The age of rear wheel drive rally cars is no longer something confined to the past as Toyota Motorsport GmbH have announced that the GT86 CS-R3 has officially been granted homologation and is now able to enter any events run by the FIA including the World Rally Championship.
The GT86 CS-R3 is the first RWD car to be granted homologation in the 21st century and has been grouped into the R3 category along with cars such as the Citroen DS3 R3T Max which is currently used by crews in the Junior World Rally Championship. Toyota are no strangers to rear wheel drive machinery and enjoyed success in the 1980s with the Celica Twin Cam Turbo winning the Safari Rally on a number of occasions
The car delivers 232hp, and a peak torque of 235Nm. The GT86 CS-R3 also has a six speed sequential transmission from gearbox specialists Drenth designed specifically for rear-wheel-drive cars, and limited slip rear differential. TMG will demonstrate the CS-R3 on selected events this year prior to the inaugural season of the HJS R3 Trophy which takes place within the framework of the German Rally Championship and begins in 2016.
“Finalising the homologation of the CS-R3 is a big moment for TMG and also an exciting one for rallying,” said Nico Ehlert, Principal Engineer Customer Motorsport. “It is a long time since a new rear-wheel-drive car has been FIA homologated so this has presented some challenges in the development phase. We have worked hard while some have doubted us without knowing the full picture. But we are grateful for the patience of those supporting our project and we believe that seeing the car in action proves it is really worth the wait.”
The Toyota GT86 CS-R3 is intended for private customers with a price of €84,000.
