NASCAR Taking First Steps to Make Cars Look More 'Real'

NASCAR has been criticized for a lot of reasons. Its cars do not look like the cars that they are supposedly based on, and the series has lagged in its technology by still using carburetors up until last year.

However, the series may have seen the error of its ways. For the upcoming season that begins on February 24 at the Daytona 500, the series has a new car specification that its calls Gen 6. The chassis stays the same as before, but teams have the leeway to modify the body to resemble production cars more. The series wants to make NASCAR more relevant to consumers.

The new FordFordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
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FusionFord Fusion Gen.2United States of America, 2012 > present30 versions
45 photos
NASCAR resembles the production car significantly more than the last generation. Ford says that it has been developing the body for the last two years.

“When we first unveiled the 2013 NASCAR Fusion in Charlotte in January 2012, we said we wanted to help return the ‘stock car back to NASCAR.’ Without question, with this car, we have,” said Jamie Allison, director of Ford Racing.

The road to more production-appearing cars in NASCAR started two years ago when Ford introduced the MustangFord Mustang Gen.5United States of America, 2005 > 201454 versions
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2 videos
to the Nationwide Series. The car looked more like a production Mustang, and fans loved it.

There will only be three car designs in NASCAR for this season. Ford has the Fusion; ToyotaToyotaJapan, 1937 > present155 models
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has the CamryToyota Camry 8 Japan, 2011 > present18 versions
31 photos
, and ChevroletChevroletUnited States of America, 1911 > present82 models
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7 videos
has the SSChevrolet SSUnited States of America, 2014 > present10 photos
.