Toyota lands second Supercars team for 2026 season
Brad Jones Racing joins Toyota's testing team Walkinshaw Andretti United in making the jump to the GR Supra.
The outfit currently fields four Chevrolet Camaros, driven by Andre Heimgartner, Jaxon Evans, Bryce Fullwood and Macauley Jones.
The Supra model has been redesigned in-house to feature a five-litre V8 engine.
"I'm a creature of habit, and so change is not always easy," Brad Jones told Fox Sports.
"But once I met with the guys and could spend some time understanding them and they took me through their vision, it seemed very clear that this was a great opportunity I couldn't miss.
"I think Toyota will be up there or thereabouts. We need to earn our stripes and there'll be a lot of work, but it's a very exciting time for the group."
Brad Jones Racing's defection to Toyota comes amid a General Motors rebuild following competition heavyweight Triple Eight's shock move to rival Ford.
The remaining Chevrolet teams are Matt Stone Racing, PremiAir Racing, Erebus Motorsport and new homologation team Team 18.
Out of the four, only Erebus has won a drivers' and teams' championship.
General Motors are also pondering the future of the Camaro, after production ceased last year, and a possible extension to 2027 with Supercars.
Toyota will be the first manufacturer other than Ford and General Motors to race in the competition since 2019, when Nissan pulled out of the category.
The automotive giant is no stranger to Australia's touring cars circuit, with the GR Cup, featuring Toyota 86 coupes, a longtime support category on the Supercars track.
The brand also competes in many motorsport events around the world, including NASCAR and Formula Drift in the United States, Super GT and Super Formula in Japan and Formula Three in Europe.
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Canberra Times
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The Advertiser
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Next Chevrolet Camaro to follow the ‘formula'... if it happens
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The Mustang lost its stranglehold as Australia's best-selling sports car in 2024, too, with supply issues seeing it demoted to third behind the BMW 2-Series and Subaru BRZ – although it has clawed its way back to the top in 2025. The sixth-gen Camaro was sold as a rear-wheel drive coupe and convertible with a range of turbocharged four-cylinder and naturally aspirated V6 and V8 petrol engines, with a choice of automatic or manual transmissions. In Australia and New Zealand, GMSV (General Motors Specialty Vehicles) imported a small number of V8 Camaros, but didn't benefit from a factory-backed right-hand drive production program like Mustang has. This meant the Camaro was priced much higher than the Ford in Australia, which was a performance car bargain when it arrived in local showrooms in 2015 at $59,990 before on-road costs for a V8 manual coupe. 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Now, GM President Mark Reuss has said chances of a seventh-generation Camaro will depend on whether GM could deliver a car worthy of the name. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. "I think that formula of beauty, and a little bit of functionality and fun, all of that is important," the GM boss told The Detroit News. "If we were getting back into Camaro, that piece of it is really important. I think that would be a great formula, and we have the ability to do that." The formula would include the Camaro being "affordable and attainable" according to previous reports – with cheap muscle being key. That also makes an electric successor to compete with the new-generation Dodge Charger – offered with both twin-turbo six-cylinder and EV powertrains in the US – even less likely for now, too. Yet reports in early 2025 suggested GM management put paid to a successor, V8-powered or otherwise, as the business case didn't stack up. Mr Reuss followed his comments by reiterating the sports car market in the US is shrinking – which makes a Camaro comeback less likely. GM would have taken note of Mustang's 44,003 sales in the US in 2024, which were the worst in the nameplate's 60-year history – and saw it outsold by the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV. The Mustang lost its stranglehold as Australia's best-selling sports car in 2024, too, with supply issues seeing it demoted to third behind the BMW 2-Series and Subaru BRZ – although it has clawed its way back to the top in 2025. The sixth-gen Camaro was sold as a rear-wheel drive coupe and convertible with a range of turbocharged four-cylinder and naturally aspirated V6 and V8 petrol engines, with a choice of automatic or manual transmissions. In Australia and New Zealand, GMSV (General Motors Specialty Vehicles) imported a small number of V8 Camaros, but didn't benefit from a factory-backed right-hand drive production program like Mustang has. This meant the Camaro was priced much higher than the Ford in Australia, which was a performance car bargain when it arrived in local showrooms in 2015 at $59,990 before on-road costs for a V8 manual coupe. A six-speed manual V8 Camaro, converted to right-hand drive, was priced from $85,990 before on-road costs when it first arrived in Australia in 2018. The Mustang's price has since shot up, with the current V8 manual coupe starting at $83,990 after range-wide $5000 price rises from July 1, 2025. Ford Australia pointed to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) introduced here in 2025 as a factor in upping the Mustang's price. MORE: A look back at the Chevrolet Camaro, the Ford Mustang's nemesis Content originally sourced from: The Chevrolet Camarosports car, arch-rival to the Ford Mustang, could make a comeback if the 'formula' is right, says General Motors president Mark Reuss. The sixth-generation Camaro – which currently races in Australia's Supercars racing category against the Mustang – went out of production in 2023. At the time, GM – which owns Chevrolet – assured devastated enthusiasts and fans "this is not the final chapter for the nameplate". Now, GM President Mark Reuss has said chances of a seventh-generation Camaro will depend on whether GM could deliver a car worthy of the name. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. "I think that formula of beauty, and a little bit of functionality and fun, all of that is important," the GM boss told The Detroit News. "If we were getting back into Camaro, that piece of it is really important. I think that would be a great formula, and we have the ability to do that." The formula would include the Camaro being "affordable and attainable" according to previous reports – with cheap muscle being key. That also makes an electric successor to compete with the new-generation Dodge Charger – offered with both twin-turbo six-cylinder and EV powertrains in the US – even less likely for now, too. Yet reports in early 2025 suggested GM management put paid to a successor, V8-powered or otherwise, as the business case didn't stack up. Mr Reuss followed his comments by reiterating the sports car market in the US is shrinking – which makes a Camaro comeback less likely. GM would have taken note of Mustang's 44,003 sales in the US in 2024, which were the worst in the nameplate's 60-year history – and saw it outsold by the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV. The Mustang lost its stranglehold as Australia's best-selling sports car in 2024, too, with supply issues seeing it demoted to third behind the BMW 2-Series and Subaru BRZ – although it has clawed its way back to the top in 2025. 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Ford Australia pointed to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) introduced here in 2025 as a factor in upping the Mustang's price. MORE: A look back at the Chevrolet Camaro, the Ford Mustang's nemesis Content originally sourced from: The Chevrolet Camarosports car, arch-rival to the Ford Mustang, could make a comeback if the 'formula' is right, says General Motors president Mark Reuss. The sixth-generation Camaro – which currently races in Australia's Supercars racing category against the Mustang – went out of production in 2023. At the time, GM – which owns Chevrolet – assured devastated enthusiasts and fans "this is not the final chapter for the nameplate". Now, GM President Mark Reuss has said chances of a seventh-generation Camaro will depend on whether GM could deliver a car worthy of the name. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. "I think that formula of beauty, and a little bit of functionality and fun, all of that is important," the GM boss told The Detroit News. "If we were getting back into Camaro, that piece of it is really important. I think that would be a great formula, and we have the ability to do that." The formula would include the Camaro being "affordable and attainable" according to previous reports – with cheap muscle being key. That also makes an electric successor to compete with the new-generation Dodge Charger – offered with both twin-turbo six-cylinder and EV powertrains in the US – even less likely for now, too. Yet reports in early 2025 suggested GM management put paid to a successor, V8-powered or otherwise, as the business case didn't stack up. Mr Reuss followed his comments by reiterating the sports car market in the US is shrinking – which makes a Camaro comeback less likely. 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This meant the Camaro was priced much higher than the Ford in Australia, which was a performance car bargain when it arrived in local showrooms in 2015 at $59,990 before on-road costs for a V8 manual coupe. A six-speed manual V8 Camaro, converted to right-hand drive, was priced from $85,990 before on-road costs when it first arrived in Australia in 2018. The Mustang's price has since shot up, with the current V8 manual coupe starting at $83,990 after range-wide $5000 price rises from July 1, 2025. Ford Australia pointed to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) introduced here in 2025 as a factor in upping the Mustang's price. MORE: A look back at the Chevrolet Camaro, the Ford Mustang's nemesis Content originally sourced from:
Man of Many
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By Ben McKimm - News Published: 21 Jul 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 5 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Reported EV sales dropped 52% in Australia through June 2025 Chinese brands shift focus to 'Super Hybrid' plug-in hybrid technology 'Super Hybrid' simplifies confusing PHEV jargon Models like Geely, MG, Chery, and BYD lead the Super Hybrid push Toyota responds with upcoming RAV4 PHEV amid rising competition Electric vehicle sales have decreased by more than 52% through June 2025 in Australia, and that's bad news if you're a Chinese EV-only car brand that's trying to break into a new market. Brands like Zeekr, DEEPAL, Smart, Polestar, and Xpeng have their work cut out for them if they're going to stay as EV-only brands. However, the majority of Chinese car brands are now hedging their bets on hybrid technology, more specifically, 'Super Hybrid' technology. While their EVs are top-notch, their hybrids are even better, and that's a concern for market leaders like Toyota and its top-selling RAV4. It's also a worry for existing brands that have struggled to adapt to hybrids quickly, including Subaru, which only just launched the long-awaited Forester Hybrid. To dispel the complicated jargon associated with the different types of hybrid technology available, Chinese car brands have joined forces to create the term 'Super Hybrid,' which is another term for 'Plug-in Hybrid' or 'PHEV.' These vehicles have an engine, but can be driven for more than 100km with electric power only. It's genius, here's why. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV | Image: Supplied / Mitsubishi I've had nothing but trouble trying to explain the differences between PHEV, BEV, MHEV, and all of the other complicated jargon associated with hybrid technology in recent years. I understand it as someone who's driven nearly everything, but I've had nothing but trouble trying to explain the differences to friends and family. I could only imagine what dealers and those on the showroom floor are going through, having to try to explain the differences between the technology to potential buyers. Consumer understanding hasn't been helped by brands like Mitsubishi that have stuck 'EV' badges on the side of their vehicles that require petrol, but they're not the only culprits. Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and others have been quick to label cars 'Hybrid' that use a simple 48-volt system, which never provides drive to the wheels. The Chinese brands have realised the issues and jumped in with an all-encompassing term that makes your life as a new car buyer easier by explaining these complicated products under one term, 'Super Hybrid.' Geely Starray EM-i | Image: Supplied / Geely To get granular, the term 'Super Hybrid' describes a 'Plug-in Hybrid' or 'PHEV' vehicle, which has a conventional petrol engine and gearbox, but also a large battery (that can be charged like an EV) and an electric motor that powers the wheels. These vehicles can be driven on electric power only for more than 100km in most cases and charged with a cable or the vehicle's engine. Most importantly, they can also be driven without even being plugged in by using the petrol engine as a traditional hybrid would. Geely is the latest Chinese car brand to ditch the EV-only showroom by launching the oddly-named Starray EM-i, which the brand is calling a 'Super Hybrid.' It features a 1.5-litre engine that produces 73kW of power alongside a 160kW electric motor powered by an 18.4kWh battery that can send a combined 193kW of power to the front wheels and drive for up to 80km on EV-only power. It will soon be joined in the market by other 'Super Hybrid' vehicles, including the Omoda 9 SHS (from $61,990 plus on-roads) and existing models in the market like the MG HS Super Hybrid (from $50,990 drive-away), top-selling BYD Sealion 6 (from AUD$42,990 plus on-roads), and the large Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid SUV (from $45,990 drive-away). Geely Starray EM-i | Image: Supplied / Geely If 'Super Hybrid' technology sounds like the best of EVs without the range anxiety, then you'd mostly be right. I've spent time behind the wheel of everything from the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV to a $250,000 Range Rover Sport PHEV and Defender that uses the same basic concept. During my test of these vehicles, I rarely used the petrol engine to drive the vehicle. I charged up the small battery overnight using a powerpoint and drove to work and back without ever using the petrol engine. However, there is one catch, as I experienced in the Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV. If you become too lazy to charge the battery during the ownership period, PHEV or 'Super Hybrid' vehicles are terrible to drive. The added weight (often hundreds of kilograms) and underpowered petrol engine mean they're severely down on power, and without the added oomph of an electric motor driving the wheels, you spend the whole time wishing that you were driving a conventional hybrid. 2026 Toyota RAV4 | Image: Supplied / Toyota Therein lies Toyota's argument. Car buyers are lazy; they won't charge their PHEVs, and the Super Hybrid technology is merely a stepping-stone to a battery EV or a step backwards on the super-efficient hybrid technology that Toyota already offers. At least, it was their argument until they launched their new RAV4 with a PHEV variant. Toyota has sold 24,034 Hybrid RAV4s through June 2025. That figure is down 5.4% on where the top-selling car was this time last year, but it's one to watch as more 'Super Hybrid' models from Chinese brands hit our market in the coming months and Toyota's own plug-in hybrid RAV4 hits the market sometime next year. PHEV sales in Australia are up 10.5% so far this year, but the small number of cars sold through June 2025 (472 sales) does make you wonder just how many people are asking for this technology.
