Toyota and Supercars: Everything you need to know

Here’s everything you need to know about the landmark news, all in one place.

When will Toyota join the championship?

Toyota will enter the Supercars Championship for the start of the 2026 season.

Which model will Toyota race?

The company has selected its two-door GR Supra sportscar.

Like with the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, the body will be draped over Supercars’ control Gen3 platform and its aerodynamic package tuned for parity with the incumbents.

What about the engine?

While the Supra is sold with a three-litre, six-cylinder engine sourced from BMW, the Supercar will compete with a version of Toyota’s 2UR-GSE, all-aluminium, quad-cam V8.

A 5.4-litre variant of the engine features in the GT3 racer of Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus. Toyota has initially indicated a five-litre capacity for the Supercars example.

Which teams will race Toyotas?

Walkinshaw Andretti United has been selected as Toyota’s homologation team and will field two Supras from 2026.

Toyota has made a commitment of at least four cars and says it’s searching for a second team.

Chevrolet squad Team 18 is already being linked to a possible Toyota switch, due to owner Charlie Schwerkolt having strong ties with Toyota through his Waverley Forklifts empire.

What about drivers?

The Toyota announcement included confirmation that current WAU drivers Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood are contracted to the team through 2026, meaning they will be among the first Gen3 Supra drivers.

Will the grid expand for Toyota?

Although Supercars has not ruled out an expansion of the grid, this appears unlikely. Supercars runs on a franchise system known as Teams Racing Charters and there are currently 24 in the market.

Why would WAU leave Ford?

Apart from any direct financial incentives, WAU has coveted being a Homologation Team, joining Triple Eight (Chevrolet) and Dick Johnson Racing (Ford) with that status.

Homologation teams work directly with Supercars on the technical package for each model, representing all squads running that brand.

Walkinshaw was the homologation team for Holden from the late 1980s through to 2017, when it lost the GM deal to Triple Eight. It attempted to purchase the Ford engine program at the end of 2023 but lost out to DJR.

How long has Toyota committed for?

Toyota has declared the Supercars program to be a minimum five-year commitment, running from 2026 to 2030.

Why is Toyota joining now?

Toyota has explored entering Supercars before but did not wish to weigh in as a third-wheel in the ‘tribal’ Holden versus Ford battle.

Times have changed in Supercars and in the road car market, where Toyota is now battling against many challenger brands, including from China.

Supercars gives Toyota the chance to connect with ‘heartland’ customers and push the GR (Gazoo Racing) moniker that adds sporting credentials to its overall image.

Who are the key players?

Toyota Australia’s Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, was front and centre at the media reveal.

Hanley is a big supporter of motorsport. He was the CEO of Lexus Australia when it explored entering Supercars and became the category’s Safety Car supplier in 2015.

Speaking at the announcement, Hanley also pointed to Neil Crompton as being instrumental in Toyota’s journey. Crompton is a long-time Toyota brand ambassador and the category manager for the GR Cup series.

Has any work on the project already been done?

Toyota has undertaken initial design work via its in-house team based in Altona, Melbourne. Supercars has also been part of the project to date, with WAU now set to have more involvement.

When will we see the first Gen3 Supra?

A 40 percent clay model was on display at a media reveal of the Toyota Supercars deal on the Gold Coast on Tuesday. Toyota aims to have a 1:1 model at the Bathurst 1000, but when a full race car will be complete is unclear.

Has Toyota raced in the Bathurst 1000 before?

Yes. Toyota has a long history of being a class contender in the Great Race from the late 1960s to the early 90s, mainly with its Corolla nameplate, taking numerous wins.

The Celica was also raced in the late 1970s and early 80s, most famously by RaceCam pioneer Peter Williamson, while Supras were on the grid in the Group A era between 1984 and ’92.

The last time Toyotas competed in the Bathurst 1000 was the 1998 Super Touring race, where the Carina, Corolla, Corona and Camry models were all raced by privateers.

Will the Toyota GR86 series continue?

Yes. Toyota has affirmed it’s committed to running the GR Cup and new second-tier TGRA Scholarship Series through until at least the end of 2026.

The one-make class and its role in developing current Supercars talents such as Will Brown and Broc Feeney was emphasised at the launch.

What do Ford and GM think?

Both manufacturers have welcomed Toyota to the grid, despite in Ford’s case losing one of its best-performing teams to a rival brand.

The reception is a far cry from when Toyota explored an entry with the Avalon some 20 years ago and the two ‘Aussie’ brands campaigned to keep them out.

The three already face-off in NASCAR, where Toyota races the Camry model against the Mustang and Camaro in the Cup Series and fields a Supra-branded machine in the second-tier Xfinity.