Nissan Australia and Kelly Racing today unveiled their 2013 Altima V8 Supercar for the first time. It marks a quantum shift for the V8 Supercars category as it moves into the Car of the Future era.
Nissan’s latest Aussie touring car is based on the Altima sedan, revealed in New York earlier this year. The road going model will also be sold locally, with its market launch expected in the latter half of 2013.
The Altima V8 Supercar will use a modified 5.0 litre version of Nissan’s 5.6 litre VK56DE engine, which has its production roots in the new Patrol to be launched in Australia early next year. The VK56DE has also been used to great effect in the FIA GT1 category by JRM Racing, playing a big role in the GT-R winning the GT1 championship in 2011.
Speaking at today’s launch Rick Kelly, Kelly Racing’s Commercial Director, said the lure of factory-backing was key to their decision to partner with Nissan. He’ll be pleased also to have the might of Nissan’s motorsport arm, NISMO, on his side.
“2013 will be the first time in my career that I will be a factory driver and it’s a responsibility that I am not taking lightly,” Rick Kelly said. “Our entire team is working harder than ever to ensure that we rise to another level as we transform into Nissan Motorsport for next season. This is the most exciting time in our sport for two decades and it is amazing to think that our team is at the forefront of this change.”
Nissan Australia Managing Director and CEO William F Peffer Jr has big expectations and will be keen for a quick return on his investment. He was also on hand at today’s launch and is happy to see Nissan back in Australia’s premier motorsport category.
“This is a proud day for Nissan and a significant occasion for the sport of V8 Supercars,” said Peffer. “Unveiling our Nissan Altima V8 Supercar, the first new V8 Supercar model in two decades, brings Nissan’s special brand of ‘Innovation and Excitement’ to the V8 Supercars Championship.”
We’ll admit that we’ve been a little cold on the whole Car of the Future direction in the past. But watching the live stream of today’s launch rekindled our memories of the Nissan GT-R and its success from the early 1990s.
Kelly Racing—or more correctly, Nissan Motorsport—will line up at next year’s first race, the Clipsal 500 on the first weekend in March, with four cars hoping that a new era of success awaits.
We wish them well.
Christian Hartung was on hand at the launch today for AUSmtoive and his pics along with Nissan Australia’s full press release can be seen after the break.
[Pics by Christian Hartung Photography]
REVEALED: Nissan Unveils the 2013 Nissan Altima V8 Supercar
30 October 2012
Nissan has unveiled its all-new 2013 Nissan Altima V8 Supercar for the first time in a spectacular launch event in Melbourne, Australia today.
The Altima is the first all-new V8 Supercar model unveiled in two decades, as Nissan joins the V8 Supercars Championship from next season with the four-car, factory Nissan Motorsport team.
Nissan Australia Managing Director and CEO William F Peffer Jr joined team co-owners and Bathurst-winning drivers Todd and Rick Kelly to unveil the spectacular Altima V8 Supercar.
“This is a proud day for Nissan and a significant occasion for the sport of V8 Supercars,†said Nissan Australia Managing Director and CEO William F Peffer Jr.
“Unveiling our Nissan Altima V8 Supercar, the first new V8 Supercar model in two decades, brings Nissan’s special brand of ‘Innovation and Excitement’ to the V8 Supercars Championship.
“2013 will be an enormous year for Nissan in many ways, with several important new models set to launch next year. One of those will be the all-new 2013 Nissan Altima, the first time the Altima nameplate has gone on-sale in Australia, and what better way to introduce Altima to Australia than to have it on-track in the V8 Supercars Championship from the start of next season.
“Everyone at Nissan is right behind our team, led by Todd and Rick Kelly, and we are excited about hitting the track next season with this spectacular Altima V8 Supercar.â€
The Nissan Altima V8 Supercar has been designed and built to the category’s new ‘Car of The Future’ regulations, which include 18 inch wheels, transaxle gearbox and independent rear suspension.
Nissan Motorsport will use the production-based VK56DE engine in the Altima V8 Supercar, the same engine that powered Nissan to FIA GT1 World Championship glory in 2011. The VK56 engine also powers the all-new 2013 Nissan Patrol that goes on sale in Australia from 1 February 2013.
The significance of the occasion was not lost on Todd Kelly, 2005 Bathurst 1000 winner and team Racing Director.
“This is the proudest day in the relatively short history of our team, as well as one of the most significant days in recent times for the sport of V8 Supercars,†said Todd Kelly.
“Our team has done a tremendous job to design and build an all-new V8 Supercar, including a new engine, in roughly nine months.
“The Nissan Altima V8 Supercar really is like no other V8 Supercar. Not only does it look spectacular but its unique features and aggressive design ensure that Nissan Motorsport will stand out from the rest of the field.
“The look of the Altima and sound of the VK56DE engine are second-to-none. Once V8 Supercars has homologated the aerodynamic package on the Altima, we will begin our testing to ensure it drives as fast as it looks and sounds.â€
Rick Kelly, 2003 and 2004 Bathurst winner, 2006 V8 Supercars Champion and team Commercial Director, said that the team had ambitious goals for the 2013 season despite the significant task ahead.
“2013 will be the first time in my career that I will be a factory driver and it’s a responsibility that I am not taking lightly,†said Rick Kelly.
“Our entire team is working harder than ever to ensure that we rise to another level as we transform into Nissan Motorsport for next season. This is the most exciting time in our sport for two decades and it is amazing to think that our team is at the forefront of this change.
“A lot of hard work still lies ahead but we want to ensure that Nissan Motorsport is competitive next season and is a force to be reckoned with in the not-too-distant future.â€
The team will now work with V8 Supercars as the category’s technical team works to homologate the Nissan Altima V8 Supercar, in particular its aerodynamic package, to ensure a fair playing field with the competition.
Once the homologation process is complete the team will begin circuit testing with the first Nissan Altima V8 Supercar and complete construction of further cars, with four Altimas set to make their racing debut at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, South Australia on 2 March 2013.
NISSAN MOTORSPORT: 2012 TIMELINE
9 February 2012
Nissan announces factory entry in the V8 Supercars Championship from 2013, partnering with Kelly Racing, team to be renamed Nissan Motorsport and field four entries.
17 March 2012
Simon Sproule, Corporate Vice President – Global Marketing Communications, Nissan Motor Company, tours team facility and meets with key staff while in Melbourne for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
5 April 2012
Rick Kelly attends New York Auto Show for the global unveil of the 2013 Nissan Altima. Nissan confirms that the Altima will be sold in Australia from 2013 and that the Altima will be raced by Nissan Motorsport in the V8 Supercars Championship. Kelly meets with Nissan global CEO Carlos Ghosn and discusses V8 Supercars and Nissan Motorsport plans
18-20 May 2012
Yasuharu Kamei, General Manager – Development Department, NISMO, tours team facility, meets with key staff and attends V8 Supercars Championship event at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Victoria.
27 June 2012
Media Release confirming arrival of Nissan parts at Kelly Racing in Melbourne via freight from the United States.
4 September 2012
The Nissan Motorsport VK56DE engine, a production-based engine that will also power the all-new 2013 Nissan Patrol, unveiled at team facility by Nissan Australia Managing Director and CEO William F Peffer Jr and team Racing Director and co-owner Todd Kelly.
23 October 2012
Nissan confirms Nissan Altima V8 Supercar will be unveiled on 30 October 2012 – event to be live-streamed online via YouTube.com/NissanAustralia – video tour of team facility previewing the unveil event viewed over 50,000 times on YouTube in first five days online.
30 October 2012
Nissan Australia Managing Director and CEO William F Peffer Jr is joined by team co-owners and drivers Todd and Rick Kelly to unveil the Nissan Altima V8 Supercar for the first time in Melbourne, Australia.
MAJOR MILESTONES: NISSAN’S AUSTRALIAN TOURING CAR HERITAGE
1984
Nissan takes pole position for the Bathurst 1000 with driver George Fury in a Nissan Bluebird in lap record time
1986
Nissan takes pole position for the Bathurst 1000 with driver Gary Scott in a Nissan Skyline Turbo
1990
Nissan wins the Australian Touring Car Championship with driver Jim Richards in the Nissan GT-R and Nissan Skyline GTS-R
1991
Nissan wins the Australian Touring Car Championship with driver Jim Richards in the Nissan GT-R
1991
Nissan wins the Bathurst 1000 with drivers Jim Richards and Mark Skaife in the Nissan GT-R in race record time
1992
Nissan wins the Australian Touring Car Championship with driver Mark Skaife in the Nissan GT-R
21 June 1992
Mark Skaife wins the final two races of the 1992 Australian Touring Car Championship at Oran Park Raceway to seal the title – Nissan wins its last Australian Touring Car Championship race
1992
Nissan wins the Bathurst 1000 with drivers Jim Richards and Mark Skaife in the Nissan GT-R
7-8 November 1992
Jim Richards wins both races in the non-championship event at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide, South Australia – the Nissan GT-R wins its final race in Australian Touring Car racing before the precursor to V8 Supercars regulations are introduced for 1993.
1998
A Nissan Primera from the British Touring Car Championship was entered in the 1998 Bathurst 1000 for ‘Super Tourer’ cars, with drivers Steven Richards and Matt Neal finishing in second place.
KEY STATISTICS: NISSAN IN THE AUSTRALIAN TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP
- Nissan has won 28 Australian Touring Car Championship races – the most of any manufacturer outside of Holden and Ford
- Nissan has won 23 Australian Touring Car Championship pole positions – the most of any manufacturer outside of Holden and Ford
- Nissan has won two Bathurst 1000 races outright, the most of any manufacturer outside of Holden and Ford. Nissan, Ford and Holden are the only three manufacturers to have won multiple Bathurst 1000 races outright
- Nissan has won three Australian Touring Car Championships – ranked fourth behind Ford, Holden and Jaguar (Jaguar’s four titles came when the championship was decided by a single race in the 1960s)
[Pics by Nissan Australia]
9 replies on “2013 Nissan Altima V8 Supercar revealed”
oh yes! I can hear the collective bogan groan already! Maybe Jim could give the podium speech when it wins Bathurst?
so…………when the car wins, what can aspiring customer purchase from his/her local dealer, come monday? will the road car have any v8 in it, let alone one that is in any way based on this one? or, will you be able to buy the ‘bathurst’ aero package for your altima? will the association to racing be, by ‘brand name’ only?
They didn’t waste any money on the smoke machines in those launch photos! I’ve got a keen eye for smoke machines after nearly being electrocuted by one in the past.
i really like it because its pissing off all the holden-ford bogans. suffa in ya jocks its not a 2 horse race anymore
The lighting and colour scheme for the launch are terrible together. No way to actually see the lines and design clearly at all.
That may have been intentional, perhaps. There was a bit of chat from the Kelly brothers when at the mic that the car we saw today probably won’t match the car that lines up at Clipsal. V8SC has to approve the aero package to make sure it can’t beat the Falcadores, so maybe they’ll end up with a permanent air brake, instead of a rear wing.
The engine will also need to be a validated “V8 super car engine” where only certain appointed engineering companies are allowed to build. There is barely a Ford or Holden part on their current cars. Liam is right, red tape and regulation will make a farce of the branding.
Finally another competitor! Perhaps V8s will begin to be exciting now that we can play a proper game of scissors-paper-rock!
What Cat said is true…
There really isn’t a ford holden / nissan competition but rather the racer(driver) as all the cars have to meet the same regulations and specifics…
Not sure why the bogans are worried if they all had the same body panels i bet none of them would be able to tell the difference. (me included).