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27/10/2008
By EWAN KENNEDY
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 For years there has been speculation that Toyota Australia might enter V8 Supercar racing. There are two schools of thought on this, the more broadminded feel that having a third marque join Ford and Holden would further liven up what's already a very popular racing series. The more traditional racegoer likes things just the way they are. Commodore versus Falcon brings out the good old-fashioned tribal warfare these latter guys and gals just love.
Is Toyota now dipping an exploratory toe in the Australian circuit-racing water with this ‘TRD Aurion’ racing machine? Introduced to a fascinated public as support-race entrant in the Aussie Racing Car series at the Nikon Indy 300 meeting on the Gold Coast, this TRD (Toyota Racing Development) Aurion will be closely eyed-off by the V8 Supercar supporters.
This tiny machine – you really can’t believe how small it is until you stand beside it – is powered by a 1.2-litre Yamaha motorcycle engine. Developing 125 horsepower (92 kW in non-racing parlance), it gives plenty of performance in a car that weighs in at just 450 kg, giving it an excellent power to weight ratio.
 All cars in the Aussie Racing Car series, many of which are designed to look like Commodores and Falcons, run exactly the same engine and five-speed sequential box as the TRD Aurion Aussie car. Thus putting the onus on the driver, not the cars’ designers, to get the best racing results.
OK, I hear you say, there's not a lot of Toyota in this car. But the same can be said about the NASCAR Toyota Camry that’s doing so well in what's arguably the most popular racing series in the world. Not only is that ‘Camry’ powered by a V8 engine with a Holley carburettor, it’s also driven by the rear wheels. It’s harder to imagine a layout that’s further from the production model. Yet the NASCAR Camry is getting a fair degree of support from avid race fans in the good old US of A.
And other than appearance, there's not a lot of reality in the Commodore and Falcon V8 Supercars when you compare them with the showroom models.
Toyota Australia won’t be drawn on the question of entering V8 Supercar racing, but is involved in many other forms of competition in this country, including high-level rallying.
 Would a TRD Aurion V8 Supercar be accepted by Australian race goers? I’m not sure, but would be interested to hear your opinions. |
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