Toyota's 2027 WRC challenger takes shape as third evolution hits final homologation specification

If you stand still in motorsport, you move backwards—and nobody can accuse Toyota Gazoo Racing of standing still. While the team is closing in on a historic, record-equalling 10th FIA World Rally Championship manufacturers' crown, a massive effort is already happening behind the scenes for 2027. That project has reached a critical juncture. Toyota has officially completed the third evolution of its brand-new car, which technical director Tom Fowler states represents the final specification the team plans to homologate with the FIA.

There is a little over four months remaining until the new era kicks off at Rallye Monte-Carlo. Next season, current Rally1 cars will step aside for the incoming WRC27 formula, which forms the cornerstone of the championship for the next decade. These machines will feature a €345,000 cost cap, a tubular safety cell, double-wishbone suspension, and technical elements derived from Rally2 regulations, all targeting performance around the existing Rally2 benchmark. Notably, Toyota finds itself in a unique position as the only manufacturer currently competing at the WRC's top level known to be developing an all-new WRC27 car. While prototype images with varying body shapes have surfaced online recently, Toyota has yet to reveal which specific model the new beast will represent.

The development path has been a moving target. Because the project started at the beginning of the year before the 2027 regulations were fully written, engineers had to make an educated guess on how to package a Rally2-based powertrain into a spaceframe chassis. Once the FIA regulations became final, the team converted its design into an FIA-compliant chassis around April, producing a second test car that hit the tarmac in the springtime. But continuous development over the next two to three months highlighted areas for improvement, culminating in the freshly produced third car ready for official paperwork.

That machine has already chewed through more than 5,000km of testing across asphalt and gravel. Much of that mileage has been logged by 2019 world champion Ott Tänak, who returned to the team this year in a test and development role. The squad's current Rally1 drivers have also sampled the car and are expected to increase their involvement now that the current championship battle is nearing its conclusion. As Fowler noted, the team wants to keep all its drivers satisfied to ensure the final package works for everyone rather than just a single driving style.