Toyota Creating GR Cup Single-Make Racing Series for GR86 Sports Car

Toyota and its Gazoo Racing (GR) performance sub-brand will launch a one-make racing collection for its MX-5 Miata fighter, the GR86. This new U.S.-only collection is called the GR Cup, and due to the fact Toyota failed to release any information about the race automobiles by themselves, we dug again to the 2016 SEMA Present, in which they showed off the GR’s GT 86 predecessor created as a solitary-make sequence race car or truck for abroad, for clues about what the 2023 Toyota GR86 racer may well look like.

Solitary make racing is not a new thought, even below in the U.S. and why we brought up the MX-5 Miata previously. At equally a nationwide and regional stage, Spec Miata and the MX-5 Cup are the poster children of solitary make racing that’s easier on the wallet. Effectively, less complicated is a relative time period here as MX-5 Global automobiles have a beginning price tag of about $60,000 and can reach to just about $80,000 when completely optioned out. Yes, even OEM-ish race automobiles have selections and before you converse about just how inexpensive your NA Spec Miata is, we are talking about the “World” motor vehicle that races in the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup, not your neighborhood SCCA or NASA Spec Miata series. What we are essentially expressing is do not be amazed if the GR Cup GR86 comes in at about that exact cost range.

The excellent news is that, as far as the drivetrain, engine, and body weight of these autos are commonly regulated to these parity that it really is certainly a driver’s race. The vehicles will be homologated from Toyota and developed to an correct spec. The possibilities commonly appear down to spare areas and other trackside necessities, perhaps a driver cooling system, but nothing at all like including a turbo, far better tires, or light-weight physique areas that other folks might not be able to find the money for off the bat.

Though Toyota statements in its push release that these races will implement “learnings on the observe to make ever superior motor vehicles for the highway,” the actuality is that this is a marketing collection. It truly is one particular huge commercial for the GR86 as a race auto crafted from a road-heading sports activities car or truck. Same thought for the MX-5 Cup. Also, trust us, we’re not saying this is a poor detail. If you happen to be working with motorsports to market your sports cars and trucks, there is very little wrong with that and we approve.

We’re not completely ruling out that there will not be some factors discovered from racing the GR86 in a one make series. You are putting the same automobile through the wringer with several unique motorists who have various driving kinds and preferences. People Toyota and Gazoo engineers are likely to find out a thing, even if it really is a trivial detail.

Again, the specifics Toyota divulged on the GR Cup GR86 ended up non-existent. Luckily, this isn’t the initially time a person considered about generating a single make series applying the ZN chassis. Again in 2016, Toyota Motorsport GmbH—which would grow to be Gazoo Racing—imported a CS Cup automobile to the U.S. for that year’s SEMA Present. When compared to other modified GT86s that were at the demonstrate, this a person was tame by SEMA requirements. It would have been a far better suit for the General performance Racing Marketplace (PRI) Exhibit in Indy than the outrageous and in excess of-the-best Las Vegas present.

The aerodynamics weren’t more than the top but ended up just slightly modified from the original type of the GT86. Even the rear diffuser was mostly the similar help save for a vent in the center for added cooling and reshaped for the new exhaust it was running. It did aspect a wing, but currently being functional, it could not be categorised as a show aspect like the wilder ZNs at the demonstrate.

The regular wheels ended up replaced with a set of 17×8 OZ Racing wheels fitted with a established of 9.6-inch-large Pirelli racing tires. The OE entrance brakes ended up changed with a established Alcon two-piece rotors with an Alcon 4-piston caliper. The rears, on the other hand, remained the in
ventory one piston calipers with a one piece rotor. The suspension was tightened up with Bilstein motorsports dampers and Eibach springs. Eibach also handled the anti-roll bars although a Theibaut Racing adjustable strut tower bar kept the entrance stop sq. less than load.

Inside was all organization with its multi-stage FIA basic safety cage, the racing seat, and Takata harness. Whilst the sprint and gauges have been OEM, a racing show took the place of the manufacturing facility radio. Apparently, the HVAC controls remained, but the air conditioning procedure could have been eradicated solely.

Underhood, there wasn’t a hearth-breathing, turbocharged, unobtainium engine. Having said that, to say it was the exact same 2.-liter motor that came in the GT86 at the time would be a tiny stretch. The major improve was the airbox and ingestion tube routing. Instead of curving toward the left-hand aspect of the motor vehicle and having its air from the fender area, it was a straight shot from the front nose. The airbox was found just guiding the entrance radiator assist and pulled air from the bumper opening. Even with its motorsports Eu, it created about 212 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque, 7 hp and 11 lb-ft much better than inventory. The Ecu was programmed for flat-throttle shifting and rev-matching, thanks to retaining the inventory electronic throttle system. Thankfully, that 212 hp only experienced to have all-around 2,100 lbs plus the driver’s pounds. Count on very similar mods for the new GR86’s greater and extra strong 2.4-liter flat-4.

Just to reiterate, we never know and we’re just speculating dependent off of what Toyota confirmed us ahead of. While each individual aspect possibly will not likely match what the 2016 CS Cup vehicle used, we will not likely be amazed if the GR Cup automobile wouldn’t arrive very near to this. A person issue the teaser image did present was the GR86 GR Cup automobile putting on Continental tires around a diverse set of wheels fairly than a set of Pirelli tires and OZ Racing wheels of the CS Cup spec motor vehicle. The cost of the automobile, its formal specs, and the race calendar will most probable be released closer to 2023. We are certainly hunting forward to looking at it and, hopefully, we will see a lot more producers move up with their very own just one-make collection with their individual sports—or sporty—cars in the in the vicinity of future.