Wednesday 28th November 2018

Toyota returns to BTCC with new Corolla

Former independent team Speedworks Motorsport gets manufacturer backing for 2019

---

Toyota will make a return the British Touring Car Championship next year as a manufacturer for the first time since 1995, when it fields a Corolla with Speedworks Motorsport and its sole driver, Tom Ingram. Fresh from topping the independent running this year, the Cheshire-based team will receive full factory backing from Toyota as well as an all-new car based on the latest five-door hatchback.

Speedworks, which supported 25-year-old Ingram to finish as runner up in the overall BTCC standings with an Avensis this year, will now run under the banner of Toyota GB. The team is re-engineering the Corolla into NGTC form, as per the BTCC's regulations, so it'll use a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing around 350hp, based on a unit provided by Toyota. New renderings show how the race-spec Corolla will look once work is finished, including its white and red colour scheme.

The 2019 deal comes after several years of growing involvement from Toyota, as Speedworks team principle Christian Dick explains. He said the team has been "nurturing [the] bond through our common passion for motorsport, engineering excellence and, ultimately, success. Our new relationship with [Toyota] will enable us to take that final step and really push for the overall BTCC title".

Toyota's last full factory involvement in the BTCC saw it field a pair of Supertouring-spec Carinas in the mid-90s, but it enjoyed most success in the 1980s. The appropriately named Win Percy won Toyota's first BTCC title in 1982 with a Corolla GT, before Chris Hodgetts used the same model to win again in '86 and '87.

No doubt Toyota's deal with Speedworks - now entering its ninth season in the BTCC - is aimed at repeating this level of success using its new Corolla. Of course, given Speedworks' achievements prior to gaining factory support, it looks as well placed as any take on the likes of BMW, Honda and Subaru in 2019. We can't wait to see how it fares when racing kicks off again in April.

[DaveTheRave87]

Good luck to them. Always good to see more manufacturer support for the BTCC.

[rallycross]

Thats great news, Tom Ingram is one of the top class drivers in BTCC, great to see them get some help from Toyota and building a new car.
I hope they can run 2 cars at some point as the extra data will help Tom massively if they want to win the series, very hard as a one car team especially with a new car... good luck Speedworks

[Stitches]

Great to see further manufacturer backing coming to the series and reward for the traditional hard work and strong performances from both driver and team.

[Daston]

Good to see Toyota in more motorsport, their WRC car's look fantastic and did rather well.

Do my eyes deceive me or is that an exhaust painted on the side?

[Nogojuice]

Great to see a new manufacturer joining the best racing series around, but even better for Tom, no one deserves it more than him this seasons absolute star 😀

[MG CHRIS]

Daston said:

Good to see Toyota in more motorsport, their WRC car's look fantastic and did rather well.

Do my eyes deceive me or is that an exhaust painted on the side?

Its a computer Image.

Great news for tom and the team hard work on the avensis developing it on a budget to become a race winner and a title contender is a massive achievement. With btcc going hybrid was a good idea for Toyota to come on board specially as the corolla is uk built and being hybrid models great marketing for Toyota UK.