Toyota announces GT86 CS-R3 rally car

Mon, 11 Nov 2013

Toyota Motorsport GmbH has developed cars for all manner of racing, up to and including Formula One and Le Mans. But it got its start back in 1979 in rally competition, winning four drivers' and three manufacturers' titles in the World Rally Championship. And now it's announced a new rally car.

Based on the Toyota GT86 (better known to us as the Scion FR-S), the CS-R3 rally car isn't built to contest the top tier of the WRC, but is being developed to conform to the lower R3 class. That means a six-speed sequential gearbox, limited slip differential and upgraded engine, brakes, aero... the works. It'll retain the road-going model's rear-drive setup, joining the front-drive Yaris R1A in TMG's portfolio of customer rally cars.

Further details are set to be revealed "in the coming months", but the GT86 CS-R3 will benefit from the experience TMG accrued in developing the GT86 CS-V3 (pictured above) for the Nürburgring-based VLN endurance racing series.

TOYOTA MOTORSPORT GmbH ANNOUNCES TMG GT86 CS-R3 RALLY CAR

Cologne, Germany - TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) is proud to announce it will develop a GT86 R3 rally car as part of its customer motorsport programme.

The rear-wheel drive sports car will be converted to R3 specification and made available to private competitors, with delivery expected for the 2015 season.

The car, which will be known as the TMG GT86 CS-R3, will be built according to R3 regulations, meaning it will have a six-speed sequential gearbox, limited slip differential, modified engine, adapted brakes and other upgrades.

Drawing on the experience of developing the TMG GT86 CS-V3 race car for the Nürburgring-based VLN series, TMG engineers will modify the base car to the maximum level permitted within the regulations.

The TMG GT86 CS-R3 is targeted at private customers and is eligible for all FIA-sanctioned rallies, up to and including the World Rally Championship. Full specifications and pricing will be announced in the coming months.

Today's announcement strengthens TMG's commitment to customer motorsport and rallying, both of which represent key aspects of its long-term business strategy.

With a Yaris R1A already launched plus the ongoing development of a Global Race Engine, TMG is expanding and strengthening its knowledge of rallying and drawing on its proud history in the sport.

TMG's very existence is founded on rally, having begun life in Cologne in 1979 as Toyota Team Europe (TTE). Under Ove Andersson, the company went on to win four drivers' and three manufacturers' World Championships.

Nico Ehlert, Principal Engineer Customer Motorsport: "Rallying is in our blood at TMG so it is very exciting to announce that we will be expanding our rally operations. The GT86 CS-R3 promises to be a thrilling car on the rally stages; with rear-wheel drive we can expect some dramatic action which is sure to be entertaining for drivers and fans alike. Through our experience with the TMG GT86 Cup and the TMG GT86 CS-V3 race car we have built a solid infrastructure for customer motorsport over the past few years. We will draw on this to deliver a reliable, safe and high-performance car, plus all the required technical support, for our customers. We expect demand to be high so we are looking forward to seeing a lot of GT86 CS-R3 rally cars in action from the beginning of the 2015 season."

Racing by TMG:
The customer racing arm of TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) is identified by the "racing by TMG" logo, which encompasses race and rally projects designed exclusively for private participants. TMG returned to the world of customer motorsport in 2012 with the launch of the Yaris R1 entry-level rally car, while the same year saw the introduction of the TMG Customer Sport V3 (CS-V3) race car. That car won its class in the Nürburgring 24 Hours and forms the basis of the expanding TMG GT86 Cup, run within the Nürburgring-based VLN series.

About TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH:
TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) has been based in Cologne, Germany since 1979 and built its reputation in the World Rally Championship, winning four drivers' and three manufacturers' titles during two decades of competition. TMG was also the home of TOYOTA's works Le Mans 24 Hours (1998-1999) and Formula 1 (2002-2009) teams and a tuning and sports conversion subsidiary (established in 1994). Since 2009, TMG is a leading engineering services supplier, offering its cutting-edge development facilities and know-how to a range of industries. It is also a pioneer in electric vehicle development and is the current holder of the electric lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. In 2012, the company returned to works motorsport as the home of the TOYOTA Racing team in the FIA World Endurance Championship, competing with a hybrid car designed and built at TMG. www.toyota-motorsport.com/motorsport.

By Noah Joseph