Toyota to join Supercars in 2026 with GR Supra

Powerhouse brand Toyota Australia has sensationally confirmed the GR Supra will join the Repco Supercars Championship from 2026.

In a blockbuster announcement, Toyota will field a minimum of four Gen3 GR Supras in 2026. Two Supras will be run by homologation team partner Walkinshaw Andretti United, driven by Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood, with a second team to be announced in due course.

Toyota has committed to racing in the Supercars Championship for five years, and will become the third brand to race in the Gen3 era alongside Ford and Chevrolet, extending the famous Japanese marque’s commitment to Australian motorsport.

Already, Toyota supports its one-make grassroots Toyota GAZOO Racing Australia (TGRA) Scholarship Series and GR Cup, and the TGRA Rally Team alongside Neal Bates Motorsport.

Toyota is also a dominant force in international competition, winning championships in the World Endurance Championship, the World Rally Championship and NASCAR.

Beyond motorsport, Toyota Australia is also a major partner of the AFL, Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams, Cricket Australia, Country Music Festival, North Queensland Cowboys and Adelaide Crows.

Toyota Australia has already begun initial design work on the GR Supra Supercar through its own in-house design team, based at Altona. The design team used CAD and VR technology to produce a scale clay model, which was on display at the launch.

The GR Supra Supercar will use Toyota’s 2UR-GSE all-aluminium, quad-cam V8 as its baseline engine. The engine has featured in a range of performance production cars, as well as the 2019 Dakar-winning HiLux.

It’s the latest step in the brand’s GR performance arm, which has a range of performance cars including the GR86, GR Yaris, GR Corolla and GR Supra.

Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the news is an “historic moment” for both the brand and Supercars.

“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,” Hanley said.

“This is truly an historic moment. Our GR brand and performance cars were built on the knowledge that we gain from participating in top-level motorsport and our entry into the Supercars Championship will cement that connection and give us the opportunity to showcase TOYOTA GAZOO Racing excitement to a wide audience of passionate fans.

“It will also provide an opportunity for a continuous career pathway for drivers and teams that we first established when we launched the one-make Toyota 86 Series nine years ago as an affordable grassroots circuit-racing category run as a support series at select Supercars Championship events around the country.

“It has been the perfect environment for up-and-coming drivers to learn and hone their racecraft, and such has been its success, that it is well recognised as a career pathway into the top tier of Australian motorsport.

“For proof, you only need to look at this year’s Supercars grid with Broc Feeney, Will Brown and Cameron Hill all having cut their racing teeth in Toyota 86s, with many more 86 alumni racing in Super2.

“With our entry-level Scholarship Series, and what is now branded the TGRA GR CUP continuing as a support category for Supercars, our joining the Supercars Championship was a natural extension of our support for Australian motorsport at all levels.

“And with our strong and ever-growing partnerships with Walkinshaw Andretti United and Supercars, we are in it, to win it."

Supercars CEO Shane Howard welcomed the “landmark” news, saying it is a testament to the "immense popularity and international appeal” of the championship

“This is an incredible honour, to welcome Toyota to the Repco Supercars Championship from 2026,” Howard said.

“It’s a testament to the immense popularity and international appeal of our sport that a powerhouse like Toyota has chosen to join our grid.

"We congratulate Toyota on its commitment to Supercars and are proud to be in such esteemed company as it continues its global motorsport legacy.

"There couldn’t be a more fitting time to make this historic announcement than in the lead-up to the Repco Bathurst 1000, our premier event that captures the attention of fans around the world.”

It is also a major coup for WAU, which began life as a Holden team in 1990, and after a long and decorated stint with Commodores, began racing Ford Mustangs in 2023.

From 2026, WAU — which was the Holden factory team for nearly 30 years — will be a homologation team, something of key importance to Team Director Ryan Walkinshaw.

“To announce our future with Toyota Australia, as it enters the Supercars Championship from 2026, is a fantastic honour and privilege for everyone at Walkinshaw Andretti United,” Walkinshaw said.

“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.”

The 2026 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Repco Bathurst 1000 on October 10-13. Tickets for the event are on sale now.