Turbo-charged four and six cylinder engines, and even coupes, will be allowed to race in the V8 Supercars championship from 2017.

It’s part of a radical shake-up of the series unveiled by chief executive James Warburton on Wednesday.

The blueprint for the 2017 season and beyond opens the door for new engine and body types to compete alongside the current V8 sedans.

The cars must be publicly available for sale in Australia, have front-mounted engines, be rear-wheel and right-hand drive, and include a full four-seat configuration.

All entries, though, will use the existing `Car of the Future’ chassis and control components and be subject to engine and aerodynamic parity rules.

The plan has been unanimously approved by the V8 Supercars board.

Warburton promises the cars will continue to be loud and high-powered, regardless of what engine is run.

“We will not compromise our DNA – fast, loud and fierce racing,” he said.

“The sheer brute power and sound of V8 Supercars is synonymous with the sport.

“A key area will be retaining the acoustic effect of high-powered race cars no matter the engine or make.”

The former Channel 10 boss said while core support for the sport was strong, opening it up to brands other than the current five – Ford, Holden, Mercedes-Benz AMG, Nissan and Volvo – would have “substantial appeal”, particularly to younger fans.

Among possible new manufacturers is Lexus, with the Japanese carmaker reportedly already in high-level talks about contesting its recently-launched two-door RC F.

“It is imperative to keep the sport relevant to the current environment, entertaining and, critically, viable for the race teams,” Warburton said.

“The current climate in world motorsport is absolutely clear: manufacturers want choice in what they go racing with, otherwise they won’t participate.”

Over the next 12 months, two working groups will draft technical specifications and rules for the new Gen2 Supercar model.

Draft guidelines will be published by mid next year, with testing set to begin from February 2016.

The new plans come after Ford Australia confirmed on Monday it was pulling its support from the category at the end of the 2015 season.

The writing was on the wall for the manufacturer’s withdrawal after it revealed plans in 2013 to close its Australian plants by October 2016 and cease production of its Falcon.