Toyota enters Aussie Super Series
May 1, 2008 by George Skentzos
Toyota Australia has announced it will compete in the Aussie Racing Cars Super Series with the TRD Aurion, making it the first manufacturer to directly support the series.
The TRD Aurion entry will be far from standard, using a scaled-down body shell of the new TRD Aurion and a 1.2-litre engine – and no that’s not a typo.
“The TRD Aurion’s body shell is really more of a caricature than a scaled-down version of the real car. We are in the final stages of producing the initial test moulds now so the finished product will be on the track later this year.”
The series is a support category for the V8 Supercar Championship and races at some of Australia’s biggest events, including the Australian Formula One Grand Prix and at Indy on the Gold Coast.
Every car in the field runs a spec mechanical package and chassis that is fitted with moulded body shells representing the relevant make and model of the car.
Weighing just 450kg, the cars are powered by a 1.2-litre, twin-cam, four-valve Yamaha engine, producing 91kW at 11,5000rpm and sprint from 0-100km/h in just 4.5 seconds.
Although the series has been based around Ford and Holden-derived cars, Aussie Racing Cars director Phil Ward said he does not see the category as a red versus blue battle and hopes Toyota’s involvement will encourage other manufacturers to get involved.
Print it: 
Give these lads the Everyready Jacko battery treatment dudes! Maybe we should calls ya DULUX; keep on keeping on goings on with clap trap.
Wheelnut – with referance to the TRD Aurion incident in Melbourne … there was no fire, no accident or personal injury as originaly claimed by some rogue media groups.
When Toyota officials inspected the car involved, they discovered that no fire, accident or even injury has occured but a piston that had detached from the conrod which means not even the supercharger had failed as you claim.
Because of the original rogue statements, Toyota rightfully threatened those involved with court action which meant thay altered thier article. Toyota was still unhappy with the incorrect and factless claims and threatened again which meant the original media statements were eventually withrawn because those involved could not support thier own articles.
Fact is … the TRD Aurion had a failed engine because a piston that detached from a conrod (nothing to do with a blown supercharger) with no fire, accident or injury as originally and incorrectly published.
That said, i ask you support your claim of pictures on the internet and unless you can provide referances – you are a liar otherwise.
cheers
Brett Stevens(Ford) curruntly leads 2007/2008 ANDRA Australian Top Alcohol Championship and John Zappia(Holden) leads the Top dorslamer Championship.Toyota nowhere.Anyway Drag racing at this level has little to do with the car you buy of the showoom floor.Althought the ford and holden boys built theres, not import it from US
STUFF YOU Supporter Of Toyota Motorsport (Dingo), you wont answer any of MY questions and by the way the TRD Aurion is a faluire for Toyota/TRD!
Hahaha great post their Supporter of Toyo Motorsport and exactly right especially RE TRD. The fact Wheelnut Toyota are like every other manufacturer, they are effected by recalls etc… the difference is they deal with them better and they have 20 years and continuing of reputation to keep them going
Very intelligent post Duck… The TRD Aurion is a great example of TRD turning an ok platform into a great one. A vehicle which can hold its own with more performance oriented vehicles while offering the refinment of more sedate vehicles.
Phil – The Camry is in the Pro Extreme Class. That said, V8 Supercars bare little familiarities with showroom examples aswell so what is the differance.
Motorsport is about engineering skill so judge upon that as you will wether it be V8 Supercars, NASCAR, Rally racing or F1.
Duck – sorry !!
Ask me again and i will answer them for you.
cheers
Ha, ha very funny TP!
Here I’ll repeat it again………….
Supporter Of Toyota Motorsport, so is this the order of
the best to worst team in NASCAR in North America?
1. Toyota
2. Chevy
3. Dodge
4. Ford
OR
1. Chevy
2. Toyota
3. Dodge
4. Ford
OR
1. Toyota
2. Chevy
3. Ford
4. Dodge
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
(Repeated Question)I reckon that the top one would be correct. Am I right?
Why dont Pontiac could use a G6 GXP.R?
Because there is no Pontiac in NASCAR is there?
Anti-Spam word Pontiac. HA!
Well TP how come TRD had to reduce the base TRD Aurion by $4,000? Because of low sales. And its an overpowered FWD large sedan! FWD Overpowered Large car = UNSAFE!
Duck : depends on what series you refer to – Craftsman Trucks, Nationwide or Sprint.
Todate, as follows …
Craftsman Trucks – Toyota
Nationwide Series – Toyota
Sprint Series – Chevy
or as follows this year so far
Craftsman Trucks – Toyota has won 3 from 5
Nationwide Series – Toyota has won 7 from 11
Sprint Series – Toyota has won 3 from 10
So of 26 combined meetings completed this year so far and of the 4 competing manufactuers – Toyota, GM, Ford and Dodge – Toyota alone has won 13 (50%) of them.
Based on trhose figures, make up your own mind.
Duck – admittedly Toyota overpriced the TRD Aurion from the beginning and even i don’t dispute that and the price reduction was a welcomed adjustment. Regarding unsafe … you have no idea as the car is arguably the worlds most dynamic FWD that can be purchased anywhere in the world today.
Power is plentyful, dynamics are good with huge levels of grip while the brakes are argueably the best of any locally manufactered car. Unsafe would undoubtedly have to be the stoppers on HSV’s because they are renouned for suffering premature brake fade.
With referance to Pontiac and NASCAR’s …who cares – Pontiac doesn’t even have a good name anymore as thier reputation has declined considerably over the years because of the poor quality and troublesome nature of their cars. Even in America the Pontiac name now suffers from poor reputation.
Duck – Some more figures for you regarding wins todate in the top tier of NASCAR racing … the Sprint Series !!
Toyota : 3 wins
Chevy : 3 wins
Ford : 3 wins
Dodge : 1 win
So based on the figures i have given you in different formats, tell me which of the list you gave is appropiate !!
So its all pretty close in the sprint series!
But wouldnt NASCAR be borring to watch because there just racing on one big ring? Its not like V8 supercars, a more challenging track and theres more chances of a crash.
senator Says:
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:02 pm
“hahahaha drive revealed that so called xr6t was running on a higher octane fuel and it achived times of 5.1 to 5.2 and now with normal 95-octane fuel it achived 5.4 haha only 0.4 faster than a ss-v and has a lighter engine launch control new technology and a turbo and the funny thing is the ss-v 0-60 was just as quick 2.8 secs the xr8 got 3.2 and 6.3 0-100. This xr6t is not as impressive as i thought remeber it’s got a fpv typhoon engine and the xr8 has a gt motor”
Senator why not state all the facts correctly:
The XR6T was in fact only the auto (without launch control) and the manual is expected to be quicker. (Pretty good engine management to be able to use the higher octane fuel to that advantage too BTW)
Why not mention that the XR6T beets the ss-v over the 400m by 0.5s and at the end of the 400m is doing 12.7 km/h faster (and therfore still pulling away after the Commodore is spent)
The XR6T is NOT the old FPV Typhoon engine and the XR8 is NOT the old FPV GT engine – similarities in numbers don’t equate to “the same engine” boy are you simple minded or what! But I guess it supports your biases.
Quote Bret: “Pretty good engine management to be able to use the higher octane fuel to that advantage too BTW”
Umm no, don’t pretend you know anything about engine management, you clearly have no clue what so ever with a comment like that.
Duck … take the time and watch some races of NASCAR as it is extremely competitive with tensions running at an all time high now that Toyota has entered the sport and winning, very fast with an average speeds of 300mm/h (that’s right … an average speed of about 300km/h) and often a field of more then 40 competitors.
And … far, far, far more crashes occur in NASCAR then they ever do in V8 Supercars and that is an undisputable fact. Watch and you will quickly understand exactly what i mean.
That said, NASCAR has twice the competitors – Toyota, Chevy, Ford and Dodge compared to V8 supercars of only Holden and Ford.
Oh yeah, just for the enthusiasts … NASCAR run carby feed 5.7 V8’s
Duck – i just updated the manufactuers standings after the latest round of NASCAR racing this weekend and they stand as indicated …
Sprint Series (1st tier) :
1. Chevy
2. Toyota
3. Ford
4. Dodge
Nationwide Series (2nd tier) :
1. Toyota
2. Chevy
3. Ford
4. Dodge
Craftsman Trucks :
1. Toyota
2. Chevy
3. Ford
4. Dodge
ps – sorry about my spelling mistakes on the above previous post. First day off after N/S and somewhat tired.
GhitGT,
And what makes you say that? What extra power do you reckon would be needed to take a 1800kg car from 5.4 down to 5.1 for 0-100 km/h? Particularly when the gap to the XR8 is almost a second.
Sure, most cars will perform a little better with higher octane fuel, but most cannot take full advantage of it. Ford made specific refenernce to the special attention paid to the engine management that allowed the car to run well on 95 but also take full advantage of higher octane fuels.
And what was the ss-v running on? Holden quotes power figures based on 98 pulp, so were those performance figues based on that or 95?
bavarian, Duck, Bret, NM, AndrewM, Wheelnut, GhisGT…how about all you guys joining me on another blog somewhere, even one on this site.
Mine is about the 278th comment on a story that, in all fairness, probably had the legs for 20 comments. Leave it be.
It’s boooooooring. But one person’s lapping it up.
Loving it with a passion.
It has been great!!
278 comments means the topic had long legs … oooch !!
cheers
Bret, I said that because most higher end cars feature provisions to run on both 98 and 95, even 91RON fuels for ages now. It’s a simple case of using the good old knock sensor to determin fuel octane levels and adjusting fueling/timing maps to suit.
It was just how you worded your quote, stating that it was good of Ford to be using higher octane fuels to their fullest extent.
My weekend car has the provisions to run on a blend of 130RON toluene mix, but can still run on 91RON down the shops. It’s not rocket science!
GhisGT,
Nope its not rocket science (and yes I work in the field – Rocket science not engine management).
Most cars you wouldn’t know if it was running on 98/95/91 or bluddy kero.
I noticed that ford recommend 91 but quote performance numbers based on 95 (for the performance engines), however Holden recommend 91 but quote numbers based on 98 for the V8.
Heres a challenge for the CA team: Get hold of these cars and run some dyno numbers on the different fuels to get some sort of real comparisons.
Golfschwein im in let me know where you go, i cant believe this site is going like this, shame, maybe you can change the name alborz to http://www.toyotaadvice.com.au, sounds more like what the site is!
Golfschwein, what blog?
Tonyn and Duck. Sorry to confuse, guys. I just meant anywhere else on CA except this story :)
Bret – Most higher (read 45k plus) end cars actually do know, when a certain degree of pinging is reached, it knows the fuel octane rating is low and adjusts fueling and timing to suit. That’s how both SS and XR6T can run on 91 to 98 octane fuel and both get gains out of the higher octane levels.
Quote – Dingo: Loving it with a passion. It has been great!! 278 comments means the topic had long legs
Aah we actually went off topic approx 280 comments ago.
This story isn’t actually about Toyota Its about Aussie Racers
Toyota can’t enter a [factory backed] car into the Aussie Racers series because they dont actually build the car they don’t even build the engines – Yamaha do.. in actual fact Dingo it’s alot like NASCAR [only smaller] where the only thing that resembles a production car is the carbon fibre body or shell
So if a car like the one in the image above makes it into the Aussie Racers and wins a few races it wont be a Toyota victory it will be a Yamaha victory just as it would if the cars with the Falcon Commodore or FJ bodies won
Think about it
Quote – TP May 4th 2008: The fact Wheelnut Toyota are like every other manufacturer, they are effected by recalls etc…
Finally a Toyota fan admitted that Toyotas aren’t PERFECT… that they do have reliability problems and do have RECALLS – that must have been hard for you to do TP.
Dingo: Fair enough in relation to the TRD Aurion Supercharger thing
Yet that doesn’t alter the fact that a Recall or whatever you/Toyota choose to call it can and does have an negative impact on current or future sales – because depending upon the severity of the problem it can raise doubts in peoples minds as to the safety reliability and build quality of a particular make or model..
And as the engine is a relatively important component to a car any problems a manufacturer experiences with their engines can make people think twice
The other thing that can affect sales is mis-information I mean when the VL was around people said stay away from the VLs they do their heads… when in actual fact more Nissan Skyline owners had trouble with their heads. I had a VL did approx to 250-300000Kms – No Problem
Wheelnut, I agree Toyota quality is poor. Numerous faults with my Kluger has convinced me that buying a new Toyota was a big mistake that I will not repeat again.
I agree with Supporter Of Toyota Motorsport,Toyotas domination of nascar is great to see.I love nascar because it’s the ezyest of all the motorsports to practice,just go round and round the block,its great fun but you wear out the front tyers of the Prious.Another thing I think Toyota entering this series is great We show em in USA with F1,Blitz em in Europe with Nascar(smashed new Nissan gtr and the Honda zonda in the process ) now its Australias turn to learn with total domination of the Aussies Super Series(V8 super cars is for you ford and holden fairys who are scared of FWD & Understeer).But one question where are the people who have the remote controllers going to stand?
Motorsport is about engineering skill… I always thought it was about winning?
For example you may have a ISF Lexus with a intercooled supercharged [or twin turbo] v8 producing 800Kw; AWD [or RWD?]; Tiptronic or Sequential Gearbox; Brembo Brakes with 6 pot calipers; air suspension etc….The works.
Yet if you don’t WIN or finish on the Podium [at least] no one really gives a shit about how good the engineering in your car was!
Duck the price decrease has NOTHING to do with your imagination that its unsafe. Various owners Ive had contact with say the whole arm jarring torque steer is BS. The price is decreasing cos it was overpriced to begin with.
Wheelnut … how silly of me. I thought the Falcon and Commodore mini racers were Holden and Ford products and everything else Yamaha powered.
If the single reported problem with the TRD Aurion has raised doubts about the car, then that explains why Holden and Ford are pathetic performers in todays market because all of those faulty cars in the past has finally concluded doubt within the market …. he, he, he !!
Oh yeah – Toyota is winning in Motorsport alright (check out my details above and wimper) and people like you hate it with a passion because is proves how wrong, uneducated and mis-informed critics like you are.
Better still … you haven’t produced a referance to those ’so called’ TRD Aurion photos on the internet so i guess i prove the point that you are indeed – A LIAR !!
LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE … ha, ha, ha !!
TP – correct !!
Toyota critics – check out the latest sales figures. The greatest judge of all – The Market – has voted once again !!
Amen Oh what a feeling… just ANOTHER Ford fairy baseless comment.
Anyway – enough on this topic but just before i conclude, for those critics who stated that Toyota should invest/ participate in motorsport … here is a list of thier commitments this upcoming weekend alone (May 9-11) which again proves how ill-informed some people really are.
1. F1 (Turkish Grand Prix)
2. NASCAR – Sprint, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series
3. Rd2 of the Australian Rally Championships (Rally Of Canberra)
That totals 5 different events on 3 different continents.
Cheers
TP you got that right.
Anyway, i believe these clowns have taken a flogging once again so i am signing of this topic (and site) for a few days as i am taking my family camping for some peaceful R&R and a chance to soak up the beautiful Queesnland sun in Autumn.
cheers to all.
Toyota basicly suc at Australian MotorSport going by this story Must Be A Great Feeling
Toyota use F1 Technology in the Aurion(pfft), wonder what technology they’ll use in an actual race car? Infact, just what technology in the Aurion is remotely linked to the Toyota F1 car…..?
What technology? It has 4 wheels and an engine! Its marketing BS yes, every car has minor links, but hey at least they aint claiming its better then a BMW (Holden) or has pulling power(Lame….Ford)
TP, are you honestly suggesting that Fords (ie Falcon and its variants) dont have respectable “pulling power”…?
Im pretty sure they do……
….. just to add….
I think Holden had their hand on it when claiming a commy was like a BMW, but it’s more of a realistic claim than Toyota saying the Aurion has technology derived from F1.
IT’S NOT EVEN RWD!!!
Cant wait to see the 2009 Panasonic Toyota F1 car axle tramping and torque steering off the grid….
I’m happy to see that maybe Toyota would enter the Aussie super series Oh what A feeling..Toyocrap.