GEN3 TO RETAIN V8 ROAR

Supercars is working hard to retain the traditional V8 roar with the new Gen3 engines.

Despite fears the low-cost ‘crate’-based motors will sound flat, development work is aimed at a full-fat noise.

According to Supercars technical boss Adrian Burgess, next year’s low-cost Ford and GM powerplants will be tuned to be loud

Versions of the Ford ‘Aluminator’ and GM LS3 crate engines will replace the existing five-litre motors.

A major change affecting engine note will be a move away from the cross-ram induction system.

Burgess revealed retaining the traditional V8 bark was as important as making the Gen3 Mustang and Camaro look like the road-going versions.

“Our intention is to make sure they sound as good as they look, so we’re ready to influence the exhaust system as and where and when necessary,” he said. “It’s a bit hard to say yet, but induction noise will be less with a single throttle body as opposed to the individual ram tubes that we have now.

“We need two cars that sound great, but until we get them on the track, it’s too early for me to give you any details of what it’ll be. But we know it’s a key requirement that we want to deliver on.”

The Gen3 Ford and GM engines will be different capacities and valve train configurations, but Burgess is confident their sounds can be optimised along with their horsepower parity.

He cited the Ford Coyote ‘crate’ motor that powers the Mustang-look Marque Cars invitational racer as an example of how the Gen3 cars could sound.

“If you listen to a MARC (Mustang-look) car or something that runs a Coyote at the moment, they don’t sound too dissimilar to what we have at the moment, so we’re not expecting it to be a big difference between them,” Burgess declared.

“You’re not talking a V12 against a V8 or anything like that. We need to get the cars on the track before we address the sound.”

The Gen3 Mustang and Camaro prototypes are due to begin testing in August – a year before their planned racing introduction.

For more of the latest Supercars news pick up the current issue of Auto Action. Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our weekly email newsletter for all the latest updates between issues.