The 86 WRC will be similar to this 86 endurance racer built for racing on the Nurburgring
Toyota Motorsport is developing a rally version of the GT86 sports car that will be eligible to compete in the World Rally Championship (WRC).
The car, known as the TMG GT86 CS-R3, will be built to R3 regulations, with a 2000cc boxer engine, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed sequential gearbox. It will be made available to private competitors, with delivery expected for the 2015 season.
WRC R3 regulations specify 1600 to 2000 cc engines, naturally aspirated, paired with two-wheel drive, and a 1080-kg minimum weight. Intriguingly, it also requires 2500 units to be built per year for homologation.
The car will be built by Toyota’s German-based motorsport division, Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG), the company that masterminded Toyota’s successful WRC programme in the 1980s and 1990s, securing four drivers’ and three manufacturers’ WRC titles.
Nico Ehlert, TMG’s principal engineer customer motorsport, said: “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.”
In a statement, Toyota Motorsport said today’s announcement ‘strengthens TMG’s commitment to customer motorsport and rallying, both of which represent key aspects of its long-term business strategy.’
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