Cars / Group 3A / VS Commodore
Holden · Group 3A
VS Commodore
1997-1998 · 30/41 specifications catalogued
Do not infer exact geometry from the deeper/scalloped front description alone.
The Holden VS Commodore was Holden's front-line Group 3A touring car for 1997 and 1998 — the last racing Commodore built on the VP-derived platform before the all-new VT Commodore. It followed the VR Commodore and is defined by its accepted-1997 package.
A new front bar over the VR
The racing VS was not an all-new car. The change from the VR was a revised front bar and the model name; the VP-derived chassis, MacPherson-strut front and live-axle rear continued underneath, keeping the VR's centre-post rear wing. It is therefore held as a distinct aero state — neither a mere rename nor a clean-sheet design.
Body & aero
The defining feature is the new front bar over otherwise carried-over VR bodywork; the centre-post rear wing was retained. The rest of the Group 3A aero envelope — the large front spoiler and inverted-wing undertray — continued. Exact VS bar and wing dimensions are not documented from primary drawings and are described qualitatively.
Engine & driveline
Power came from the Holden 5.0-litre V8 — naturally aspirated, fuel-injected, 10:1 compression and the regulated 7500 rpm limit — through a Holinger six-speed to a 9-inch live rear axle located by a four-link and a Panhard rod on a Ford 9-inch-based housing; the Watts linkage arrived only with the VT. Whether and when the racing Commodore's engine moved to a Chevrolet-based small-block is disputed and left unresolved in the conflict register (CON-006). Category minimum weight was 1350 kg.
Brakes, wheels & tyres
Wheels were the 17×11 category size, with early Group 3A cars running various custom wheels rather than one make. 1998 was the last open-tyre year for the works teams — Bridgestone, Yokohama, Dunlop and Hoosier in open competition — before Bridgestone control tyres arrived in 1999 (privateers already ran a controlled tyre in 1998). Brakes and pads followed team practice.
Evolution
The VS gave way to the all-new VT Commodore, which introduced a fresh body, the Watts-linkage rear and a spaced-post rear wing.
For its championship record see the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Sources: project model-state records (the VR-to-VS front-bar change; disputed engine transition, CON-006) — Grade D; Group 3A formula — Grade B.
Technical specification
Grouped by system. Every value carries its confidence grade and source.
confirmedperiod-verifiedbridge refunknownquarantined
Category 1/2
Formula designation
Group 3A - 5.0L V8 Touring Car (V8 Supercar) period-verified
Category formula designation (era-based)
Series & administration⚑ variants
— unknown
Engine 7/8
Displacement⚑ variants
5.0 L confirmed
Div C Technical Rules (2003, harvested): max engine capacity 5000cc; formula continuous from the period ; CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Group 3A / 5.0L Touring Car technical regs (period 1993-2001; physical Manuals, confirmed by N. Higginson 2026-08) · 5000 cc max period-confirmed across 1993-2001 by the CAMS Manuals (Group 3A regs), continuous into 2002 - no longer only the 2003 bridge.
Configuration
90-degree V8 period-verified
Group 3A formula
Induction
Naturally aspirated; fuel injection standard from 1993 period-verified
Group 3A formula; V8 Sleuth; V8 Supercars Physics Handbook (N. Higginson) ; CAMS Manual (NA only; no water injection; no moveable induction device; carb/EFI unrestricted) · Exception: the 1993 Moffat Cenovis EB ran a Holman & Moody carburettor before switching to EFI in 1994 CAMS Manual (Grade A, BLANKET rule 1993-2002): engine must be NATURALLY ASPIRATED (forced induction prohibited); water injection prohibited; NO device may alter the manifold/induction/exhaust configuration while the engine runs (moveable inlet rams / variable-length trumpets banned - FIXED trumpets are legal). Induction TYPE was NOT restricted in 1993 - the Manual does not mandate EFI or ban carburettors, so both were legal (the 1993 Moffat Cenovis carburettor was legal); EFI became the universal team choice, reflected in the 2002 Div C approved-injector list.
Power (est.)
— unknown
Max engine speed
7500 (regulated limit) rpm confirmed
Div C Technical Rules C 6.6.1 (2003, harvested): controlled 7500 rpm limit ; CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Group 3A / 5.0L Touring Car technical regs (period; physical Manuals held by N. Higginson, read 2026-08) · 7500 rpm rev limit period-confirmed across 1993-2002 (CAMS Manuals, Grade A) - no longer only the 2003 bridge.
Compression ratio
10:1 confirmed
Div C Technical Rules C 6.2.1 (2003, harvested): compression ratio must not exceed 10.0:1; V8 Supercars Physics Handbook (N. Higginson) ; CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Group 3A / 5.0L Touring Car technical regs (period 1993-2001; physical Manuals, confirmed by N. Higginson 2026-08) · 10:1 max compression period-confirmed across the CAMS Manual era (1993-2001).
Engine management
Autronic period-verified
V8 Supercar Konica-series vehicle spec sheet (v8supercars.com /technical/cars, c.2002; harvested Wayback) ; CAMS Manual (engine management free, no control ECU pre-2003) · Autronic engine management on the Perkins VS per the Konica sheet; other teams differed. Konica development-series sheet (~2002); the main-series works spec of the model's peak years and team fitment may differ. Engine management was FREE - NO control ECU (CAMS Manual, Grade A; free from 1993). Team choice (MoTeC, Autronic, etc.) - which is why teams ran different ECUs; the TEGA control ECU only came in 2003. So an ECU value here is the team's chosen unit, not a mandated one. Driver AIDS BANNED (CAMS Manual, Grade A, blanket 1993-2002): traction control, ABS, launch control and active suspension are all PROHIBITED - model these cars with NO electronic driver aids.
Engine block⚑ variants
Holden 5.0-litre V8 period-verified
1993 ATCC research (Wikipedia; Supercars.com; Shannons Club); 1997 research | Autosport The Nostalgia Forum 'V8 Supercar Engines' (topic 95363), incl. historian Ray Bell (Grade C) | collectingcars.com '1997 Holden Commodore VS' (Perkins PE030RB, Bathurst winner; Grade C) · Holden's own 5.0L V8 in period; Chevrolet-based small-block architecture adopted later - transition timing disputed (see CON-006) The "Holden" V8 Supercar race engine was Chevrolet small-block-based (302 cid/5.0L, badged Holden) - the genuine Holden V8 ran only in the earliest 1993-94 cars. Confirmed by Shannons Club Racing Garage (EB/VP feature) and period accounts. Transition data point: Larry Perkins soldiered on with the genuine Holden 304 (5.0L) V8 as late as ~1997 (Castrol Cougars car) while most Commodore runners switched to the Chevrolet small-block, which was offered from 1993 as a parity option against Ford's imported Motorsport block - so the genuine-Holden->Chev changeover was staggered by team, not a clean 1994 cutover (Autosport TNF / Ray Bell; relates to CON-006). The 1997 Bathurst-winning Perkins VS (chassis PE030RB) engine was built by Neil Burns, the original builder - a naturally aspirated 5.0L Chevrolet V8 rebuilt on the original block + matching heads; backed by a Holinger 6-speed and a 9-inch Perkins-rebuilt diff.
Drivetrain 4/4
Gearbox
Holinger H6S 6-speed period-verified
V8 Supercars Physics Handbook (N. Higginson); Holinger official history; V8 Sleuth | Div C Technical Rules 2002 (AVESCO Operations Manual, OCR of Scopsmanuals scan) C 7.2.5 (H-pattern, non-sequential change mandated) ; CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Group 3A / 5.0L Touring Car technical regs (period; physical Manuals held by N. Higginson, read 2026-08) ; 1997 CAMS Manual (6-gear cap + H-pattern) · All cars ran the Holinger H6S from 1995 (the privateer Getrag 5-speed was an early-days 1993-94 gearbox only). In period the gearbox was H-pattern (non-sequential): 2002 Div C C 7.2.5 mandated an 'H'-pattern change with a non-sequential mechanical linkage; sequential/electronic-assisted selection was prohibited (sequential shift came to the category later). CAMS Manual (Grade A, period): H-PATTERN gearchange REQUIRED across 1993-2002 (sequential prohibited the whole era). [Max gear-count not yet extracted - N. gave the H-pattern rule but not a gears cap; TBC.] Gearbox rules (CAMS Manual, Grade A, 1993-2002): MAX 6 forward gears + H-PATTERN gearchange required (sequential banned). No MINIMUM gear count -> a 5-speed (e.g. Getrag) was LEGAL, which is why budget privateers ran them; the works 6-speed Holinger H6S was the maximum-gear choice. RESOLVES the five-speed question. 1993-94: the ENTIRE transmission was FREE - gearbox type, ratios AND final drives - the only cap being 6 forward gears + an optional reverse (1993 CAMS Manual, Grade A). The fixed homologated control GEARSET applied from 1995; the 3.25/3.5/3.7 final-drive control set is confirmed for 2002 (Div C C7.4.5).
Gear ratios
Holinger H6S 6-speed (homologated set, identical 1995-2002): 2.571 / 1.989 / 1.665 / 1.351 / 1.138 / 1.000 (6th direct) confirmed
1995 & 1997 CAMS Manuals of Motor Sport (Group 3A gearbox ratios, held by N. Higginson) + 2002 AVESCO Div C C7.2.3 (identical) · Grade A - EXACT tooth counts from the 1997 CAMS Manual, confirmed IDENTICAL in the 1995 CAMS Manual AND the 2002 Div C (C7.2.3), incl. the 22:24 constant mesh. Tooth counts (drive:driven): 1st 14:33, 2nd 17:31, 3rd 19:29, 4th 21:26, 5th 23:24, 6th 1:1 direct; constant mesh 22:24. Overall ratio = (driven/drive gear pair) x constant (24/22 = 1.0909). Homologated CONTROL set (works ran the 6-speed H6S from ~1995). SUPERSEDES the earlier mod-derived approximation (which had 2.000/1.667/1.143 for gears 2/3/5 - the real values are 1.989/1.665/1.138). The 1997 CAMS Manual PRINTS the ratios as 2.57 / 1.99 / 1.66 / 1.35 / 1.14 / 1.00 (2 dp) - directly confirming the tooth-count computation above.
Final-drive options
3.25 / 3.5 / 3.7 confirmed
2002 V8Supercars.com VX & AU specs; 2004 AU/VX specs (FND-011/037) · Period-confirmed for 2002 by the official VX and AU spec pages; the same set is used in the mod gearbox files (Simulator notes)
Differential
9-inch crown wheel & pinion (fabricated assembly, fixed ratios) period-verified
2002 V8Supercars.com VX & AU specs (FND-037); 2004 AVESCO specs · Period-confirmed 2002; early Commodores used a Ford F100 truck 9-inch diff housing
Suspension 6/8
Front type
MacPherson strut period-verified
model architecture
Rear type
Live axle period-verified
model architecture
Front spring rate
78.8-175.1 (400/500-900/1000 lb; circuit-dependent) N/mm period-verified
Jack Perkins, Perkins Engineering · Real figures are in pounds (Perkins); N/mm shown for engineering use
Rear spring rate
40.3-87.6 (230-500 lb; circuit-dependent) N/mm period-verified
Jack Perkins, Perkins Engineering
Anti-roll bars
Cockpit-adjustable from 1994; 2nd blade ~1999-2000; both blades 2008 period-verified
Jack Perkins, Perkins Engineering · 2008 is post-period
Dampers
Front: McPherson strut with gas-filled inserts; Rear: Koni adjustable gas-filled shock absorbers period-verified
V8 Supercar Konica-series vehicle spec sheet (v8supercars.com /technical/cars, c.2002; harvested Wayback) | Div C Technical Rules 2002 (AVESCO Operations Manual, OCR of Scopsmanuals scan) C 8.6 (shock absorbers) | Koni 2812 MkII race-damper technical description (type/context for the period 'Koni' fitment, Grade C) | Shannons Club Perkins spec sheet (PE043) + my105 Perkins VS PE030RB listing (Grade C) · Perkins VS build; make varied by team. Konica development-series sheet (~2002); the main-series works spec of the model's peak years and team fitment may differ. Legal damper type (2002 Div C C 8.6, Grade A): one damper per wheel; up to FOUR externally-adjustable characteristics per damper (high/low-speed bump and rebound) plus a separate gas-pressure adjustment; cockpit and electronic adjustment prohibited - i.e. externally-adjustable gas-charged monotube coil-overs. Type context: the era-standard Koni competition damper was the Koni 2812 MkII - a monotube, externally adjustable (two-way: compression + rebound) race damper using a valve-cartridge (not needle-valve) adjustment; long-body strokes 114-224 mm. Described as the Koni race-damper family of the period, not a part-number confirmed for this specific car. Team variant: Perkins Engineering (Larry Perkins' own cars, incl. the 1997 Bathurst-winning VS PE030) ran Ohlins adjustable dampers front and rear.
Front geometry
— unknown
Rear geometry
— unknown
Brakes 5/5
Front disc
356 mm period-verified
V8 Supercar Konica-series vehicle spec sheet (v8supercars.com /technical/cars, c.2002; harvested Wayback) · 14-inch front disc. Konica development-series sheet (~2002); the main-series works spec of the model's peak years and team fitment may differ.
Rear disc
330 mm period-verified
V8 Supercar Konica-series vehicle spec sheet (v8supercars.com /technical/cars, c.2002; harvested Wayback) · 13-inch rear disc. Konica development-series sheet (~2002); the main-series works spec of the model's peak years and team fitment may differ.
Front caliper
Perkins Engineering 4-piston period-verified
V8 Supercar Konica-series vehicle spec sheet (v8supercars.com /technical/cars, c.2002; harvested Wayback) · Perkins-built VS; other teams differed. Konica development-series sheet (~2002); the main-series works spec of the model's peak years and team fitment may differ.
Rear caliper
Perkins Engineering 4-piston period-verified
V8 Supercar Konica-series vehicle spec sheet (v8supercars.com /technical/cars, c.2002; harvested Wayback) · Perkins-built VS; other teams differed. Konica development-series sheet (~2002); the main-series works spec of the model's peak years and team fitment may differ.
Brake pads
Ferodo DS3000 (Perkins Engineering) period-verified
V8 Supercars Physics Handbook (N. Higginson) / Perkins
Wheels & tyres 3/4
Wheel size⚑ variants
17 x 11 in period-verified
Standard rolling stock from 1993 (Wikipedia; JAX Tyres) · Diameter/width is category-standard; wheel supplier/brand varied by team, and earlier Group 3A cars ran various custom wheels CAMS Manual (Grade A): 17-inch rim DIAMETER is category-mandated across 1993-2001; wheel width + material pending confirmation. 1994-2002 CAMS Manuals (Grade A, confirmed 1994/1997 + 2002 Div C) wheel envelope: max COMPLETE-wheel (rim+tyre) WIDTH = 12 in (~305 mm, = the 2002 Div C 305 mm limit); max rim diameter 17 in; max complete-wheel diameter 680 mm. Wheel MATERIAL is NOT restricted in the 1997 Manual (magnesium permitted - matches the Speedline/O.Z. magnesium wheels used). Rim width itself is a team choice within the envelope (commonly 11 in).
Tyre supplier⚑ variants
Open tyre competition (1997-98) period-verified
V8 Supercars period-research compilation (Nathan/GPT, 2026) - period journalism & driver accounts; Grade C, to confirm against the 1993-2001 CAMS Manuals · Tyre history: 1993-1998 open competition (no control tyre) - 1997 per team: Bridgestone (HRT, GSR, Stone Brothers), Dunlop (DJR, Perkins), Yokohama (Gardner, Gibson, Longhurst). Bridgestone became the control tyre in 1999; Dunlop control from 2002.
Tyre dimensions
12-inch-wide tyres on 17 x 11 rims period-verified
Standard rolling stock from 1993 (Wikipedia) · CAMS Manual (Grade A): category max tyre overall diameter = 680 mm across 1993-2001. 1994-2002 CAMS Manuals (Grade A) envelope: max complete-wheel width 12 in (~305 mm) and max complete-wheel overall diameter 680 mm (all years).
Tyre construction
— unknown
Weight 1/2
Minimum weight
1350 kg confirmed
V8 Supercar Konica-series vehicle spec sheet (v8supercars.com /technical/cars, c.2002; harvested Wayback) ; CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Group 3A / 5.0L Touring Car technical regs (period; physical Manuals held by N. Higginson, read 2026-08) · Pre-Blueprint category minimum (1350 kg). Konica development-series sheet (~2002); the main-series works spec of the model's peak years and team fitment may differ. CAMS Manual (Grade A, period; N. Higginson's held books, read 2026-08): minimum weight is BARE - WITHOUT fuel, driver or protective apparel. Category timeline: 1300 kg 1993-95, 1325 kg 1996 (PROVISIONAL - 1996 Manual not held), 1350 kg 1997-2002. CORRECTION: the 1995 Manual reads 1300 kg (start of year); 1325 first appears for 1996 - so the earlier '1325 at the 1995 Bathurst 500' framing needs the 1996 book (or a mid-1995 bulletin) to confirm exactly when it changed.
Weight distribution
— unknown
Fuel 1/2
Fuel capacity
120 L confirmed
Div C Technical Rules (2003, harvested): fuel tank max 115 L, TEGA checking vessel 120 L; 2000 cost page; V8 Supercars Physics Handbook (N. Higginson) ; CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, Group 3A / 5.0L Touring Car technical regs (period; physical Manuals held by N. Higginson, read 2026-08) · 120 L MAXIMUM tank capacity, period-confirmed across 1993-2002 (CAMS Manuals, Grade A).
Fuel specification
— unknown
Dimensions 0/3
Wheelbase
— unknown
Front track
— unknown
Rear track
— unknown
Aerodynamics 2/3
Front aero
Deeper, more scalloped front spoiler than the VR (accepted 1997 VS package); VP-derived chassis retained period-verified
Supercars.com 'Saturday Sleuthing: Wayne Gardner's Coke Commodore' (official retrospective on a period VR-to-VS conversion); Shannons Club Racing Garage (VR-VS Commodore feature) · Accepted 1997 VS front-spoiler state: a deeper, more scalloped profile than the VR (Supercars.com retrospective). The category was renamed V8 Supercars in 1997, during the VS's run. Exact spoiler depth, splitter projection, undertray outline and duct geometry remain unresolved (pending a homologation drawing); no aero-force figure is inferred from the visual description. SUPERSEDED reading (retained for provenance): the VR-to-VS change was earlier recorded as 'a change in name only - the race cars aerodynamically identical to the VR'; the deeper-spoiler reading was adopted 2026-08 on the project owner's decision.
Rear wing
Centre-post rear wing (VR-derived) period-verified
1995-97 research (Shannons Club; V8 Sleuth; Wikipedia) | Shannons Club Racing Garage (VR-VS Commodore / VT-VX Commodore features) · Same centre-post rear wing as the VR (unchanged).
Downforce / drag map
— unknown
Variants & divergences
The specification above is the selected reference package. In the Group 3A era the body model did not determine the mechanical spec — individual chassis and entrants diverged. Graded leads, to be firmed up against homologation papers and the annual CAMS Manuals.
Chassis & entrant packages 12
Perkins PE017 lineage Grade C
Perkins PE017 progressed 1993 VP (Bathurst winner) -> 1996 VR -> 1997 VS -> continued as VS. Its 1997 VS engine/gearbox/tyre package cannot be inferred from its 1993 VP configuration; the tyre supply even changed independently of the body conversion.
Perkins five-stud Speedline wheel package Grade B
Perkins retained a FIVE-STUD wheel attachment rather than the centre-lock arrangement used by most leading teams - a real build divergence. Perkins' own archive identifies the wheel family as a 17 x 11 in Speedline; a surviving wheel is stamped January 1996. The published 180 mm figure (mounting-face to rear rim edge) is BACKSPACING, not signed wheel offset - do not enter it as offset.
e.g. Perkins Engineering Castrol VS Commodores
- Wheel size
- 17 x 11 in Speedline, five-studB
1997 declared engine-capacity spread (entry data, not a build spec) Grade C
Documents the non-uniformity theme only: official event-entry data lists nominal capacities from ~4981 to 5000 cc (leading teams built just under the 5000 cc ceiling). These are ENTRANT DECLARATIONS - likely rounded, not post-race measurements - and establish nothing about bore, stroke, block family or internals. Do NOT treat as a per-car build spec; the reference remains the formula 5.0 L.
e.g. Perkins Engineering - 4999 cc · Holden Racing Team - 4998 cc · Wynn's entry - 4981 cc · Greg Crick entry - 4984 cc · Finnigan / Smerdon entries - 4990 cc · Other VS Commodores - 5000 cc
- Displacement
- Declared 4.981-5.000 L across entrants (HRT 4.998, Perkins 4.999, Wynn's 4.981, Crick 4.984, Finnigan/Smerdon 4.990)C
Finnigan VP-running-gear carryover package Grade C
Privateer non-uniformity: ran the former VR homologation body shell, a Chevrolet V8 and running gear carried over from Finnigan's previous VP, with only a minor update to VS spec for 1997. Not mechanically identical to the HRT/Perkins/Gibson VS baseline. Source does not identify the retained gearbox, diff, suspension, brakes or ECU.
e.g. TFR3 - #27 Sony Autosound VS Commodore
- Engine block
- Chevrolet-based 5.0 L V8 (exact block/heads unresolved)C
Special Level 1 privateer control-Dunlop package (1997 enduro) Grade B/C
Class-based tyre divergence: at the 1997 Primus 1000 the privateer Special Level 1 (S1) class ran the CONTROL Dunlop tyre while works teams were still in the open tyre war - so an S1 VS is a different build to a works VS. Pushes the privateer control-tyre split back to 1997 (at least at the enduro). Dimensions/construction/compound/pressures unresolved; do not extend the allocation to every 1997 event.
e.g. RF05 - #47 Bottle Magic VS Commodore
- Tyre supplier
- Dunlop control tyre (Special Level 1 privateer class)B
Alcair unassisted (no power steering) package Grade B
Documented technical divergence with no direct sim parameter: the Alcair VS raced WITHOUT power steering. Marcos Ambrose recalled the heavy unassisted steering after driving it (1996 Symmons Plains test; 1997 Sandown practice), calling it probably one of the last cars in the category without assistance - materially separating it from the assisted professional-team VS packages. Rack make/ratio/travel, steering-arm geometry, column arrangement and whether assistance was deliberately deleted all unresolved.
e.g. Greg Crick / Peter Fitzgerald - Perkins-built Alcair VS Commodore
John Faulkner Racing restricted Bridgestone package Grade B
Works-vs-privateer tyre nuance within one brand: Faulkner secured Bridgestone support but NOT the complete specification supplied to the leading factory-backed teams - so the JFR Bridgestone package was strong at some circuits and weaker at others. JFR also built its engines in-house, but no component-level engine spec is published, so engine parameters are withheld.
e.g. John Faulkner Racing VS Commodore
- Tyre supplier
- Bridgestone privateer allocation (not the full works-team package)B
Castrol Cougars Holden-engine package Grade B/C
The Holden-vs-Chevrolet divergence made concrete: the Castrol Cougars VS retained a Holden-BASED V8 while the front-running Commodores had switched to Chevrolet-based engines - and it persisted to the 1998 Bathurst 1000 (PE027), extending the staggered changeover noted on the engine reference row. Exact Holden block, heads, induction, lubrication, ECU, bore, stroke and output unresolved.
e.g. PE027 - Melinda Price / Kerryn Brewer, 1998 Bathurst 1000
- Engine block
- Holden-based 5.0 L V8 (vs the contemporary Chevrolet-based works package)B/C
1998 Privateers Cup Yokohama control-tyre package Grade B/C
Privateers Cup VS entrants moved to the Yokohama control tyre from Round 3 of 1998. The Lansvale and Rod Nash cars were mechanically distinct customer/privateer packages - do NOT inherit the works HRT or Perkins setup merely because the tyre supplier was shared. Dimensions/construction/compound/pressures unresolved. Rod Nash stayed in the control class at Sandown, but the separate enduro tyre supplier is withheld pending the supplementary regulations.
e.g. Trevor Ashby / Steve Reed - Lansvale Smash Repairs VS Commodore · Rod Nash - #55 ex-Wayne Gardner VS Commodore
- Tyre supplier
- Yokohama control tyre (Privateers Cup, from 1998 Round 3)B/C
PACE Racing VP-mechanical carryover package Grade C
Privateer non-uniformity: the first VS shell built by Dencar, but assembled with mechanicals transferred from Heffernan's former ex-Bob Jones VP. Must not inherit the HRT/Perkins/Gibson VS reference package from its body model alone. The public source does not identify the transferred engine, gearbox, diff, suspension, brakes, steering, ECU or instrumentation, so no params are set. Later GRM engine fitment, Holinger-acquisition attempts and restoration hardware are excluded from the 1997-1999 race spec.
e.g. Kevin Heffernan - Dencar-built Price Attack VS Commodore
Pretty Motorsport non-assisted (no power steering) privateer package Grade B
Second documented no-power-steering VS (joins the Alcair car). Nathan Pretty described his ex-Perkins privateer as a Chevrolet V8 + six-speed Holinger H-pattern (the VS norm - not listed as params) but with NO power steering, and running only one engine and one gearbox, which forced conservative shift/over-rev management. So it differs materially from the factory VT/VS packages in steering and operating margin despite the shared Chevrolet/Holinger architecture. Manual steering rack, Chevy block/heads, ECU, lubrication, ratios, diff and brake hardware unresolved.
e.g. Nathan Pretty - #60 Pretty Motorsport VS Commodore (ex-Perkins)
Paul Morris Motorsport 18-degree Chevrolet engine (2000) Grade B/C
PMM ran an 18-degree Chevrolet engine family from its 2000 debut until switching to the Holden Motorsport engine during 2003 - so its 2000 VS ran the 18-deg Chev, not the works Holden. 2000 power curve, intake, ECU, exhaust and gearbox unresolved.
e.g. HRT035 (PMM VS, early 2000; destroyed at Oran Park) · HRT031 (PMM VS replacement/spare)
- Engine block
- 18-degree Chevrolet V8 (PMM engine family)B/C
Regulatory & category states 2
1997 entrant tyre allocations (open tyre war) Grade B/C
In the open tyre era each leading team ran a different tyre make, a real per-car build difference. WGR switched from Dunlop to Yokohama for 1997. Exact dimensions, construction codes and compounds unresolved.
e.g. Holden Racing Team - Bridgestone · Perkins Engineering - Dunlop · Wayne Gardner Racing - Yokohama · Gibson Motorsport - Yokohama
- Tyre supplier
- Bridgestone (HRT); Dunlop (Perkins); Yokohama (WGR/Gibson)B/C
2000 Konica V8 Lites eligibility / engine-limit state Grade B
Series/eligibility state (2nd-tier home for the older models in 2000): the Holden VS Commodore and older models were eligible for the inaugural 2000 Konica V8 Lites Series; the VT Commodore was excluded until 2001. GUARD-RAIL: an announced 6500 rpm category limit was NOT implemented - do NOT apply a low-rpm/detuned engine just because a car ran V8 Lites; keep the compliant Group 3A / V8 Supercar engine state unless entrant-specific evidence proves a mechanical detune.
e.g. Matthew White's ex-Perkins VS Commodore
- Series & administration
- 2000 Konica V8 Lites SeriesB