The Australia-based Supercars Championship – once known as V8 Supercars – is undoubtedly one of the coolest racing series on the planet. The days of the bitter Ford/Holden rivalry may be behind us, but viewers are still treated to a pack of thunderous Chevrolet Camaros and Ford Mustangs racing wheel to wheel right across the country (with a round in New Zealand, too).
As we found out last autumn, it’s going to get a whole lot cooler in 2026, because after a good few years as a two-make championship, a third manufacturer is joining the fray: Toyota. After showing off a clay model last year, it’s now unveiled the finished version of its competitor, a GR Supra with a bellowing naturally aspirated V8. Need we say more?
Toyota GR Supra Supercar – side
Six Supras, built to the series’ current Gen3 ruleset, will line up on the grid next year. Two will be fielded by the Walkinshaw Andretti United team, which has also helped oversee the car’s homologation, with the remaining four to be entered by Brad Jones Racing.
Under its bonnet is a racing version of the 5.0-litre naturally aspirated 2UR-GSE V8, the engine found in hugely likeable road cars like the Lexus LC500 and RC F. While the series’ rules allow for other engine configurations (hence the dropping of V8 from its name a few years ago), all three competing makes are sticking with full-bore V8s for the time being.
Toyota GR Supra Supercar – front
Sean Hanley, Toyota’s Australian vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations, said at the car’s reveal: “Participating in motorsport, as Toyota does across the globe, is an integral part of the development of our road cars, and the experience and knowledge we gain is at the heart of our Toyota Gazoo Racing brand and our GR performance cars.”
Although the current Supra is at the end of its life as a road car, the Supercars entry only expands its already motorsport racing career. As well as a GT4 version that races globally, it’s currently used as Toyota’s factory entries in Japan’s Super GT championship and the second-tier NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Toyota GR Supra Supercar – rear
Toyota says it’s committed to racing in Supercars for at least five years, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see the model updated at some point – it was Hanley himself who let slip last year that there will be another Supra before long.
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