Toyota will join the Supercars grid in 2026, announcing on Wednesday that it should partner with Walkinshaw Andretti United to race its GR Supra within the series.
Four Japanese coupes shall be on the grid, two from WAU, which currently fields a pair of Ford Mustangs for Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood, and two from a team to be announced soon.
Toyota, long the market leader in Australia, has committed to a five-year entry into the category, meaning it should race against Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros until at the least 2030.
Work on the brand new automobile is already underway at Toyota Australia’s Melbourne base. The automobile shall be powered by an engine based on the 2UR-GSE – an all-aluminium, four-cylinder V8 – as an alternative of the inline-six engine fitted to road-going Supra models.
“At Toyota we have been toying with the idea of ​​competing in Supercars for over 20 years and now, with the right car, the right team and a very strong partnership with the Supercars Championship, the time is definitely right,” said Sean Hanley, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Toyota Australia.
“This is truly a historic moment. Our GR brand and performance cars are built on the knowledge we gain from competing in top-level motorsport, and our participation in the Supercars Championship will cement this connection and give us the opportunity to showcase the excitement of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing to a broad audience of passionate fans.”
Supercars CEO Shane Howard said the Toyota announcement was an “incredible honour”.
WAU will turn out to be Toyota's homologation team, very like Dick Johnson Racing does with Ford and Triple Eights does with Chevrolet.
Chaz Mostert, Walkinshaw Andretti United Ford Mustang GT
Photo: Edge Photographics
The Walkinshaw Group is already working with Toyota to convert US-built Tundra pickups to right-hand drive at its Melbourne base.
“Announcing our future with Toyota Australia, which will enter the Supercars Championship from 2026, is a fantastic honour and privilege for everyone at Walkinshaw Andretti United,” said team principal Ryan Walkinshaw.
“We have established a fantastic partnership with Toyota Australia through the Walkinshaw Group and we are delighted to extend this to Walkinshaw Andretti United – we look forward to sharing in the success together in 2026 and beyond.”
The introduction of Toyota implies that Supercars can have greater than two manufacturers for the primary time since 2019.
Volvo joined the sector for 3 seasons, from 2014 to 2017, while Nissan competed with Altima sedans from 2013 to 2019. Mercedes-Benz also appeared on the grid as a customer, and Erebus Motorsport raced a pair of E-Class sedans from 2013 to 2015.
Toyota already competes within the Supercars Championship through the Toyota GR Cup Australia racing series, which features 86 sports cars. Toyota also competes within the Australian Rally Championship with the Neal Bates Motorsport team.
