Toyota Readies Supra-Based GT Racer

Toyota Motor Corp. says next year it will begin selling a production version of the Supra race car it unveiled in March at the Geneva auto show.

The new GR Supra GT4 will be available to European race teams next March. Sales will spread to North America and Asia later in the year.

Unlike the heavily modified Supra racecar that ran in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series earlier this year, the GT4 will more closely resemble the stock street model that bowed this year.

The most significant change is an up-rated version of the Supra’s BMW-sourced 3.0-liter inline-six engine, with output jumping about 30% to 430 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. The GT4 also swamps the base car’s 8-speed automatic transmission with a 7-speed paddle shift unit.

Other goodies include a MacPherson strut front suspension and multilink rear unit, enhanced brakes and Pirelli tires. The racecar also gets lightweight aerodynamic devices made from natural fiber composites.

The GT4 class was created as a low-cost entry point for drivers who don’t have factory backing or major sponsors. In the U.S., such vehicles race in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and Blancpain GT World Challenge America series.