Toyota Australia has officially unveiled the full-size model of the GEN3 GR Supra Supercar at Bathurst, marking a significant milestone in its motorsport journey.
Engine Development and Features
[IMAGE0CONTEXT:ktm_unknown] The company shared a brief clip on social media showcasing the engine being tested on a dynamometer, accompanied by the caption, “Our Toyota Supercars engine is alive.” The Supercars engine is derived from Toyota’s all-aluminium, quad-cam 2UR-GSE V8, developed in collaboration with Yamaha. This engine, originally featured in Lexus road cars as a 5-litre variant, has also been utilized in Toyota’s Dakar Rally efforts and the Lexus GT3, where it races in a 5.4-litre configuration. Two versions of the engine have been in development for the Gen3 Supra, managed by Supercars and the homologation team Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU). WAU’s work has been conducted in the UK, while Supercars’ efforts are led by Brisbane-based engine expert Craig Hasted.
Excitement from Toyota Executives
Toyota Australia’s Vice President of Marketing, Sean Hanley, expressed his enthusiasm about the engine coming to life. “What a sound! We knew the 2UR-GSE would sound great, but hearing it at full noise? Absolutely spine-tingling,” he remarked. He emphasized that the sound represents “passion, precision, and progress.” Hanley extended his gratitude to their partners at WAU, Supercars, and the broader Toyota Motorsport family, acknowledging the hard work that led to this milestone. “While there’s still plenty of work ahead, today we celebrate a special moment. The GR Supra is one step closer to hitting the grid for Round 1 next year, and we couldn’t be more proud.”
Anticipation for Track Testing
WAU team principal Carl Faux, overseeing the Toyota project, added, “It’s alive! It’s been awesome to hear the 2UR-GSE roar to life; it’s all becoming very real now.” He noted the significant effort from everyone involved to reach this milestone and expressed eagerness for the GR Supra to take to the track. “We can’t wait for people to see and hear it in the flesh.”
Toyota announced last week that it would unveil its Supercars contender at the Bathurst 1000 event launch in Sydney on September 1. This coincides with Ryan Walkinshaw’s declaration that his team will have its first car ready for track testing by late August. The car is scheduled for a series of demonstration sessions at the Bathurst 1000 from October 9-12. Last year, Toyota revealed a full-size clay model of its Supra Supercar during the Great Race, shortly after confirming its landmark entry into the championship.