- Toyota will enter the Supercars Championship in Australia with a race-prepped GR Supra.
- The modified GR Supra will feature a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine from Lexus.
- Walkinshaw Andretti United will race the Supra against Ford Mustangs and Chevy Camaros.
The Toyota GR Supra is about to trade German finesse for brute force as it morphs into a V8-powered race car for the Supercars Championship in Australia, set to debut in 2026 for a five-year stint. Toyota will be the third automaker to join the fray, with the GR Supra going head-to-head against the V8-heavyweights: Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.
Currently under development, the GR Supra race car will meet the Supercars Championship GEN3 regulations. Designed in-house by Toyota Australia in Altona, the project has already been teased through a scale clay model and digital renderings.
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In addition to extensive aerodynamic and chassis modifications, the GR Supra will ditch its BMW-sourced straight-six engine for a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8. The all-aluminum, quad-cam 2UR-GSE powerplant, found in high-performance Lexus models like the LC 500 and RC-F, also powered the rally-prepped Hilux that conquered Dakar in 2019. Full racecar specifications will be revealed at a later date.
The V8 Supra will sport the colors of Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU), with Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood behind the wheel. WAU, which raced with Holdens from 1987 until 2023, switched to Ford—but that partnership is short-lived. After just three seasons, WAU will jump ship to Toyota in 2026. As of now, the team boasts six drivers’ titles and 191 championship race wins.
Ryan Walkinshaw, Director of WAU, commented: “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 together in 2026 and beyond. While the future is certainly exciting, our immediate focus is on the remainder of 2024 and the 2025 seasons, winning races, and sending off our relationship with Ford the right way.”
Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia Vice President for Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, said: “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,”
Toyota claims its Supercars entry will “provide valuable knowledge for the further development of its GR road cars.” But don’t hold your breath for a V8-powered GR Supra in production—it’s going to stick with the six-cylinder until its rumored 2026 farewell. Before then, expect a GRMN-branded Supra with a beefed-up six-cylinder engine, sharper aerodynamics, and a track-focused chassis to make a final hurrah.
