At the launch of a Supercars season that sees Toyota finally enter the category as a partner with Walkinshaw Automotive Group (WAG) and Brad Jones Racing, the Australian boss said there is scope to deepen that relationship provided current projects are successful.

Toyota has already partnered with WAG to remanufacture the US-built Tundra pickup (main) to RHD for our market, and now aligns with the race team Walkinshaw TWG Racing, to bring the GR Supra into the Supercars category. But with a history of alignment with the local arm of car companies as far back as Holden, could the relationship between Toyota and Walkinshaw strengthen even more?

“We already had a good relationship and partnership with Walkinshaw and now expanding into Supercars with the GR Supra,” Toyota Australia boss, John Pappas said. “We continue to build and our focus right now is on those two things. It’s about selling more Tundras and you know, getting the GR brand expanded as well, as a model line, and trying to learn through the GR V8 Supra. So that’s the focus for now, but you know, as we grow, we could look to other things.”

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What those ‘other things’ might be are the subject of speculation for the moment, but Walkinshaw has a history in this country of modifying and enhancing factory offerings, with powertrain, tuning and chassis enhancements.

Tundra sales in Australia have been slow – taking into account the significant price jump to established platers RAM, Chevrolet and Ford, but also related to the head start RAM got in this market.

Ryan Walkinshaw sees the opportunity, but was also keen to emphasise the success of the existing arrangement. “Toyota is a major partner of Walkinshaw Automotive Group,” he said. “Obviously we’ve got a successful program going on with Tundra. They’re obviously always talking with all of our manufacturing partners about other opportunities, and we’d be slit not to. We propose different ideas (to them) and they propose different ideas to us.”

With a strong GR stable now including nameplates like Yaris, Corolla, Supra and HiLux previously, and 300 Series LandCruiser, opportunities for further enhancement are appealing, and it would appear the appetite for performance-focused Toyotas is well and truly alive.

“We’re always exploring those kinds of things,” Walkinshaw said. “But at the moment, our focus is ensuring that our Tundra program is a huge success here in Australia. And, after that, is there are other exciting products that may or may not exist in the future as a partnership with our two brands, then we’ll let you guys know.”