In 2018, INDY CAR will enter a new era of design and performance.

The redesign without a new chassis was key for a few reasons. First, it saves team owners from the expense of having to buy an all-new chassis, which should keep car counts high. Second, it puts the $10 – 15 million spent on developing the aerokits back in Honda and Chevy’s pockets. Most importantly, third, it lowers the threshold for a third or fourth engine manufacturer to enter the series. Instead of having to develop an aerokit and an engine, they are just on the hook for an engine.

That’s a big help.

There are larger sidepods which sponsors will love, especially because the current sidepods can barely fit a name and other aero bits can cover the names. The LEDs to display position and push-to-pass data are more advanced and there are on-board cameras built-in all over the car.

It’s supposed to be even safer than before, with fewer pieces that can scatter in an incident. It’s also ready to accept a windscreen or some sort of cockpit protection. The aerokit is also made of fewer parts, which should help the bottom line of the team owners.

Honda and Chevy will still supply engines to the restyled cars, and the hope is that another supplier joins sooner than later.