Toyota has taken the covers off the Supra racer with which it will enter the Supercars championship in 2026.
The Japanese manufacturer released the first images of the Supra prototype at the launch event for the Bathurst 1000 in Sydney on Monday.
It followed a year after a clay model of the car was showcased to the public at Supercars’ blue-riband round in October 2024.
The ‘Supracar’ is based on Toyota’s iconic rear-wheel-drive sportscar, which has already spawned a racing variant that is used in Japan’s SUPER GT series.
Toyota has completed the first laps with the Supercars-spec version of the car at its Altona site on the outskirts of Melbourne, with Neil Crompton behind the wheel.
A full testing programme across Australia is due to commence soon, while the car will also be displayed in public at the Bathurst 1000 next month.
As revealed on Monday, Toyota’s Supercars challenger will be powered by a 5.2-litre, quad-cam V8 engine. Gen3 regulations mandate an engine capacity between 5.2 and 5.7 litres.
Toyota Supra 2026 unveil
Photo by: Toyota
“What a fantastic day for Toyota, GR and for Supercars – the race car we see here today is the culmination of years of planning and hard work from countless people, and it’s safe to say it was well worth it,” said Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations.
“The GR Supra will make for an exciting addition to the Supercars grid next year, and we can’t wait to see it in action.
“Toyota has a rich history in Australian motorsport stretching way back to its first ever entry in international motorsport in the 1957 Mobilgas Round Australia Rally and our entry into the Supercars Championship takes this to new heights.
“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, which is an ever evolving and fast-growing space for us in Australia, with further exciting development to come.
“I’d like to thank everyone at Toyota who helped make the GR Supra Supercar a reality, and to Supercars, Walkinshaw Andretti United and Brad Jones Racing for partnering with Toyota for this historic entry into the Supercars Championship.”
Toyota’s entry in 2026 means Supercars will have three manufacturers on the grid for the first time since 2019, when Nissan last competed in the series with the Altima.
It will be joined on next year’s grid by incumbents Chevrolet and Ford.
Toyota will be represented by launch partner Walkinshaw Andretti United and Brad Jones Racing.
WAU, a current Ford customer, will field two examples of the Supra, while BJR will enter another four cars after announcing its switch from Chevrolet in May.
Toyota Supra 2026 unveil
Photo by: Toyota
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