One of the most iconic sportscars to ever come out of Japan is undoubtedly Toyota’s beloved ’90s-era MkIV Supra. And much of its tuning potential allure comes from its dynamic, bulletproof twin turbo 2JZ-GTE inline-six engine. After the brand discontinued the model, it wouldn’t be seen again for 17 years when, after a joint project with BMW was unveiled, the fifth-generation Supra, which shares its platform with the topless BMW Z4, entered the market with its inherited BMW inline-six.
Now, you can add one more powerful engine to the Supra’s badge, though this one isn’t something you can source through your local dealership. The automaker’s Australian branch revealed that the GR Supra will be thrust into the ultra-competitive Repco Supercars Championship in 2026, and it won’t be powered by a turbo six-cylinder engine at all. Instead, it will rely on a naturally aspirated V8, like its competition.
What Is The Repco Supercars Championship?
Previously known as the Australian Touring Car Championship, it was initially a single-race event, but has grown into a highly competitive championship series. Often competing in extreme conditions, the events take place throughout the largest cities in Australia, and include an annual event in rural Bathurst. In fact, the Bathurst 1000 event takes place in less than a month, on October 9-13.
As of 2023, Chevy’s Camaro has gone to battle with Ford’s Mustang, but for the 2026 season, Toyota will add four examples of the GR Supra to the roster, headed by two different teams. One has yet to be revealed, while the other team is based on Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU), Toyota’s homologation team partner, and the team will place seasoned drivers Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood on driving duties. WAU currently has other ties to Toyota, too, as it’s responsible for converting left-hand drive North American Tundras to a right-hand drive layout at its Melbourne facility.
Supra Gets Two More Cylinders
To even the playing field, all vehicles in competition are limited to a minimum weight of 2,943 pounds, and all use V8 engines. Ford’s Mustang relies on an aluminum block Coyote 5.4-liter, quad-cam V8, while the Camaro uses a 5.7-liter, single-cam V8 with aluminum block, both of which are new engines debuted last year and both are listed as producing 600 horsepower.
The GR Supra will be powered by a familiar face in the naturally aspirated, all-aluminum, 5.0-liter 2UR-GSE quad-cam V8 that you’ve seen under the hood of the Lexus LC500 and RC-F, for example. It’s also the same big eight that motivated a Toyota Hilux truck to victory at the Dakar Rally in 2019. Exact specs of the Gen3 Supercars engine haven’t been revealed yet, but expect similar output to its competition.
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It’s A Supra, Sort Of
Unlike a grassroots racing project, the GR Supra headed to do battle in Supercars isn’t a standard model that’s been modified and engine swapped. Instead, it’s a ground-up build based around a class-specific, chromoly tubular chassis that runs throughout the length and width of the car. The front and rear clips are removable and intended to be replaced in the case of an accident or wall collision, both of which are common occurrences. These clips feature precision welding and are remarkably rigid and allow engines, like Toyota’s 2UR-GSE V8, to be placed exactly where its engineers feel it will perform best in the vehicle.
The main chassis and its front and rear clips are covered by body panels that will represent the GR Supra as best they can, but widths, curves, and additions are needed to make it all work. Even its windshield, which is a polycarbonate laminate with a heated filament that combats fogging, is used. Though you can’t see them, there are also multiple clear plastic layers that can be peeled off once they’ve become peppered with bugs and road debris, though at least two layers are always left in place for protecting the $7,000 windscreen. The pricey piece is just one of the parts required to make it all work and helps push the average cost of a new Gen3 Supercars build to upwards of $600,000.
Looking The Part
Though it’s too early to see the real thing as Toyota will be developing their supercar competition platform for the next few years, they did present a clay model, which is the result of C.A.D. and VR technology used at their Altona facility, to go along with their digital renderings and give a hint at what to expect. In essence, it greatly resembles that of the roadgoing version of the GR Supra at a glance, but if you look closely, there are some changes.
The hood features dramatic creases that lead to the center of the bumper and there’s a space in the center of the hood, near the windscreen, that sits lower than the rest of the surface. The front bumper is lower and accompanied by much larger side ducts as well as a pronounced splitter, and in the rear, a large wing rests atop swooping pedestals. Lastly, a set of exhaust finishers appear just below the car’s left flank. Excessive aero was eliminated from Gen3 racers in 2023, when an overhaul of the guidelines was done, including reducing downforce by over 65% to put more emphasis on driver skill and, in turn, offer more chances for overtaking opponents.
This isn’t Toyota’s first rodeo as their racing efforts run deep, with the company having taken part in the World Endurance Championship, World Rally Championship, the previously mentioned Dakar Rally victory, campaigning their NASCAR Camry, as well as a slew of circuit racing, GT, and other rally efforts worldwide. This new endeavor won’t be short-lived as the brand has committed to five years of participation with their four-car line-up.
Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing, and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, states, “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.”
News Summary:
- Toyota GR Supra Will Get V8 Power To Take On Supercars Championship
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