Coupe Revolution

The arrival of the Ford Mustang into Supercars sets a new template for other manufacturers looking to enter the category, with implications for Holden, a lesson in what could have been for Nissan and a saving grace for the V8 engine.

When we went to print with the previous issue of Supercar Xtra Magazine, Holden was committed to the development of a twin-turbo V6 engine for its ZB Commodore, Ford remained sidelined with no indication as to what would replace the Falcon, while Nissan was being pushed to convert to the GT-R.

Fast forward to this issue and Holden has shelved the twin-turbo V6 and will continue with the V8, Ford is back with a V8-powered Mustang, while Nissan will depart at the end of this season.

The dramatic turnarounds have swung the balance of power to the Blue Oval. Though Ford Australia had shown a disinterest in Supercars in recent years, the decision to race the Mustang with a V8 across its teams has been praised by fans from both sides of the manufacturer divide. It will be the first two-door coupe to race under the Gen2 rules, which were created to open up Supercars to different body shapes and engine configurations.

Holden, in contrast to Ford, didn’t waver in its commitment to Supercars, but has been battling sliding showroom sales and continued criticism for the decision to retain the Commodore name on the new imported version of the vehicle.

The struggle in the marketplace has raised the suggestion that parent company General Motors could simply do away with the Holden brand in its outpost of Australia, instead exporting Chevrolet products.