The Toyota GR 86 is following in the footsteps of the Mazda MX-5 once again. First it offered an alternative for an affordable, rear-drive sports car, now it’s getting its own racing series. It’s called the GR Cup, and it starts up next year.
The series is being run by Toyota Gazoo Racing North America, and will feature seven races at locations across the U.S. The series will only feature GR 86 models, all of the same specification. A teaser image suggests that the race cars will get some aerodynamic aids in addition to the typical set of safety equipment such as a roll cage.
“These race efforts are not simply designed to build fans for Toyota vehicles and the GR Brand, but to allow learnings on the track to make ever better vehicles for the road by Toyota engineers,” Toyota said in a press release.
Toyota also touted the closeness of racing from a one-make series, as well as the focus on driver skill. But a likely benefit Toyota left out is that this will probably be a relatively affordable racing series to enter. Based on the image, the cars are probably close to stock, and keeping modifications restricted should all keep costs down for people looking for a gateway into racing, much like the Mazda MX-5 Cup.
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