Supercars deal answers big Supra question

The future of the Toyota GR Supra appears to have been secured

Toyota Australia has signalled a long-term commitment to the Supra, the car it will race in Supercars, despite question marks over the future of the current platform.

The future of the Supra has been subject to speculation for some time, initially prompted by BMW’s plans to end the production of its Z4 in 2026. With the Z4 and Supra sharing a mechanical platform, rumours that Toyota may do likewise with its halo sportscar quickly surfaced.

However, signs of a longer-term commitment to the Supra emerged right here in Australia recently when Toyota announced it would join the Supercars Championship in 2026 – using a V8-powered version of the two-door coupe.

Speaking to Torquecafe, Toyota Australia chief Sean Hanley confirmed that the Supercars deal is a commitment to the nameplate, and that Supras will be on showroom floors for the foreseeable future.

“The answer to that is very simple; the car you see today, and the brand Supra, will continue,” he said.

“The car you see today will continue for years, and if and when a new model – which I fully expect to happen at some point in the future – we’ll convert over.

“That’s not in the foreseeable years, though. What you see today will continue, and the Supra brand name will continue.

“It has a long, long history in Australia. It has a long history in Toyota as our sportscar, going way back to Celica days. So it’s a really important nameplate to us.

“Obviously over the many years it’s changed and it will continue to evolve and change, as any car does. But you will continue to see Supra as an ongoing brand in Australia.”

That puts to bed any notion that Toyota may follow GM’s lead and race a car that’s not longer in series production, as is the case with the Camaro.

“This Supra is available today to buy, it just won’t be available with the V8 engine,” explained Hanley.

“But everything else you see in terms of style will be, not exact, because we’ve had to make some amendments to this car, some adjustments on size and length in particular to meet the Gen3 platform. So there are some differences between the race car and the car you can buy.

“But aesthetically, most people won’t really see that. They will still see their shape and their car.”

Hanley added that the Supra was the only car ever considered for the Supercars program during the months-long evaluation process.

“Supra was the only car because it linked nicely to the Gazoo Racing brand,” he said.

“It was the first nameplate that we brought out under the Gazoo Racing Australia brand. So therefore it made complete sense.

“The other real aspect for the Supra was we could develop it for the Gen3 platform and fit the engine in. Plus it is synonymous with sportscars. We did not think of any other vehicle.”
Walkinshaw Andretti United will be the homologation team for Toyota and field two Supras in 2026. Another two cars will join the ‘works’ cars, most likely from Team 18, which currently runs Camaros.