Toyota is justly proud of its participation in international motorsport. It has won seven WRC manufacturer titles and six in WEC. It has won outright five times at Le Mans. When it sets its mind to it, it tends to eventually come out on top. So its forthcoming entry into the Australian Repco Supercars Championship is notable before we even get to the fact that it’ll be turning up to race with a four GR Supras in 2026, each of them powered not by the 3.0-litre straight six we’re accustomed to seeing in its GT4 EVO2, but by the sound and fury of a race-prepped naturally aspirated V8.
“At Toyota, we have been toying with the idea of competing in Supercars for more than 20 years and now with the right car, the right team, and a very strong partnership with the Repco Supercars Championship, the time is definitely right,” said Toyota Australia Vice President, Sean Hanley. “This is truly an historic moment!”
News that the manufacturer will compete in Australia’s top racing category is indeed historic, and not just because the series has been dominated (since the beginning of time) by Ford and GM. It will also be doing it in partnership with the former Holden Racing team - now known as Walkinshaw Andretti United - that is currently competing in (you guessed it) Ford Mustangs (maybe not). So it’s quite the family tree; one that will extend its roots into the competition for at least five years following Toyota’s long term commitment.
All that said, the highlight for car fans globally is the thought of Toyota’s 2UR-GSE all-aluminium, quad-cam 5.0-litre V8 being shoehorned into a bonnet that has previously only hosted four- or six-cylinder engines. The manufacturer says it has already begun the initial design work in-house, and showed a scale clay model as evidence. But it’s the prospect of the resulting noise - inevitably previewed in the announcement video - that ought to have every A90 fan excited. What it exactly it means for the road-going Supra, a car ostensibly approaching the end of its life, is hard to say. Or at least we don’t want to tempt fate by saying it. So let’s just wait and see.
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