After finishing third in the SP8T class (and 41st overall) at the 2019 Nürburgring 24 Hours, the Supra is back in the news. Toyota Gazoo Racing confirmed today that it will launch the GT4 race car for customer teams in 2020.
The automaker’s motorsport division said the announcement “comes in response to growing customer expectations worldwide following the unveiling of the GR Supra GT4 Concept at the Geneva International Motor Show in March, and the participation of the GR Supra at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in June.”
This is obviously great news for the nameplate as racing is what gives a sports car credibility and the new Supra with its BMW DNA needs that. Furthermore, Toyota Gazoo Racing says the Supra GT4 will help it develop “ever-better cars using the feedback gained through race participation.”
Based on the road-going model, the GR Supra GT4 is developed and produced by Toyota Motorsport GmbH. Toyota Gazoo Racing will collaborate with three partners to develop the new customer race car: Ravenol, Pirelli and Akrapovič. Ravenol will provide lubricants, Pirelli will be the tire development partner, and Akrapovič will help with developing motorsport-specific exhaust systems.
The Supra GT4 features a steel body with a high-strength roll cage, while the front diffuser and rear wing are made from natural fiber composite. Power comes from the BMW-supplied turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine, though the exact output has not been announced yet. The power plant is mated to an automatic transmission that drives the rear wheels.
As with the Supra road car, the GT4 version features a MacPherson strut front suspension and multilink rear suspension, while the steering is electrically assisted and of the rack and pinion type. The wheels are 11 x 18 inches and feature five lug nuts each.
Styling-wise, the Supra GT4 looks pretty much identical on the outside to the race car that competed in the Nürburgring 24 Hours last month. Compared to the GR Supra GT4 Concept, there are some subtle exterior differences, while the interior is totally different. The conventional steering wheel is replaced by a butterfly steering wheel while the stock dashboard is also ditched for a more minimalist carbon fiber unit that looks very raw.
More details about the Supra GT4, including pricing, markets, and release date, will be announced later this year. The car will be eligible for a variety of championships around the world, including the Super Taikyu Series in Japan, the GT4 European Series and the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring in Europe, and the Michelin Pilot Challenge Series in the United States.