Gen3 Supercars explained: Design, specifications and impact of new car ruleset

A new Supercars era is officially underway.

The Gen3 ruleset is debuting for the 2023 season, as the touring series navigates one of the largest changes in its history.

Following Holden's withdrawal from the competition last year, the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang are the two cars of choice for this campaign.

The Sporting News takes a look at the new Gen3 design and ruleset ahead of the Bathurst 1000.

Gen3 Supercars design

Both the Camaro and Mustang are noticeably different from the previous Gen2 design, with greater similarity to their 'road-going equivalents'.

The 2023 cars have been crafted "with an eye on increased road relevance and improved racing," according to Supercars.com. 

The design is similar to that of a two-door muscle car, combined with a clean-sheet chassis configuration.

Take a look at the Gen3 Mustang in action at last year's Bathurst 1000 below:

Gen3 Supercars specifications

Gen3 marks the biggest change to the Australian racing series since the implementation of V8-powered Commodores and Ford Falcons in the 1990s. 

To ensure the new cars act more like road cars, Supercars have intended to reduce downforce by more than 65 per cent.

This also places more weight on a driver's skill and leads to more overtaking opportunities.

The first proper Gen3 Supercar has finally broken cover! 😍 #RepcoSC pic.twitter.com/mJq5l7t7PC

— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) February 1, 2023

There is also significant change when it comes to engine capacity - gone are the days of 5.0 litre V8 engines.

The Camaro runs on a single camshaft General Motors engine, with two valves per cylinder.

Ford's engine, on the other hand, features four camshafts with four valves per cylinder.

The stick shift gear system - which was a popular component of the Gen2 cars - continues to feature in the new model.

Are Gen3 Supercars faster than Gen 2?

The Gen3 car reaches a top speed similar to its predecessor. 

Whilst the significant reduction of downforce suggests the new design would be faster, the engine adjustments counteract that effect.

In fact, Supercars officials have made a deliberate effort to prevent cars from exceeding 300 km/h.

“We have always worked on the fact that we don’t want the cars going over 300 km/h down Conrod [Straight, at Mount Panorama],” Supercars head of motorsport Adrian Burgess told Speedcafe.com prior to the new season.

“So when we have targeted the downforce number that we believe we can get to and when we’ve worked on our projected minimum weight of the car, you also factor in where you would like to be in terms of manufacturers being able to bring a wider range of engine configurations to us."

Supercars 2023 calendar and schedule

The 2023 Supercars season began in the Hunter, with the Newcastle 500 returning to the calendar after being removed in 2022 due to COVID-19 concerns.

Supercars then raced at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne.

Notably, this season features multiple endurance races for the first time since 2019. Sandown had its race length extended and took place in September.

The famous Bathurst 1000 will be held in its traditional early-October slot as the tenth race of the season.

Fresh off a five-year contract extension, the Adelaide 500 will then wrap up the 2023 campaign.