We knew it was coming, and now Toyota has finally revealed its V8-powered GR Supra that will compete in the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship, marking the brand’s first official entry into Australia’s top racing category. The announcement came at Bathurst, the heart of Australian motorsport, where Toyota revealed the car alongside news that it will partner with Walkinshaw Andretti United and Brad Jones Racing to campaign the new machine.
A V8 Heart for a Supra
While the road-going Supra is known for its turbocharged six-cylinder engine, the Supercars version will swap that out for a 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V8, based on the Lexus 2UR-GSE. Tuned to comply with Supercars’ Gen3 regulations, the engine puts Toyota in direct competition with Ford’s Mustang and GM’s Camaro on equal technical footing. For fans, the sound of a Supra V8 at Bathurst will be a throwback to touring car eras past.
The decision also helps Toyota position the Supra not only as a halo road car but also as a motorsport flagship, even as enthusiasts wait for updates on Toyota’s delayed next-generation supercar project. Racing keeps the Supra name at the center of performance conversations, even if its road-going sibling is caught in development limbo.
A Boost for Toyota’s Brand
The entry into Supercars comes as Toyota is already riding a wave of momentum. The automaker sold nearly 900,000 cars in July alone, its seventh straight month of growth, with strong demand for hybrids and trucks in the U.S. and EVs in China. Adding a Supra Supercar into the mix only strengthens its brand positioning in Australia, where the category enjoys a fiercely loyal fan base and huge media reach.
It also puts Toyota into the heart of a rivalry that resonates globally. The Mustang versus Camaro storyline has dominated Supercars grids in recent years. Dropping the Supra into that fight makes Toyota part of one of motorsport’s most compelling battles, and gives the brand a new platform to highlight its Gazoo Racing division.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just about winning races. For Toyota, the Supercars program is a halo project that reinforces performance credibility at a time when the company is balancing bread-and-butter models like the Tacoma, a pickup that competes head-to-head with the Honda Ridgeline, with futuristic sports car projects.
The Supra’s presence in Australia ties heritage, competition, and marketing into one package, giving the nameplate a second life beyond the showroom floor.
My Final Word
Toyota’s entry into the 2026 Supercars Championship with a V8 Supra is a big, fat statement of intent. It keeps the Supra relevant in a shifting market, pits Toyota against iconic rivals, and shows that even in an electrified future, there’s still room for a naturally aspirated V8 to roar at Bathurst, and who doesn’t want that.
