Toyota to enter Supercars with four-pronged Supra attack in 2026
Supercars will become a battle between three of the biggest car manufacturers in the world, when Toyota joins Ford and General Motors in Australia's premier motorsport category.
Following a decade of speculation, the iconic Japanese brand confirmed it will enter the sport with Walkinshaw Andretti United for the 2026 season.
The entry will see at least four Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) Supras on the grid for at least five years, two of which will be run by the WAU team directly.
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Supercars chief executive Shane Howard said the brand's entry into the sport was a "landmark moment for Supercars".
"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," he said.
An artists impression of the Supra with which Toyota will compete in the 2026 Supercars championship. Toyota Australia
"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."
When Toyota arrives at the Bathurst 1000 in 2026, it will be the first time the brand has competed for outright victory in the race since 1992.
Toyota is the first new manufacturer to enter the sport since Volvo in 2014, although Chevrolet took over from Holden as the General Motors brand at the beginning of the Gen3 era in 2023.
Walkinshaw Andretti United have been racing Ford Mustangs since the start of the 2023 season. Getty
Toyota's interest in joining the sport has been rumoured since the turn of the century, but intensified ahead of the 2013 season, for which regulation overhaul brought with it entries by Nissan and Mercedes. Volvo joined a year later.
All three have since exited the sport, leaving only Ford and General Motors, which ran Holdens until the end of 2022, although factory support had ended for 2021.
Having once competed has the factory Holden Racing Team, Walkinshaw has also previously been linked to Jaguar and BMW. The team has been racing Ford Mustangs since the introduction of the Gen3 car for the 2023 season.
Toyota Australia marketing boss Sean Hanley said it was a "historic moment".
A clay model of the Supra with which Toyota will compete in the 2026 Supercars championship. Toyota Australia
"We have been toying with the idea of competing in Supercars for more than 20 years," he said.
"And now with the right car, the right team, and a very strong partnership ... the time is definitely right."
Toyota has already begun design work on the first Supra Supercars at its Altona base in south-west Melbourne.
The brand currently operates the single-make series running production-based Toyota 86 cars, of which Triple Eight stats Broc Feeney and Will Brown are graduates.
It also gives factory support to a team in the Australian Rally Championship. Abroad, it has been competing in NASCAR since 2007, and competed in Formula 1 between 2002-2009.
Practice for the Bathurst 1000 begins on October 10, before the race on October 13.
