V8 Supercars chief executive David Malone hailed the start of a new era on Tuesday as Nissan unveiled its race car for next season.

The Kelly Racing team will campaign four of the Nissan Altimas in the V8 Supercar championship, which has been restricted to Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores for the past two decades.

Powered by a 32-valve, quad-cam Nissan VK56DE engine, the Nissan Altima will also be joined on the grid by AMG Mercedes cars under the competition’s new rules.

“This marks the beginning of a new era for V8 Supercars,” said Malone at the car launch in Melbourne.

“It’s very exciting for our sport, fans, teams and drivers.

“New manufacturers joining the series will mean heightened competition and new technology racing on circuits around Australia and the world.

“2013 is a revolutionary year for V8 Supercars and the unveiling of the Nissan Altima is just the beginning.”