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Holden’s 2018 Supercars Concept Rubs Salt Into Rear Wheel Drive Wounds

It’s no secret that from the end of 2017 the locally developed and built rear wheel drive Commodore known and loved by enthusiasts will be replaced a four-cylinder front wheel drive hatchback. But in a move sure to draw the ire of traditional Commod


It’s no secret that from the end of 2017 the locally developed and built rear wheel drive Commodore known and loved by enthusiasts will be replaced a four-cylinder front wheel drive hatchback. But in a move sure to draw the ire of traditional Commodore fans, Holden has unveiled its 2018 Commodore Supercars entrant with - you guessed it - rear wheel drive and a V8.

The fact that Holden’s official motorsport entrant is rear wheel drive comes as no surprise, with the Supercars Championship Australia requiring use of a rear wheel drive control chassis, but the engine choice is somewhat unusual with a twin-turbo V6 loosely based on the production car’s V6 initially expected to be used.

Holden won’t be the first automaker to re-engineer a car to meet Supercars regulations, with the Nissan Altima and previous Volvo S60 entrants also converted from mediocre front wheel drive four and six-cylinder sedans into V8-powered rear driven competition cars.

Along with the preview renderings Holden confirmed that the Red Bull Holden Racing Team of Jamie Whincup and Shane Van Gisbergen, and the Caltex car driven by Craig Lowndes, will be powered by a version of the current V8 engine with preparation made to switch to a turbocharged V6 for the 2019 season.

The computer generated images reveal how the next Commodore, a rebadged version of the Opel Insignia, will have its panel work cut-and-shut to fit the Supercars chassis with the front wheels pushed forward and a longer dash-to-axle ratio, and what appears to be a shortened rear door.

The requisite aero additions include deeper bumpers and side skirts, a large ground-effects diffuser, and towering rear wing.

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