Toyota to join Australian Supercars championship with V8 Supra

“At least” four GR Supras will run in the championship, with two run as a factory effort by Walkinshaw Andretti United and two more by a yet-to-be-confirmed second team.

The announcement sees a third Gen3 car join the grid for the first time ever, alongside existing brands Ford and Chevrolet. Toyota’s commitment to the championship will run for at least five years.

The new car is being designed in-house by Toyota in Australia, and will run a V8 engine rather than the standard road car’s BMW-derived straight-six. While the engine is new to the Supra, it has already run in a number of Toyota’s road cars and, more significantly, in the Dakar winning Hilux.

The news is a boost for the series, which has struggled to attract new brands to fight the Ford/GM duopoly since the departure of Nissan at the end of the 2019 season. 

The introduction of the latest Gen3 cars not only massively improved the cars’ looks, but aimed to reduce the cost of competing and remove the barrier to entry for new manufacturers. 

It also saw the exit of long-time Australian stalwart Holden, after the brand was totally retired by its GM overlords. It was replaced by Chevrolet, which bought in the Camaro to replace the legendary Holden Commodore. 

Chevrolet has dominated the sport since the introduction of Gen3, winning 22 of the 28 races in 2023 and 12 of the 19 races so far this year. Ford has been granted several performance breaks, and began to catch up this year, but Toyota will be hoping that a two-year development period will be enough to avoid the woes faced by the Blue Oval since the dawn of the new regulations.

Speaking of the announcement Toyota Australia Vice Presented Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley said: “This is truly an historic moment. Our GR brand and performance cars were built on the knowledge that we gain from participating in top-level motorsport and our entry into the Supercars Championship will cement that connection and give us the opportunity to showcase TOYOTA GAZOO Racing excitement to a wide audience of passionate fans.”

“It will also provide an opportunity for a continuous career pathway for drivers and teams that we first established when we launched the one-make Toyota 86 Series nine years ago as an affordable grassroots circuit-racing category run as a support series at select Supercars Championship events around the country.

“It has been the perfect environment for up-and-coming drivers to learn and hone their racecraft, and such has been its success, that it is well recognised as a career pathway into the top tier of Australian motorsport.

“For proof, you only need to look at this year’s Supercars grid with Broc Feeney, Will Brown and Cameron Hill all having cut their racing teeth in Toyota 86s, with many more 86 alumni racing in Super2.”

Supercars CEO Shane Howard added: “This is an incredible honour, to welcome Toyota to the Repco Supercars Championship from 2026.

“It’s a testament to the immense popularity and international appeal of our sport that a powerhouse like Toyota has chosen to join our grid. We congratulate Toyota on its commitment to Supercars and are proud to be in such esteemed company as it continues its global motorsport legacy.”