News
First Toyota Corolla GRS TCR customer cars under construction
The first Toyota Corolla GRS TCRs destined for customer racing teams are under construction following the model’s successful debut during the final few rounds of TCR South America.
Produced in a facility located at Zarate, Argentina next to Toyota’s production plant where the Hilux, SW4 and Corolla are manufactured, the Corolla GRS TCR is being prepared for customers primarily to start with in the new for 2022 TCR Brazil and TCR South America Series.
Earlier this year, Toyota Gazoo Racing Argentina went through the homologation process and was awarded a region based status to enable it to contest the final rounds of TCR South America where the Corolla GRS TCR took its first pole and victory.
Toyota Gazoo Racing Argentina is targeting to build 10 customer units a year at a price of 148,000 euros ($230,000 AUD).
Toyota Gazoo Racing Argentina will ultimately expand into other markets. Australia and Canada have been earmarked as markets prioritised to receive the model, as stated by WSC Group founder and owner Marcello Lotti during his visit to the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International.
General Manager of Toyota Gazoo Racing Argentina, Juan Pablo Grano provided details regarding the Corolla TCR GRS program.
“A team was put together with Toyota Argentina’s own engineers and with engineers from our competition teams,” Grano told Motor1 Argentina.
“We completed the homologation process, carried out the mandatory tests in Italy and Germany, and thus obtained the BOP (Balance of Performance), which is the formula applied to each TCR vehicle to balance performance on the track.
“This year we had our first experiences in competition, without scoring points, and the result was very good, including a victory in the race. Now we are in the next step, which is to start the production of the cars.
“The commitment we have with the TCR promoters WSC Group is that during the first year we are going to produce 10 cars. The 10 cars, in agreement with our parent company, will go to the TCR South America and TCR Brazil championships. The first six will be delivered before March, so that they can start the season already running, while the other four will be completed around June.
“The first car is the one that was running this year without points and now we are completing cars number two and three.
“The first part of manufacturing is carried out in the Toyota Gazoo Racing workshops in Córdoba, where the safety cage is manufactured, the wheels and the Lexus 2.0 turbo engine are placed, with a maximum power of 350 horsepower by regulation.
“Afterwards, the car is brought to Zárate, to this new manufacturing facility, to carry out the final production, where all the wiring, the gearbox, the steering, the suspension, all the electronic part are placed, and the final completion is carried out.
Grano also explained the customer support structures being set-up ahead of the Corolla GRS TCR’s rollout.
“That is another of the important parts of this unit – We are not only going to manufacture the car for you, we are also going to supply you with the spare parts and the aftersales service that a competition car requires,” he said.
“From Toyota Gazoo Racing Argentina we are going to guarantee the availability of spare parts, which today is not a minor issue. The Corolla TCR has its components divided into three groups: original Corolla parts (such as the mirrors, for example, which are available at any dealership), Corolla TCR-specific parts (which are exclusive to this car and are going to be supplied by us). and in third place are the competition components common to other equipment (such as shock absorbers).
“We are going to supply Corolla TCR customers with the entire set of parts they need.”
The opening round of next year’s Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series is once again at Symmons Plains Raceway for the third-annual Race Tasmania event on February 24-26.
Image: Motor1 Argentina