Triple Eight’s crazy ‘Sandman’ wagon ex-V8 Supercar has been sold to long-time Porsche racer Stephen Grove and son Brenton.
Brenton piloted one of two Triple Eight prepared Commodore’s in last year’s Super2 championship, as well as a stint with the Queensland-based outfit in this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour.
“We sold my Supercar back to Triple Eight at the end of last year, so essentially it’s something of a trade,” Brenton told Australian touring car dealer V8 Sleuth.
“We were really interested in the Sandman and it all just happened to be a few weeks before the Holden announcement of Holden closing.
“Over the off-season the Sandman was stripped of every nut, bolt and bumper, it was painted, all the guards, the suspension arms, the whole body work, the whole chassis has been repainted, engine and transaxle rebuilt, it’s back to showroom status.
“RD [Triple Eight boss Roland Dane] wouldn’t let it out of the workshop until it was Mickey Mouse! “We did a test day with Steve in my Supercar last year and they had the Sandman there doing some filming with Red Bull, so we had a chance to drive it.
“That was deal done, the easiest sales pitch for them ever! “Originally we were going to do some sponsor rides in it but I think RD has made it so Mickey Mouse that we’re too scared to drive it now!”
The Sandman is in fact the same chassis Jamie Whincup campaigned during the 2013 V8 Supercars season, the first in the team’s ‘Car of the Future’ lineup.
But the car is far from any V8 Supercar ever seen, boasting an F1 style fly-by-wire system and six-speed paddle shift transmission.
The car also features an incredible 5.6-litre V8 creating upwards of 700 horsepower with a 8200 maximum rpm.
According to V8 Sleuth, the ‘Sandman’ can accelerate from 0-100km/hr in 3.2 seconds.