On Wednesday morning, Toyota Australia announced the GR Supra will compete in the Repco Supercars Championship grid from 2026 onwards.
Toyota will become the third manufacturer to compete under the Gen3 ruleset, which was introduced in 2023, joining Chevrolet and Ford. It marks the first time since 2019 that three brands will be represented in the series.
“This is truly a historic moment,” said Sean Hanley, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Toyota Australia, during the launch ceremony.
“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.”
Toyota confirmed it will race for a minimum of five years in the Supercars Championship and will provide a minimum of four GR Supras.
Two of these cars will be fielded by new homologation partner Walkinshaw Andretti United, and another team is yet to be confirmed.
At the launch, WAU team director Ryan Walkinshaw said that it was “a fantastic honour and privilege for everyone at Walkinshaw Andretti United.”
“We have developed a fantastic relationship with Toyota Australia through the Walkinshaw Group, and we are delighted to extend that partnership into Walkinshaw Andretti United – we can’t wait to share success in 2026 and beyond.”
This will be the third brand WAU has competed with, having previously been the Holden factory team from 1990 to 2016, while its current contract with Ford from 2023, will expire at the end of 2025.
WAU’s current driver lineup of Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood will be behind the wheel of the cars come 2026.
The Supra itself will be developed and designed by Toyota Australia at its facility in Altona, in Melbourne’s south-west.
Before entering the competition, the GR Supra will ditch its turbocharged inline-six engine in favour of a naturally aspirated V8.
Specifically, Toyota has opted for the 5.0 litre V8 engine that powered their Hilux to a Dakar Rally win in 2019 and is used in several Lexus models.
The Supercars Championship is another major motorsport move for Toyota, which has steadily expanded its racing portfolio over the last two decades.
The Japanese company has seen dominant recent success across international motorsports, winning the last five World Endurance Championships, and the last three manufacturer championships in the World Rally Championship.
Plus, another three manufacturer championships since 2016 in NASCAR’s Cup Series.
However, Toyota also has a widespread presence in Australia as well. The company has been the country’s best-selling car brand every year since 2003 and has deep motorsport networks across the nation with its racing championships, the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia Scholarship Series and GR Cup.
Fans will get to see a full-scale model of the new GR Supra at this year’s Bathurst 1000, taking place from October 10th to 13th.
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