After showing off a scale model of its GEN3 GR Supra Supercar last month, Toyota has now revealed a full-sized model… made of clay.
Revealed at the Bathurst 1000, half of the ‘Supracar’ is finished in a Toyota Gazoo Racing livery, while the other is almost entirely exposed clay.
Toyota will enter the racer – the proper metal version, not the clay version – in the 2026 Australian Supercars Championship.
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The Melbourne-based Toyota Design Australia team “reimagined” the design of the Supra, giving it a more prominent ‘boat nose’ that draws inspiration from the 2014 FT-1 Supra concept, as well as wide fenders, a front splitter and rear diffuser, and a large rear wing.
It’s still immediately recognisable as a GR Supra through details like its lights. Toyota has even included the road car’s model code, A90, on the windscreen.
“We are enthusiasts first and foremost, and the GR Supra Supercar is the kind of project we dream about working on,” said Toyota Design Australia senior manager Nic Hogios.
“We can’t wait to see it competing and winning in Supercars, including right here at Bathurst.”
But Toyota’s long-awaited entry into Supercars isn’t just for the company to feel good about itself.
Toyota says the Supercars championship, as with other racing and rallying series it participates in around the world, will provide technical learnings that can be used in the development of its entire range of vehicles.
It also says its entry will help it build passion among enthusiasts for its GR range of performance vehicles.
“We saw an opportunity to really stamp Toyota’s credentials again on motorsport in Australia,” said Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia vice president for sales, marketing and franchise operations in September.
“We want to show the world, we want to show Australia, we can actually do this. We can be a competitive player in this space.
“We do a great job in all the other products, but we’ve only been in the market for a small amount of time with GR, and now we want to demonstrate to the world this is a fair dinkum racing and performance brand.
“Another reason we’re attracted to Supercars is that it appeals to Australia’s heartland. As such, it will expose Toyota’s passion and our excitement to more Australians than ever before.”
In short, Toyota says it can use Supercars as a “touring motor show” to allow it to promote its range of vehicles and potentially bring new people to the brand.
The GR Supra that’ll head to the track has a considerably different beating heart under the bonnet from the car found in showrooms.
The inline-six of the road car has been ditched for a 5.0-litre V8, with Toyota confirming it was always the plan to have a bent-eight under the bonnet.
Two examples of the GEN3 GR Supra Supercar will be fielded by Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU), with another team also expected to race a couple of examples of the car against rival teams in Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros.
Toyota has committed to a minimum timeline of five years in Supercars.
“We’re not a short-term player, we’re not coming in just to be a PR stunt, we’re coming in because we want to do well – we know we’ve got to earn our right, we understand that,” said Mr Hanley.
“Winning’s not a right, winning is earned, and we think we’re with the very best team to do that, we’ve got the very best backing in our own organisation both globally and domestically.”
Toyota says it never considered any other vehicle than the GR Supra for its upcoming entry into Supercars.
That’s despite overseas reports suggesting the Supra is facing the chopping block in 2026, though it would hardly be the first time a defunct vehicle had a Supercars counterpart in competition – case in point, the Chevrolet Camaro.
“Cars come and go, but that won’t diminish our commitment to motorsport or Supercars. Supra can go on for many, many years. It’s a great car,” said Mr Hanley.
“There’s no talk at the moment about us stopping it, but even if that day does come, then we move on to the next one.”
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