2 weeks Ago
Toyota is going from the bush to the race track with an ambitious plan to take on the Supercars championship in Australia from 2026. And the brand says it “will win” the iconic Bathurst 1000 as part of a multi-million dollar assault to take on the top tier of local motorsport. But instead of mud-covered LandCruisers or sensible fuel-sipping Camrys the top-selling brand will unleash a V8-powered version of the two-door Supra sports car on race tracks such as Mount Panorama as it looks to broaden its buyer base and leverage the performance-focused Gazoo Racing sub-brand.
”Toyota will compete in the pinnacle of Australian motorsport – Supercars,” said Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations. Toyota has inked a deal with the famed Walkinshaw Andretti United that formerly ran an at-times dominant Holden Racing Team and has McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown and US Indycar icon Michael Andretti as part owners. “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.
” And the brand that’s built its reputation on off-roaders such as the LandCruiser, Prado and HiLux – as well as city cars such as the Corolla and Camry – says it will stand on the top stop of the podium at Mount Panorama. “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,” said Hanley.
The addition of Toyota marks the latest time a manufacturer has tried to break the Ford/General Motors (through Holden) local racing duopoly. In 2013 Mercedes-Benz and Nissan muscled in on the Ford/Holden party followed in 2014 by Volvo. Each was short-lived and despite some success never seriously challenged the top two brands.
But Supercars CEO Shane Howard says “the timing is right” for a new entrant, particularly one with the factory backing of a brand as big as Toyota..
