Toyota commits to Supercars with V8-powered Supra for 2026

Can Toyota muscle the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro off the top step of the podium at the Bathurst 1000?

The top-selling car brand Down Under certainly thinks so.

Toyota Australia has committed to a five-year program starting in 2026 that will see it race V8-powered Toyota Supras in the Supercars category that has long been dominated by Ford and General Motors, the latter predominantly under the now-defunct Holden brand.

”Toyota will compete in the pinnacle of Australian motorsport - Supercars,” said Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations.

“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.”

Hanley pointed to the growing performance-focussed Gazoo Racing sub-brand as the catalyst for the multi-million-dollar program that aims to shake up the motorsport establishment.

It’s all about broadening the appeal and buyer base of a brand known for its conservative road cars and robust off-roaders.

The first of at least two teams (for a total of four cars on the grid) will be run by Walkinshaw Andretti United, which formerly ran the Holden Racing Team in the dominant days of drivers including Peter Brock, Mark Skaife and Craig Lowndes.

The deal comes after decades of discussions and speculation that Toyota would take its rich motorsport heritage - including rallying, Formula 1, NASCAR, WEC and more - into the Supercars realm.

But instead of using a mainstream car as the basis for its Supercars campaign, Toyota is turning to the two-seat Supra sports car.

And rather than the BMW engine it runs on the road, the race-ready Supercars version will get a heavily tuned 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 that was used in various Lexus cars and also a Dakar-winning Hilux in 2019.

While Supercars now permits other engine configurations, no manufacturer has raced anything but a V8 since the mid-1990s.

When asked if any consideration was given to running a six-cylinder, Hanley quipped it was discussed for ”about three minutes” before adding “actually it was probably about one [minute]”.

Bringing Toyota to the Supercars grid represents the latest manufacturer to try to break the Aussie race track duopoly that has so often focussed on Ford and Holden.

However, while recent Supercars combatants such as Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo were relatively short-lived, Toyota is adamant it is here for the long haul.

And the brand says it will win.

“We’re not coming in to come second,” said Hanley, saying the current Supercars commitment was from 2026 until 2030.

He added that the brand planned to win the iconic Bathurst 1000 that is seen as the pinnacle of local motorsport.

“I promise you this: We don’t give up, we don’t stop, we keep going and we will win this race eventually, make no mistake about it.”

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