Why attracting new Supercar brands is a pipe dream: Opinion

Gen3 is likely to remain strictly Ford v Chevrolet for the forseeable future with no obvious candidates for new manufacturers

Supercars is set to remain a Ford v Chevrolet battle for the foreseeable future – regardless of any ‘new manufacturer’ rumours that continue to swirl in the paddock.

Supercars’ recently-installed CEO Shane Howard recently told Speedcafe.com that he’s “wide open” to new manufacturers joining the sport again, but that’s about the same as me saying I’m “wide open” to winning the lottery. I’m sure we’d both love it to happen, but the odds are stacked firmly against us.

Howard spoke about his optimism that the Gen3 regulations will open the sport to new manufacturers, saying: “The new chassis design and specifications of the car are very friendly for manufacturers to be able to adopt the programme and [it’s] not overly costly to come in.

“I think that it really lends itself probably more than any other of our models for manufacturers to come into the sport.

“I think once manufacturers see these cars race and see them on track, it’s going to be a very exciting opportunity for other manufacturers to consider.”

As a fan of the sport I’d love to see more brands get involved – both the Toyota Supra and Nissan Z would make great-looking Supercars and would bring a new aspect to the series – but as someone who spends their days dealing with executives in the local car industry, I just don’t see it happening.

The Nissan Z would make a suitable candidate for Gen3 but the brand is focused on an electric future

Even before the global pandemic fundamentally changed the outlook of the automotive industry locally, the odds were stacked against Supercars. Primarily because the brand’s greatest strength for the past 30 years, its passionate Ford v Holden/Blue v Red rivalry, has become a weakness. The demise of Holden severely damaged that rivalry, because even with Chevrolet stepping in to fill the breach, for many passionate Holden fans I know, the introduction of the imported ZB Commodore and then the death of the brand entirely really dented their passion for the sport.

The other issue is because the sport has been Ford v Holden since the early 1990s, rival brands have either felt like they can’t join in or see little brand value in trying to join a culturally ingrained two-way fight.

I’m not trying to be a naysayer or preach ‘doom and gloom’, instead my goal here is to explain in realistic terms – free from the bubble in which Supercars’ lives – why other manufacturers are so unlikely to join.

There are two reasons why a car company will get involved in the sport – either the incumbent CEO is a passionate racing fan and uses that to justify the move or the CEO sees an overwhelming business case for joining in.

It was arguably passion that drove the introduction of all three brands under the ‘Car of the Future’ era – Nissan, Volvo and Mercedes-AMG – rather than strictly a business case.

Volvo and Nissan had short-lived stints in the sport during the Car of the Future era

Former Nissan CEO Richard Emery was an enthusiastic supporter of motorsport, especially for the brand that had a rich heritage, and it did help push the then-new Navara.

Volvo’s decision to join Supercars was driven by then-boss Matt Braid, who saw the opportunity to give the Swedish brand’s image a boost but based on his eventual roles with Supercars and Australian Racers Group it’s safe to assume he has a passion for racing.

And, of course, Mercedes’ short-lived Supercars run was the result of Betty Klimenko’s passion and tenacity (and cheque book) more than anyone at the German brand’s HQ.

All of which leaves Supercars in a difficult spot, because most business leaders these days tend to make decisions based on data and cold, hard numbers. I won’t pretend I know every thought in every car executives’ head, but my job takes me to events with many industry leaders and rarely does the conversation turn to Supercars. And when it does, the CEO or marketing director of any particular car company always tries to find the politest way to say ‘we have zero interest in V8 Supercars’ (because most people outside the sport still call it V8 Supercars) and change the subject.

The problem is even more simple than the ‘Ford v Holden/Chevrolet’ debate or even the argument of ‘passion v business case’ – V8 engines are a dying breed and performance cars are an endangered species too.

Look no further than the case of the… Chevrolet Camaro. Not only is the American-made coupe not on sale in Australia (undermining the ‘production relevance’ of Gen3) but all indications are it will be dropped by Chevrolet by 2026 (at the latest). And, it will either not be replaced or get an electric powertrain in future – either way, the V8 is becoming a relic of the past.

Road relevant? The Chevrolet Camaro isn’t on sale in Australia and is expected to be dropped globally in the near-future

The question for Supercars and its hopes of a new manufacturer is simple – what car will join?

Most of Australia’s biggest car brands, including Toyota, Mazda, Kia, Mitsubishi and Hyundai, don’t offer a V8 engine either locally or even globally.

Toyota has the Supra coupe, but it’s powered by a six-cylinder engine which is an intrinsic part of the model’s heritage. The same can be said for the Nissan Z. Even if you could convince Toyota and Nissan to develop and run V8 engines in them, what’s in it for either brand?

Toyota arguably has the most to gain, racing in Supercars would help promote its burgeoning Gazoo Racing (GR) performance sub-brand. But equally, Toyota already sells more than double the amount of new vehicles as its next-closest rival, so the incentive to spend millions on a racing program is hard to justify in the brand’s boardroom.

Nissan, meanwhile, love the Z and everything it brings to the brand but its focus in Australia is on launching its e-Power hybrid powertrains and range of SUVs (Qashqai, X-Trail and Pathfinder). Electrification, not performance, is the priority for Nissan and several other brands; Kia, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, just to name a few.

The priority for Gen3 should be closer racing and any new manfuacturer would be a bonus

Under these circumstances, with electrification, SUVs and utes the dominant force in the local car market, racing a V8-powered coupe or sedan simply doesn’t make sense for any brand other than Ford and Chevrolet.

The key takeaway in this entire debate is obvious, but perhaps Howard and the team at Supercars don’t want to hear – new manufacturers aren’t coming, and that’s totally fine.The success or failure of Gen3 doesn’t rest upon it attracting new manufacturers to the sport.

As the last few seasons have proven, what the die-hard fans really want is better action on track. They want to see a more competitive field, door-to-door racing and more unpredictable results, and if these new Gen3 cars can deliver that then all involved should be pleased with their efforts.