In the NASCAR garage, cars stand at the heart of what makes the sport thrive. Fans tune in to see these machines roar at top speeds on the track. Over time, NASCAR has tweaked the cars to keep things fresh and exciting for everyone involved. Yet the shift to the current Next Gen car brought bigger changes, like tires growing from 15 inches to 18 inches and horsepower dropping from around 900 in the Gen-6 era to 670 now, making passes tougher on many tracks. Drivers like Kyle Larson have noted the impact, saying, “I think if we would still have the 2021 car, I would have about 50 Cup wins right now. I think switching to this car has limited us from winning.”

But the roots of NASCAR’s car generations stretch back to 1948, with the first Strictly Stock cars running until 1966, before Gen-2 took over. With the Next Gen in play for just three years since its 2022 debut, whispers about a Gen-8 car are already circulating in the garage. Talks around the garage move around possible boosts in horsepower or tweaks to tire sizes, though nothing is official yet. But why have fans become hopeless? Let’s try to find out.

Even as the Next Gen car aimed to level the playing field with its spec chassis and single-source parts when it rolled out in 2022, drivers and teams quickly spotted flaws that hurt racing action. Passing became hard on short tracks due to the car’s wide tires and lower horsepower, leading to races where track position trumped skill. Denny Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, recently pushed for a horsepower bump. “I don’t see a reason not to go back to the 750 HP and just try it,” Hamlin said. “Please, let’s go back to the 750, and let’s just try and see if it puts it back in the drivers’ hands.” At certain venues, arguing it would put more control back in drivers’ hands after his wins at Martinsville and Darlington highlighted the car’s limits.

This backdrop of ongoing tweaks, like the 4-inch spoiler for reduced downforce, has fans questioning if NASCAR can fix core issues without a full overhaul, fueling early chatter about Gen-8 despite the current model’s young age. NASCAR’s executive vice president Steve O’Donnell addressed the forward thinking, stating, “We’re already starting to think about what does the next car looks like.” His words come amid tests of an electric prototype at Martinsville in 2023, but he clarified the stance on full electrification, saying, “Is NASCAR going all electric? No, you know, we wanted to be in that space at least to showcase that we could.”

With potential Gen-8 updates eyed for 2028 or later, including powertrain revamps or body style refreshes like Chevrolet’s planned 2026 Camaro tweaks, these hints suggest evolution over revolution. Yet the timing feels rushed to many, as the Next Gen’s safety gains, such as its stiffer structure, clash with complaints from drivers like Joey Logano about harsher crashes compared to Gen-6. This mix leaves room for hybrid elements or higher power, but without firm plans, it stirs uncertainty rooted in the sport’s push to attract new manufacturers while keeping costs down.

A Reddit post from a new fan asking, “What should I expect from the 8th-gen car?” captured this mix of curiosity and doubt, drawing responses that echoed broader frustrations with the current setup. The thread highlighted how spec parts make cars too similar, limiting overtakes, and sparked wild guesses on future shifts. This online buzz sets the stage for digging into what fans really think.

Fan reactions to Gen-8 buzz

Longtime followers know NASCAR’s car changes often spark backlash, much like the shift from Gen-6’s higher speeds to the Next Gen’s focus on parity. One fan summed up the cycle neatly: “People would be complaining and want the Gen 7 car back…“ This rings true given how the 2022 intro brought initial excitement with more winners but soon drew fire for slowdowns, like lap times dropping over 10 mph at superspeedways compared to Gen-6’s 900-horsepower peak. The sentiment ties back to past transitions, where fans mourned lost thrills, fearing Gen-8 might repeat the pattern without bold fixes.

Sometimes speculation can get creative when nothing is official, especially with NASCAR’s history of borrowing tech from other series. A commenter joked about extreme overhauls. “Massive rear wings, f-ducts, electric engines, open cockpits with spotters as co-drivers, Pirelli tires, front-wheel drive, push to pass.” This nods to real talks, like the 2023 Garage 56 hybrid at Le Mans, but amplifies fears of straying too far from NASCAR’s V8 roots, which O’Donnell stressed fans love for the sound and power.

One reaction captured the cynicism. “NASCAR will own every single piece of the car intellectually and will loan the cars to teams to make sure they make money on everything… oh wait.“ The push toward standardization in the Next Gen, with its identical chassis built by Technique Inc., has rubbed some the wrong way since day one. It highlights how teams lost the freedom to craft custom frames, a staple in earlier eras like Gen-4’s tube-frame days, leading to complaints about stifled innovation and higher costs despite aims to cut them.

“Gen 8 will be hybrid drive trains, with paddle shifters. Probably the same damn garbage chassis and restricted power.“ This builds on O’Donnell’s hints at marrying innovation with fan favorites but recalls pushback against the Next Gen’s restricted engines, which capped power at 510 hp on plate tracks, making races feel too uniform. With electrification tests underway, like the ABB-partnered EV prototype, some predict a tech-heavy future that could alienate traditionalists.

One quip painted a dystopian picture. “8th gen will just be a bunch of guys and gals sitting behind computers on iRacing. Or the cars will be AI and drive themselves.“ It stems from the sport’s digital shifts, like iRacing’s role in simulations during COVID, but underscores worries that automation could erode the human element, much like how the Next Gen’s electronics already aid drivers more than before. As talks of Gen-8 loom, extreme ideas surface amid fatigue over constant evolution. Till now, there’s no official update about the next-gen 8-car. But the NASCAR fandom is still buzzing about it, which shows how much fans love the car and how much they get involved in the sport.