Toyota GR Supra Supercars Debut: Historic 2026 Season Kicks Off in Sydney

Toyota has officially launched its most significant Australian motorsport campaign to date, marked by the debut of five GR Supra Supercars tonight at the Dunlop Sydney 500 at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The entry into Australia's premier racing category represents a milestone more than 25 years in the making, according to Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, John Pappas.

The Supercars program is spearheaded by two major partnerships: Walkinshaw TWG Racing, fielding defending 2025 champion Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood, and Brad Jones Racing, which will run three cars driven by André Heimgartner, Cameron Hill, and Macauley Jones.

While the Supercars entry is the focal point, the 2026 season also encompasses the start of the 11th year for the grassroots TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia (TGRA) GR CUP and a defending campaign in the Australian Rally Championship (ARC).

Toyota’s motorsport philosophy, as outlined by Pappas, centres on the "multi-pathway" development of "ever-better cars" and the professional growth of engineers and drivers.

This strategy has seen the performance GR brand grow significantly since the 2019 launch of the GR Supra, with total sales of 31,112 units across the GR Supra, GR86, GR Yaris, and GR Corolla models to date.

Technically, the transition to Supercars involved a complex engine development program.

Ryan Walkinshaw described the resulting V8 powerplant as a "hybrid" of Toyota components and Walkinshaw-developed parts, noting that the project was more extensive than initially anticipated.

Despite the technical challenges and tight timeframes - with testing only commencing in the middle of 2025 - the teams confirmed that they are well-prepared with spare engines for the season opener.

Brad Jones noted that while the existing manufacturers have a "huge head start," the strict parity rules governed by Supercars provide confidence that the new Supra package will be competitive.

The 2026 GR CUP season also begins this weekend in Sydney, featuring approximately 30 drivers competing in the GR86 race car.

The series has historically served as a critical pathway for talent; notably, Supercars driver Cameron Hill was the inaugural winner of the Toyota 86 one-make race in 2016.

On the gravel, the TGRA Rally Team, managed by Neal Bates Motorsport, will campaign two GR Yaris Rally2 cars starting at Rally Queensland on 17 April.

The team aims to reclaim the top of the podium after finishing the 2025 season with Lewis Bates and Harry Bates in second and third place, respectively.

Looking toward the future, Toyota leadership expressed interest in the recently unveiled flagship GR GT and its GT3 racing sibling, though there are currently no formal announcements regarding an Australian arrival.

For the next five years, the GR Supra remains the designated platform for Toyota's Supercars involvement.

Pappas emphasised that while the investment is a local decision by Toyota Australia, it remains fully supported by the global Gazoo Racing division and aligns with the broader corporate goal of translating track-proven knowledge into production vehicles, including hybrid models.