2013 Cup Bodies

[Jacques Rabbit]

Ford will unveil the 2013 Fusion Cup car on Tuesday.



NASCAR's essentially doing the same thing they did in Nationwide: rather than mandate the same body, they are mandating the same drag and downforce numbers. It worked well in NNS; all four manufacturers, even with their varying levels of representation, went to victory lane in 2011. Solves the problem of everyone complaining that someone has an advantage, while also solving the problem of automakers complaining that they have no brand identity in NASCAR.

The chassis will not change, so don't expect a real difference in the style of racing. Still a welcome change, in my opinion, and the only way to really go about it as, if you free them up, they'll just design super aerodynamic cars that look nothing like production cars as opposed to the super un-aerodynamic cars that look nothing like production cars we have now.

Dodge will use the Charger in Cup. Toyota will use the Camry. There is a new Impala for 2013 so one assumes Chevrolet will use that; they could use the restyled 2013 (or 2012?) Malibu as well, or even the Caprice (basically a Pontiac G8/Holden Commodore) that is currently a police car but eventually supposed to maybe possibly sort of go on sale as a production car if I'm reading things correctly.

[HJJ]

Looking forward to see how they turn a four sedan with a four cyl motor into a two door V-8 coupe.

The new Fusion is a very attractive car. I'm thinking it's time for new engines to be introduced in in the next couple of years.

[leothedrummer]

Originally Posted by HJJ

Looking forward to see how they turn a four sedan with a four cyl motor into a two door V-8 coupe.

This is something that I've never been able to understand. Why don't they have regs defining the type of car that can be entered? For a car to be eligible to race in the V8 Supercar series, the production car has to be a four door, RWD V8. I would have thought that a similar system would have been a given in NASCARland, because who doesn't like seeing the best of each brand fighting it out? (Also, it would have kept the xenophobes happy when Toyota tried to enter).

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Originally Posted by leothedrummer

This is something that I've never been able to understand. Why don't they have regs defining the type of car that can be entered? For a car to be eligible to race in the V8 Supercar series, the production car has to be a four door, RWD V8. I would have thought that a similar system would have been a given in NASCARland, because who doesn't like seeing the best of each brand fighting it out? (Also, it would have kept the xenophobes happy when Toyota tried to enter).

Would also have thrown out the rest of them. US manufacturers by and by large doesn't build RWD V8's any longer either.

[Clive Brown]

If I recall correctly, this all really started in 1983, when NASCAR introduced down-sizing from the full-size 120" wheelbase cars, which were mostly based on rear-drive models with an in-line V8, to 108" medium range cars, a number of which were based on 4 cylinder or V6 transverse-engined front-drive cars.

Generally the manufacturers' NASCAR car will bear the name of one of their best-selling lines; cars like the Thunderbird and the Monte Carlo were never big sellers, and it made more sense in terms of the commercial spin-off from racing success to use the model name of more popular cars such as the Fusion and the Impala. The 2013 Cup bodies will likely use styling cues generic to the manufacturers' model ranges, but bear the names of front-drive four door family sedans.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by Jacques Rabbit

Dodge will use the Charger in Cup. Toyota will use the Camry. There is a new Impala for 2013 so one assumes Chevrolet will use that; they could use the restyled 2013 (or 2012?) Malibu as well, or even the Caprice (basically a Pontiac G8/Holden Commodore) that is currently a police car but eventually supposed to maybe possibly sort of go on sale as a production car if I'm reading things correctly.

The Caprice is a Holden Statesman (a stretched Commodore) and this vehicle will not be made available to the public. We will only get the FWD Impala, so it will be that or the 'Bu.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

The Caprice is a Holden Statesman (a stretched Commodore) and this vehicle will not be made available to the public. We will only get the FWD Impala, so it will be that or the 'Bu.

There is strong talk the regular Commodore is coming back as a Chevy. However, the Commodore is getting a major redo for the 2014 model year so likely it wont happen for us for another 2 years.

[Clive Brown]

The Commodore might come over as a Caprice for general public sale, which may reach the market in the 2015 model year.

[Jacques Rabbit]

Thanks for clearing up the Commodore/Caprice confusion. Sorry for that. From a marketing perspective, I have no idea why they'd continue with the Impala. They never advertise the Impala, they never sell any Impalas, I'm not even sure why they make it. Plus, it competes with Taurus and Avalon (or at least tries to compete), not so much with Fusion and Camry...

...but I guess if the re-launch of a brand new 2013 Impala is supposed to rejuvenate the car, they may start a big campaign for it. However, that campaign will probably be overshadowed by the one for the new Malibu coming out. I could understand Impala on the old bodies because Malibu would have looked so strange, but now with real lines, I'd give it a change.

Should be seeing the Fusion soon...

[Clive Brown]

It would be bizarre indeed if at the end of all this, the Shuvelay was to be an Impala, the Dodge a Charger, the Furd a Fusion, and the Toyoda a Camry....

Whilst NASCAR must equalise downforce and drag, it is also important that the aerodynamic centre of pressure in relation to the wheelbase is matched across the four manufacturers, but to give credit where credit may be due, it does seem that for once, NASCAR has done a good job in matching the NNS bodies evenly.

[gttouring]

i am curious as to what they are going to develop here, the engines- they can leave alone, it is racing and this does make it the aspirational power source from lower less filling cylinder count formulas in the states-although V8's are so cheap to build to make insane power for saturday night and club racers i can't imagine replacing them in total.

[Jacques Rabbit]

http://photos.speedtv.com/gallery/20.../02pbaokfhQe7Y

I like what they're doing.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Jacques Rabbit

http://photos.speedtv.com/gallery/20.../02pbaokfhQe7Y

I like what they're doing.

At the first photo I thought Aston Martin was joining NASCAR.

At photo 4 and 6 the car looks very low and long.

So far I like it. The new stock car looks less "heavy".

The new Chevrolet Malibu (will be sold as Chevrolet Epica in Europe) looks nice. I hope Chevy will use that car.

Dodge will keep the Charger in Cup?
I assume Toyota will enter the Camry (current model was launched in 2011).

[Jacques Rabbit]

Agree on the Aston thing!

Yes, Dodge is using the Charger; they have a 2013 Cup car in their R&D center right now, no pictures leaked yet but it apparently looks really cool.



Ain't perfect, but it's a lot cooler than what we have now.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Jacques Rabbit

Agree on the Aston thing!

Yes, Dodge is using the Charger; they have a 2013 Cup car in their R&D center right now, no pictures leaked yet but it apparently looks really cool.



Ain't perfect, but it's a lot cooler than what we have now.

Looks really good. I'm glad Nascar is making some changes.

[fieldodreams79]

They almost got a fast back look to them.

Anything is better than the brick with a spoiler and splitter they currently call a Cup car.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

They almost got a fast back look to them.

Anything is better than the brick with a spoiler and splitter they currently call a Cup car.

It's the profile of the side windows. It is more true to real life.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by Jacques Rabbit

Thanks for clearing up the Commodore/Caprice confusion. Sorry for that. From a marketing perspective, I have no idea why they'd continue with the Impala. They never advertise the Impala, they never sell any Impalas, I'm not even sure why they make it. Plus, it competes with Taurus and Avalon (or at least tries to compete), not so much with Fusion and Camry...

...but I guess if the re-launch of a brand new 2013 Impala is supposed to rejuvenate the car, they may start a big campaign for it. However, that campaign will probably be overshadowed by the one for the new Malibu coming out. I could understand Impala on the old bodies because Malibu would have looked so strange, but now with real lines, I'd give it a change.

Should be seeing the Fusion soon...

I apologize, but I didn't realize the Stateman name has been retired for Caprice. We won't see the Caprice available to the public. The Impala will be a totally new car and available with the turbo-4 in the new Malibu. Fleet sales should help GM attain the fuel mileage standards. Everything I have heard from GM says that they will not be available to the public here. I'm pretty heavy into the US/Holden community.

Here's an article from a while back that may be of interest:
http://www.motortrend.com/features/a...or_civic_duty/

[nickyf1]

Hats off to NASCAR, and hats off to Ford for doing this properly and getting the body to match the road car as closely as possible while still working on the COT chassis.

Great for NASCAR, they might get a few fans back with this move. I'm surprised the manufacturers didn't push for this sort of body when the COT was being designed.

[davyboy]

This car is fantastic... the best looking NASCAR I've seen in the last 25 years.

[Jacques Rabbit]

I hope some pictures leak from the private test at Homestead. I want to see ALL the cars!

If not, we'll wait for Speedweeks, where the Camry breaks ground. I assume the Charger will follow; Chevrolet has to actually unveil the road-going Impala before they let us see the racing one but if it follows the recent Chevy design language, well, color me less than impressed...

...but that's not the point. NASCAR can't do anything about how the cars entered are designed, all they can do is say how you can make that into a race car, and you know what? They did as good of a job as they could to make that happen! I find this very cool.

Originally Posted by JHamilton

I apologize, but I didn't realize the Stateman name has been retired for Caprice. We won't see the Caprice available to the public. The Impala will be a totally new car and available with the turbo-4 in the new Malibu. Fleet sales should help GM attain the fuel mileage standards. Everything I have heard from GM says that they will not be available to the public here. I'm pretty heavy into the US/Holden community.

Here's an article from a while back that may be of interest:
http://www.motortrend.com/features/a...or_civic_duty/

That car is the most badass American-branded (had to be careful with that one ) thing with four doors I've seen since I was born. So of course they won't sell it to me.

[Clive Brown]

If I understand it correctly, at the Daytona tests one of the measures adopted to reduce tandem drafting was to impose a much smaller radiator aperture, and to move that aperture to the bumper. Sadly, that won't do a lot for the looks of bodies both current and to 2013 spec.

[NaBUru38]

A Holden Ute in Nascar Trucks...

[MJ_N_09]

Wow, I knew the new gen stock cars would look and be way better, but THIS! My mind is blown. Could this inspire new manufacturers to join?

[Paradise City]

That Ford looks like its snarling. Cracking! The breakout from the suffocating conformism and mediocrity we've suffered since the COT was first introduced is to be welcomed.