Toyota Supra: Mostert’s Supercars Engine Testing & 2026 Season Prep

Melbourne-based Walkinshaw TWG Racing is already deep into preparations for the 2026 Supercars Championship season, dispatching its #1 Toyota Supra to Queensland for an intensive engine parity testing program and shakedown. The team’s commitment to a rapid start is underscored by a grueling two-week period away from home for the car, culminating in the season-opening Sydney 500.

The Supra’s arrival in Queensland marks a critical phase in Toyota’s return to Supercars after an 18-month planning process, thousands of kilometers of testing, and a wind tunnel mission in the United States. Ford and General Motors are mirroring the effort, utilizing cars from Triple Eight and Matt Stone Racing respectively, to ensure a level playing field as the Gen3 era continues to evolve.

Testing will commence as early as Sunday, beginning with chassis dyno runs at Matt Stone Racing’s facility. This will be followed by up to two days of on-track testing at Queensland Raceway. The Walkinshaw Toyota and a Triple Eight Mustang will then travel to Bathurst for a series of sessions integrated with the Bathurst 12 Hour event, where they will be joined by a Team 18 Camaro for comparative analysis.

The final pre-season test is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18 at Sydney Motorsport Park, with five Toyotas expected to participate alongside the full Supercars field. The Sydney 500 race meeting will immediately follow, running from Friday to Sunday.

The tight timeline presents a significant challenge for the rebranded Walkinshaw TWG, requiring the deployment of up to five staff members on the pre-Sydney mission. The team has been focused on assembling engines in Melbourne, which are then transported to Brisbane for final tuning and sign-off by Craig Hasted on Supercars’ category dyno. This process is being undertaken in collaboration with UK firm Swindon, which has been actively promoting its involvement in the Toyota engine project.

The development of the Toyota V8 engine has been a complex undertaking. A UK-built test mule engine has already accumulated over 5000km of running since the Gen3 Supra first hit the track last September. While a dropped valve during a November outing presented an early setback, a ‘race spec’ variant of the 5.2-litre engine was only recently ready for dyno testing in mid-January, with its first track laps occurring on Monday at Queensland Raceway.

Walkinshaw TWG faces the immediate task of securing sign-off on five engines from Supercars to support both its own team and customer outfit, Brad Jones Racing. Spares are not expected to be readily available until race week in Sydney, adding to the logistical pressure.

Brad Jones Racing has already received its first ‘race spec’ engine, marking a significant step forward in their preparation. The Albury-based team has been documenting the build progress of its three new Supras via YouTube, though a confirmed shake-down date remains unannounced.

Chaz Mostert’s Supra chassis has already logged considerable mileage, having been shipped to the United States last September for extensive wind tunnel testing. Walkinshaw opted to airfreight the car back to Australia over the New Year to facilitate final preparations for the season.

The car is now sporting its full race livery, which was unveiled to team partners at Toyota’s Melbourne design studio on Wednesday night. A public reveal of both Walkinshaw cars is scheduled for this Sunday.

Toyota’s return to Supercars with the GR Supra represents a significant investment and a renewed commitment to Australian motorsport. The coming weeks will be crucial as Walkinshaw TWG and Brad Jones Racing work to finalize preparations and ensure the Supra is competitive from the outset of the 2026 season.