stretch to accommodating the Corvette.
However, it could be a Bathurst 12 Hour candidate if a GT3 version of the IMSA/WEC GTE racer (above) is developed.
“There’d be at least one model in that line-up that would be pretty exciting to see on a racetrack in the future, but it’ll be very much a decision for them to make,” said an informed source, referring to the Corvette.
“It’d be a very exciting thing to race. A lot of people would be very excited about seeing Corvettes flying around Bathurst.”
Camaro’s possible future in Supercars is understood to depend on the Ford Mustang arch-rival’s projected model life.
According to industry sources, the current generation is not due for a major update, much less a new model, unlike the Mustang, which is due for replacement in 2022.
But the existing, slow-selling Camaro could continue for another two or three years before being replaced by a performance electric vehicle adopting the famous nameplate.
As Supercars pursues a licence deal with GM to race a Supercars version of the Camaro body shape, the Detroit giant would need certainty that the model would be around until at least 2024 to justify any investment through GMSV.
If the Camaro road car wins a reprieve, it could return to Australia under the GMSV banner as a local RHD conversion.
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