Toyota GT86 to debut in 2014 Rally Germany

  • Jul 31, 2014
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Toyota will make a comeback into the World Rally Championship by debuting the GT86 in Rally Germany this August

Toyota GT86 CS-R3 Rally Car

With its participation in premiere class championships like Formula 1 and 24 Hours of Le Mans, Toyota Motorsport GmbH has been around in the motorsport scene for quite a while now. But it got into the world of racing with the World Rally Championship in the early 1970s. And now with the new Toyota GT86, it is set to mark its comeback in WRC. 

Toyota first announced its return to the World Rally Championship in 2012 and followed it by unveiling the GT86 rally car in November last year. The Japanese car maker is now set to make the debut of the GT86 rally car in Rally Germany from August 21-24. 

Former Female World Champion Isolde Holderied will pilot the car on the Trier Stages where the car will run ahead of the competitive field as a zero car. The GT86 CD-R3, currently in prototype form, will be evaluated by Holderied in order to refine the design prior to the R3 homologation process that will make the car eligible for participation in the World Rally Championship. 

Toyota GT86 CS-R3 Rally Car rear

TMG’s principal engineer Nico Ehlert said, “To see a new rear-wheel-drive rally car hitting the stage for the first time should be a real spectacle. It’s important to say that the GT86 CS-R3 which Isolde will drive is not the finished article; we need the data from Rallye Deutschland to finalise our development programme.”

The GT86 CS-R3 will go on sale to private customers and Toyota dealerships early next year. Alongside the GT86 CS-R3, Toyota is also testing the Yaris World Rally car, giving rise to speculation of a return to the sport. 

Since its return, Volkswagen has completely dominated the rally scene. Can Toyota make a similar comeback and give the German Team something to fight for? Only time will tell.

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