Whincup left wide-eyed by Gen3 'beast'

Jamie Whincup says the Gen3 era will prove a major test for drivers after a sampling a prototype on Thursday.

The freshly retired Whincup was on hand for the revamped Gen3 Camaro shakedown at Queensland Raceway.

There, the new black-liveried car was put through its paces by Erebus Motorsport driver Brodie Kostecki.

Kostecki, who is 14 years Whincup’s junior, was complementary of the car, which has undergone a number of changes.

Notably, the car has received ergonomic tweaks, and a stick shift system has been installed.

Whincup, who now heads Red Bull Ampol Racing, took over and completed laps on Hard and old-specification Super Soft tyres.

Bar a minor off at Turn 6, Whincup was left smiling after seat time.

"I did the ride day in the current car last week [in Sydney], and just jumped into this," Whincup told Supercars.com of the Gen3 Camaro.

"Honestly, the thing’s a beast. I’m so excited about it.

"I did a 15-lap stint, it’s fast… this is the biggest change we’ve had in a car ever.

"I’m excited to see over 20 of them on the grid to see what’s gonna happen in the races."

Just over a dozen laps in a Gen3 prototype was enough for Whincup to be excited by the challenges the new cars will present.

Whincup’s colleagues for the best part of a decade were all pleased with the difficulties the new cars present.

'I was hanging onto it... it got hard to drive'

Notably, Whincup’s 2010 title rival James Courtney said the new cars may favour the veterans, with Will Davison also labelling the car a "beast".

Tim Slade also added that the "aggressive" cars made his current car feel "like a limo".

Whincup, a veteran of over 500 races, says the "looser" Gen3 cars will prove a handful in races as drivers grapple tyre wear.

"I was picturing myself doing a 40-lap stint, and the tyres were starting to go off," he said.

"I was hanging onto it; it got hard to drive. That’s exactly what we want.

"The driver that hangs it on the limit longer is going to get the most out of it.

"I can’t wait for Round 1 next year to see how teams try to make the car go faster.

The Gen3 Mustang in testing

"Then it’s how drivers go in a long stint; I can see mistakes happening, I can see fatigue.

"I can see drivers falling out of the car after a long stint because it’s hard work."

Even then, even being in a race car was reason for the 39-year-old to smile, having recently watched from the sidelines in Sydney.

It came after he kept a watching brief in pre-season testing, which was also held at Queensland Raceway.

However, driving the car wasn’t just about pleasure for Whincup, who is also part of the Gen3 Steering Committee.

"I’ve got the best of both worlds. I’m very lucky," he said.

"I wasn’t down for this day, but I put my hand up and said to JJ [Jeromy Moore], ‘Can you give me some laps’.

"I’m part of the Steering Committee, and when I’m driving the car, it’s valuable for the group that I’ve done laps of the car in its current spec.

"Then I can provide info and help send it in the right direction.

"Not every decision needs to be made by driving the car, but me cutting laps will be very helpful as well."

The Gen3 prototypes will be on track at next weekend's NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint.

CLICK HERE to purchase your Tasmania event tickets.

Every session of the event will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 506 and streamed on Kayo.

The Seven Network will broadcast highlights on Saturday and Sunday.