Ram looking to take on Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux directly with ladder-frame dual-cab ute
Technically, it already has one – the Ram Rampage (pictured) sold in Latin America – but unlike that car-based unibody dual-cab, Mopar Insiders reports this upcoming ute will feature body-on-frame construction like all of this country's most popular utes.
It'll also reportedly be offered exclusively in dual-cab guise.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
The as-yet unnamed smaller Ram – a belated replacement for the Dakota, which was axed in 2011 – will enter production at Stellantis' Belvidere plant in the US state of Illinois in 2027.
It'll not only give Ram a direct rival to the Ranger, but also serve as a replacement for the discontinued DS-series Ram 1500 that was previously positioned under the newer DT-series 1500 as the entry point to the commercial vehicle brand's pickup lineup.
Parent company Stellantis previously previewed a unibody pickup for the Ram range in wireframe (pictured below) back in 2021, based on the same STLA Large platform as the new Dodge Charger.
However, there's been radio silence on this vehicle ever since, and subsequent STLA Large announcements haven't included the Ram brand.
Ram subsequently revealed the Brazilian-built and developed Rampage in 2023, closely related to the outgoing Jeep Compass, and this model subsequently appeared in a US design patent this year suggesting it could be offered outside of Latin America.
But this latest report indicates Ram wants to take on the Ranger more directly in the US market instead of monocoque chassis-based 'lifestyle' utes like the Ford Maverick, and the brand's Australian arm has expressed enthusiasm in this upcoming pickup should it be green-lit and if the local business case stacks up.
Ram has talked about a global mid-size pickup for at least five years, with the brand's former CEO Mike Koval Jr telling CarExpert in April 2023 that such a vehicle would almost certainly be produced in right-hand drive (RHD) for international markets including Australia, where Stellantis already sells the Jeep Gladiator dual-cab.
And when he toured the Walkinshaw Automotive facility that converts Ram trucks to RHD for Australia just prior to that, Ram Trucks International chief Bob Graczyk indicated the 'Dakota' would become available in Australia whether it was remanufactured here or not.
Subsequent Ram CEO Chris Feuell said late in 2024 that the ute was still coming to market, and that Ram had weighed a couple of different platform options before landing on a 'surprising' decision.
In January this year, Ram's global CEO Tim Kuniskis, who retired last May then returned in December, said he wanted a 'mid-size truck so bad' and that it would be vital for the American truck brand.
Mr Kuniskis announced in April he had plans to make 25 global product announcements within the next 18 months, starting in early June.
One of the first of these announcements was the confirmed return of the Hemi V8 to the Ram 1500 lineup.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Hyundai: More petrol N performance cars coming, and they'll be affordable
Hyundai may have just revealed its second electric N performance vehicle, but that doesn't mean petrol power is dead at its go-fast division. 'We are not limiting ourselves into EV,' Hyundai N boss Joon Park told UK outlet Car. 'But this is some kind of tendency after we launched Ioniq 5 N, because Ioniq 5 N was a huge message for the entire car industry. And a lot of people thought, and think, that Hyundai N is going towards only EV. It's not true. 'We are not focusing on EV only. We are not. I'm not the person who actually really likes the EV. I've always liked the smell and the sound and all those kinds of race cars.' Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Hyundai has discontinued its petrol-powered i20 N and i30 N hot hatches in Europe, but they continue to be produced for our market. Moreover, Hyundai also has the i30 Sedan N – aka Elantra N and Avante N – for markets such as Australia, South Korea and North America. The i20 N and i30 N may be dead in Europe, but they're reportedly set to be reborn, with Car reporting word from Mr Park that his engineers are working on a hybrid-powered replacement for the hot hatches. They'll still be accessible to punters, too, unlike the Ioniq 5 N, which is more than twice as expensive in Australia as even the priciest i30 N. Supplied Credit: CarExpert 'Hyundai N has to be reachable. We actually want to play with our friend groups, with a proper-priced car and reachable price cars – we are not talking about a luxury exotic car,' he said. 'We are talking about the Hyundai N level. In that case, where should we go? Where nobody else is existing anymore, except for [the VW Golf] GTI.' Hyundai axed the i20 N and i30 N in Europe in 2024, and at the time said this was 'in line with our commitment to offering a zero-tailpipe-emission lineup to our customers by 2035 and to operating 100 per cent carbon neutrally by 2045'. 'The discontinuation of i20 and i30 N was a disaster for me. But it takes time to have a new one,' said Mr Park. Supplied Credit: CarExpert He suggested it would be harder work getting an i20 N replacement approved given that, typically, the smaller the vehicle the smaller the profit margins. He said the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that powers the i30 N won't appear in a successor model… at least not in Europe. 'I'm responsible for the global market. Europe is not going to be easy,' he said. 'The 2.0-litre turbo engine for 280PS [206kW]… That cannot exist anymore based on the current regulation and future regulation.' Supplied Credit: CarExpert Whether Hyundai could keep the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine of the i20 N alive with electrification is unclear. A version of this engine already features in hybrid crossover SUVs from the brand such as the Tucson and Santa Fe. Hyundai has never offered a hybrid N model. It now has three separate petrol-powered N models – the i20 N, i30 N, and i30 Sedan N/Elantra N/Avante N – as well as two electric ones in the Ioniq 5 N and the just-revealed Ioniq 6 N. The Korean automaker is planning a significant expansion in hybrid sales. Per a plan announced last August, it wants to sell 1.33 million hybrids annually by 2028, an increase over 40 per cent compared with its global sales plan from the previous year. To that end, it's launching a new 2.5-litre turbo hybrid powertrain that's debuting in the next-generation Palisade large SUV. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Hyundai has already confirmed the i30 Sedan N will move to a 2.5-litre turbo four, up from a 2.0-litre. That appears to open up the possibility of hybrid power for that model, though the sports sedan has never been sold in Europe. In addition to conventional hybrids, Hyundai also offers plug-in hybrids (though none are sold here presently) and is rolling out extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) that incorporate a petrol engine used as a generator. It's unclear whether Hyundai would develop N vehicles with this technology, or with a hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain like the retro-styled N Vision 74 concept. Development of Hyundai N vehicles is centred in Europe, along with the new Magma performance vehicle line for luxury brand Genesis. 'There's been so much innovation at Rüsselsheim and some major investment. Our new building opened a couple of months ago, and it gives us so much more possibility, and allows us to develop EVs,' Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center managing director Tyrone Johnson told Car. Supplied Credit: CarExpert 'We're going to be developing our own products in Europe. All [Genesis] Magma products will be developed in Europe, for the world – nothing will be developed in Korea.' Australia is a major market for Hyundai N vehicles. While VFACTS industry sales reports bundle the i30 N with the rest of the i30 lineup, we know exactly how many i20 Ns are sold here because Hyundai doesn't offer any non-N i20 variants. To the end of June, Hyundai has delivered 723 examples of the i20 N in Australia this year. That's more than the Skoda Fabia (164) and Volkswagen Polo (401), both of which offer a wide range of variants. MORE: Explore the Hyundai i20 showroom MORE: Explore the Hyundai i30 showroom
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
V8-powered Toyota GT Concepts preview new sports cars for track and road
Toyota has revealed both road and race versions of its new flagship performance coupe wrapped in heavy camouflage at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK on the weekend. No official images or information has been released by the Japanese automaker, which used Goodwood to show off a pair of disguised V8-powered sports cars, including a hardcore race car that could wear Toyota badges and a road-going version that may be badged as the Lexus LFR. One looks like a worthy showroom successor to the Ferrari-rivaling, limited-edition Lexus LFA hypercar, the other a track-ready GT3 version of the next Toyota GR Supra that's already spied in testing multiple times in Europe. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. While both were driven up the famous British hill climb in a series of demonstration runs, Toyota was coy on the details – including the auto brand/s, model name/s and engine/s of the low-slung, wide-bodied sports cars. At this stage Toyota and its luxury brand say they remain "brand agnostic" about the new flagship super coupe, but at its Goodwood exhibit – attended by CarExpert – Toyota labelled the cars as 'Toyota GT Concept' and 'Toyota GT Racing Concept'. A YouTube clip posted by Toyota Global also referred to the two cars as "Toyota's all-new sports cars". The deliberate vagueness points to the car running under two different names: the road-going model as the Lexus LFR (the long-awaited successor to the legendary V10-engined Lexus LFA hypercar), and the race car as the track-only GT3 version of the next-generation Toyota Supra. At the 2022 Tokyo motor show, Toyota revealed the Gazoo Racing GT3 Concept, a dedicated racer designed to be sold to teams for the sports car-based GT3 motorsport category – which in Australia includes the Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race, won earlier this year by BMW. The Goodwood GT Racing Concept – clearly not street-legal with its extreme aero package and extras including a large bonnet intake, sliding side windows, bigger race wheels and brakes, Michelin slick tyres and centrally-mounted rear spoiler, builds on the 2022 concept. The racer has been spied testing on iconic European race circuits including Spa Francorchamps in Belgium and the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany. The timing suggests it will replace the race version of the Lexus RC F, which is currently eligible for the GT3 category until the end of next year, indicating a 2026 reveal and a 2027 race debut for the Goodwood racing concept. Production of the road-going Lexus RC F is due to end in late 2025, and the mid-size performance coupe has not been available in Australia since 2021. We expect similar timing for the arrival of the more sanitised – yet far from pedestrian – GT Concept as a street-legal production car in showrooms. It has also been spied track testing and on public roads in California. If the concept is an accurate rendition of the production version, the road-going model's long, wide and low-slung two-door body will still feature aggressive front and rear bumpers comprising massive front air intakes, but more showroom-friendly bonnet vents and a much smaller rear lip spoiler. As you can see from the interior image of the GT Concept posted by the Goodwood FoS, which we've lightened to show more details, its cabin features two deeply sculpted bucket seats flanking a large central console bridge, at the front of which is a tablet-style multimedia screen, and a bright crimson red colourway. The engine in both cars at Goodwood – which clearly made all the guttural sounds of a V8 – has also not been disclosed, but it could be a further development of the 5.0-litre V8 (codenamed 2UR-GSE) that powered the road-going RC F. It's also found under the bonnet of the Lexus LC500 grand touring coupe and convertible, production of which is also expected to end in 2026. The GT3 ruleset for 2027 has not yet been locked in and may include mandatory hybridisation as part of a push for more 'road-car relevance'. The road-going Lexus LFR could emply a hybrid twin-turbo V8 powertrain regardless of the race rules. The V8 will also be used by Toyota Australia in local Supercars competition, with Ryan Walkinshaw confirming his team – Walkinshaw Andretti United – is planning its first Toyota GR Supra track test in late August ahead of its 2026 switch from its current Ford Mustang. Lexus has trademarked the LFR name in Europe, and the Japanese luxury brand would almost certainly make its new flagship sports car available in Australia following its global launch by 2027. The previous Lexus LFA was priced at $700,000 before on-road costs when it was sold in Australia between 2011 and 2012, with only 10 of 500 examples available globally landing here. MORE: Everything Lexus MORE: Everything Toyota Content originally sourced from: Toyota has revealed both road and race versions of its new flagship performance coupe wrapped in heavy camouflage at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK on the weekend. No official images or information has been released by the Japanese automaker, which used Goodwood to show off a pair of disguised V8-powered sports cars, including a hardcore race car that could wear Toyota badges and a road-going version that may be badged as the Lexus LFR. One looks like a worthy showroom successor to the Ferrari-rivaling, limited-edition Lexus LFA hypercar, the other a track-ready GT3 version of the next Toyota GR Supra that's already spied in testing multiple times in Europe. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. While both were driven up the famous British hill climb in a series of demonstration runs, Toyota was coy on the details – including the auto brand/s, model name/s and engine/s of the low-slung, wide-bodied sports cars. At this stage Toyota and its luxury brand say they remain "brand agnostic" about the new flagship super coupe, but at its Goodwood exhibit – attended by CarExpert – Toyota labelled the cars as 'Toyota GT Concept' and 'Toyota GT Racing Concept'. A YouTube clip posted by Toyota Global also referred to the two cars as "Toyota's all-new sports cars". The deliberate vagueness points to the car running under two different names: the road-going model as the Lexus LFR (the long-awaited successor to the legendary V10-engined Lexus LFA hypercar), and the race car as the track-only GT3 version of the next-generation Toyota Supra. At the 2022 Tokyo motor show, Toyota revealed the Gazoo Racing GT3 Concept, a dedicated racer designed to be sold to teams for the sports car-based GT3 motorsport category – which in Australia includes the Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race, won earlier this year by BMW. The Goodwood GT Racing Concept – clearly not street-legal with its extreme aero package and extras including a large bonnet intake, sliding side windows, bigger race wheels and brakes, Michelin slick tyres and centrally-mounted rear spoiler, builds on the 2022 concept. The racer has been spied testing on iconic European race circuits including Spa Francorchamps in Belgium and the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany. The timing suggests it will replace the race version of the Lexus RC F, which is currently eligible for the GT3 category until the end of next year, indicating a 2026 reveal and a 2027 race debut for the Goodwood racing concept. Production of the road-going Lexus RC F is due to end in late 2025, and the mid-size performance coupe has not been available in Australia since 2021. We expect similar timing for the arrival of the more sanitised – yet far from pedestrian – GT Concept as a street-legal production car in showrooms. It has also been spied track testing and on public roads in California. If the concept is an accurate rendition of the production version, the road-going model's long, wide and low-slung two-door body will still feature aggressive front and rear bumpers comprising massive front air intakes, but more showroom-friendly bonnet vents and a much smaller rear lip spoiler. As you can see from the interior image of the GT Concept posted by the Goodwood FoS, which we've lightened to show more details, its cabin features two deeply sculpted bucket seats flanking a large central console bridge, at the front of which is a tablet-style multimedia screen, and a bright crimson red colourway. The engine in both cars at Goodwood – which clearly made all the guttural sounds of a V8 – has also not been disclosed, but it could be a further development of the 5.0-litre V8 (codenamed 2UR-GSE) that powered the road-going RC F. It's also found under the bonnet of the Lexus LC500 grand touring coupe and convertible, production of which is also expected to end in 2026. The GT3 ruleset for 2027 has not yet been locked in and may include mandatory hybridisation as part of a push for more 'road-car relevance'. The road-going Lexus LFR could emply a hybrid twin-turbo V8 powertrain regardless of the race rules. The V8 will also be used by Toyota Australia in local Supercars competition, with Ryan Walkinshaw confirming his team – Walkinshaw Andretti United – is planning its first Toyota GR Supra track test in late August ahead of its 2026 switch from its current Ford Mustang. Lexus has trademarked the LFR name in Europe, and the Japanese luxury brand would almost certainly make its new flagship sports car available in Australia following its global launch by 2027. The previous Lexus LFA was priced at $700,000 before on-road costs when it was sold in Australia between 2011 and 2012, with only 10 of 500 examples available globally landing here. MORE: Everything Lexus MORE: Everything Toyota Content originally sourced from: Toyota has revealed both road and race versions of its new flagship performance coupe wrapped in heavy camouflage at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK on the weekend. No official images or information has been released by the Japanese automaker, which used Goodwood to show off a pair of disguised V8-powered sports cars, including a hardcore race car that could wear Toyota badges and a road-going version that may be badged as the Lexus LFR. One looks like a worthy showroom successor to the Ferrari-rivaling, limited-edition Lexus LFA hypercar, the other a track-ready GT3 version of the next Toyota GR Supra that's already spied in testing multiple times in Europe. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. While both were driven up the famous British hill climb in a series of demonstration runs, Toyota was coy on the details – including the auto brand/s, model name/s and engine/s of the low-slung, wide-bodied sports cars. At this stage Toyota and its luxury brand say they remain "brand agnostic" about the new flagship super coupe, but at its Goodwood exhibit – attended by CarExpert – Toyota labelled the cars as 'Toyota GT Concept' and 'Toyota GT Racing Concept'. A YouTube clip posted by Toyota Global also referred to the two cars as "Toyota's all-new sports cars". The deliberate vagueness points to the car running under two different names: the road-going model as the Lexus LFR (the long-awaited successor to the legendary V10-engined Lexus LFA hypercar), and the race car as the track-only GT3 version of the next-generation Toyota Supra. At the 2022 Tokyo motor show, Toyota revealed the Gazoo Racing GT3 Concept, a dedicated racer designed to be sold to teams for the sports car-based GT3 motorsport category – which in Australia includes the Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race, won earlier this year by BMW. The Goodwood GT Racing Concept – clearly not street-legal with its extreme aero package and extras including a large bonnet intake, sliding side windows, bigger race wheels and brakes, Michelin slick tyres and centrally-mounted rear spoiler, builds on the 2022 concept. The racer has been spied testing on iconic European race circuits including Spa Francorchamps in Belgium and the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany. The timing suggests it will replace the race version of the Lexus RC F, which is currently eligible for the GT3 category until the end of next year, indicating a 2026 reveal and a 2027 race debut for the Goodwood racing concept. Production of the road-going Lexus RC F is due to end in late 2025, and the mid-size performance coupe has not been available in Australia since 2021. We expect similar timing for the arrival of the more sanitised – yet far from pedestrian – GT Concept as a street-legal production car in showrooms. It has also been spied track testing and on public roads in California. If the concept is an accurate rendition of the production version, the road-going model's long, wide and low-slung two-door body will still feature aggressive front and rear bumpers comprising massive front air intakes, but more showroom-friendly bonnet vents and a much smaller rear lip spoiler. As you can see from the interior image of the GT Concept posted by the Goodwood FoS, which we've lightened to show more details, its cabin features two deeply sculpted bucket seats flanking a large central console bridge, at the front of which is a tablet-style multimedia screen, and a bright crimson red colourway. The engine in both cars at Goodwood – which clearly made all the guttural sounds of a V8 – has also not been disclosed, but it could be a further development of the 5.0-litre V8 (codenamed 2UR-GSE) that powered the road-going RC F. It's also found under the bonnet of the Lexus LC500 grand touring coupe and convertible, production of which is also expected to end in 2026. The GT3 ruleset for 2027 has not yet been locked in and may include mandatory hybridisation as part of a push for more 'road-car relevance'. The road-going Lexus LFR could emply a hybrid twin-turbo V8 powertrain regardless of the race rules. The V8 will also be used by Toyota Australia in local Supercars competition, with Ryan Walkinshaw confirming his team – Walkinshaw Andretti United – is planning its first Toyota GR Supra track test in late August ahead of its 2026 switch from its current Ford Mustang. Lexus has trademarked the LFR name in Europe, and the Japanese luxury brand would almost certainly make its new flagship sports car available in Australia following its global launch by 2027. The previous Lexus LFA was priced at $700,000 before on-road costs when it was sold in Australia between 2011 and 2012, with only 10 of 500 examples available globally landing here. MORE: Everything Lexus MORE: Everything Toyota Content originally sourced from: Toyota has revealed both road and race versions of its new flagship performance coupe wrapped in heavy camouflage at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK on the weekend. No official images or information has been released by the Japanese automaker, which used Goodwood to show off a pair of disguised V8-powered sports cars, including a hardcore race car that could wear Toyota badges and a road-going version that may be badged as the Lexus LFR. One looks like a worthy showroom successor to the Ferrari-rivaling, limited-edition Lexus LFA hypercar, the other a track-ready GT3 version of the next Toyota GR Supra that's already spied in testing multiple times in Europe. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. While both were driven up the famous British hill climb in a series of demonstration runs, Toyota was coy on the details – including the auto brand/s, model name/s and engine/s of the low-slung, wide-bodied sports cars. At this stage Toyota and its luxury brand say they remain "brand agnostic" about the new flagship super coupe, but at its Goodwood exhibit – attended by CarExpert – Toyota labelled the cars as 'Toyota GT Concept' and 'Toyota GT Racing Concept'. A YouTube clip posted by Toyota Global also referred to the two cars as "Toyota's all-new sports cars". The deliberate vagueness points to the car running under two different names: the road-going model as the Lexus LFR (the long-awaited successor to the legendary V10-engined Lexus LFA hypercar), and the race car as the track-only GT3 version of the next-generation Toyota Supra. At the 2022 Tokyo motor show, Toyota revealed the Gazoo Racing GT3 Concept, a dedicated racer designed to be sold to teams for the sports car-based GT3 motorsport category – which in Australia includes the Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race, won earlier this year by BMW. The Goodwood GT Racing Concept – clearly not street-legal with its extreme aero package and extras including a large bonnet intake, sliding side windows, bigger race wheels and brakes, Michelin slick tyres and centrally-mounted rear spoiler, builds on the 2022 concept. The racer has been spied testing on iconic European race circuits including Spa Francorchamps in Belgium and the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany. The timing suggests it will replace the race version of the Lexus RC F, which is currently eligible for the GT3 category until the end of next year, indicating a 2026 reveal and a 2027 race debut for the Goodwood racing concept. Production of the road-going Lexus RC F is due to end in late 2025, and the mid-size performance coupe has not been available in Australia since 2021. We expect similar timing for the arrival of the more sanitised – yet far from pedestrian – GT Concept as a street-legal production car in showrooms. It has also been spied track testing and on public roads in California. If the concept is an accurate rendition of the production version, the road-going model's long, wide and low-slung two-door body will still feature aggressive front and rear bumpers comprising massive front air intakes, but more showroom-friendly bonnet vents and a much smaller rear lip spoiler. As you can see from the interior image of the GT Concept posted by the Goodwood FoS, which we've lightened to show more details, its cabin features two deeply sculpted bucket seats flanking a large central console bridge, at the front of which is a tablet-style multimedia screen, and a bright crimson red colourway. The engine in both cars at Goodwood – which clearly made all the guttural sounds of a V8 – has also not been disclosed, but it could be a further development of the 5.0-litre V8 (codenamed 2UR-GSE) that powered the road-going RC F. It's also found under the bonnet of the Lexus LC500 grand touring coupe and convertible, production of which is also expected to end in 2026. The GT3 ruleset for 2027 has not yet been locked in and may include mandatory hybridisation as part of a push for more 'road-car relevance'. The road-going Lexus LFR could emply a hybrid twin-turbo V8 powertrain regardless of the race rules. The V8 will also be used by Toyota Australia in local Supercars competition, with Ryan Walkinshaw confirming his team – Walkinshaw Andretti United – is planning its first Toyota GR Supra track test in late August ahead of its 2026 switch from its current Ford Mustang. Lexus has trademarked the LFR name in Europe, and the Japanese luxury brand would almost certainly make its new flagship sports car available in Australia following its global launch by 2027. The previous Lexus LFA was priced at $700,000 before on-road costs when it was sold in Australia between 2011 and 2012, with only 10 of 500 examples available globally landing here. MORE: Everything Lexus MORE: Everything Toyota Content originally sourced from:
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Hot Holdens star at UK Festival of Speed
A pair of legendary Holden race cars have starred at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, knocking off rivals including the Ford Mustang GTD, TWR Supercat and Porsche 911 GT3 R in the final of the timed shoot-out. The fastest Holden was the 2008 Holden Racing Team (HRT) VE Commodore driving by current British Touring Car Champion Jake Hill, who clocked a 48.35-second run up the narrow 1.86km course. That was good enough to come home fifth overall in the 20-car field, won by the 43.22 second run set by a 1030kW electric Ford Supertruck driven by Romain Dumas, who set an unofficial lap record around Bathurst in an electric Ford Transit in 2024. The VE Commodore V8 Supercar that Hill drove at Goodwood ran HRT's 2008 livery and, while it was originally built by the factory Holden team, the car was first raced that season by sister outfit, the HSV Dealer Team, by Rick Kelly. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert New Zealand Supercars star Greg 'Murph' Murphy – a four-time Bathurst 1000 winner – was also in top form at the wheel of the Holden Monaro 427C which he co-drove with Peter Brock, Todd Kelly and Jason Bright to win the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour. The Monaro 427C was built by Garry Rogers Motorsport for the Australian Nations Cup Championship, with its crown jewel event a 24-hour race at Mount Panorama, Bathurst. It was so-named as the road-going Monaro's 5.7-litre V8 was replaced by a 7.0-litre version – which is 427 cubic inches – with the wild Monaro winning both 24 Bathurst races held in 2002 and 2003 and spawning a limited-edition 'HRT 427' showroom model. Running it in its 2003 Bathurst race livery, including Peter Brock's famous '05' racing number, 'Murph' took the red Monaro up the Goodwood hill more than two seconds faster in his last run for a 50.37 time. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The effort saw the Kiwi jump from 11th in provisional runs to storm home seventh overall, pipping the Ford Mustang GTD of Dirk Muller in the process. Making it three antipodean top ten results, fellow New Zealander Steven Richards – a five-time Bathurst winner – came home tenth in the Nissan Skyline GTS-R which took the 1990 Australian Touring Car Championship by his father, Jim. MORE: Everything Holden
