Supercars confirms new panels for Mustang

Supercars has confirmed that the Ford Mustangs will sport new, lighter body panels from the Repco Bathurst 1000.

Speedcafe had revealed that plans were in the works for new door panels even before the Sandown 500, although the implementation was postponed for any number of reasons.

They will be introduced at Mount Panorama, as will lighter rear quarter panels.

The changes will make it easier for Ford teams to meet the minimum vehicle/driver weight figure, although the recent increase to 1340kg for both the Camaro and Mustang remains for the balance of the season.

It is not yet clear, but less likely with each passing day, if Ford will also get the aero tweak which it is hoping for ahead of the Great Race, the aim of which would be to move the downforce balance further rearward.

On the lighter panels, Supercars has announced via its official website, “New doors and rear quarter panels have been designed courtesy of Tickford Racing and DYC.

“The latest tweaks ensure a saving of 5.84kg for the Mustang, and a vehicle CoG height reduction of 1.31mm.

“It also ensures the total Chevrolet Camaro CoG adjustment is now 0.0kg, given the significance of the weight saving and the CoG height of the new parts on the Mustang.”

That ‘0.0kg’ figure means that the 4.97kg of ballast which was moved above the Camaro’s fuel cell after Albert Park, for centre of gravity parity, can be moved back down again.

As also revealed by Speedcafe, new wheel nuts have been locked in for the Supercars field, after Garth Tander crashed when his Mustang lost a wheel in the Sandown 500.

Practice at Bathurst starts on Thursday, October 5.