The 2013 Nissan Altima V8 Supercar, which will participate in the V8 Supercars Championship with the Nissan Motorsport team, has just made its public debut at a special event in Melbourne.
According to the Japanese carmaker, the Altima V8 marks the return of Nissan to the Australian Touring Car Championship after two decades. It is powered by a race-tuned version of Nissan's VK56 V8 engine that powers the Nissan Titan, Armada and Pathfinder, as well as the Infiniti QX. However, the V8's displacement will be reduced from 5.6-liter to 5.0-liter to meet technical regulations.
Nissan has partnered up with Kelly Racing and will have four Altimas campaigning in the 2013 season.
"This is the first time in 20 years that Nissan is back in this category,'' said Kelly, according to the Herald Sun. "Factory support is the key to teams winning Bathurst and V8 Supercar championships. There's nothing more exciting for a drive than to unveil a car with a brand new chassis that takes it to a new level.''
"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."
