​Toyota has attracted strong interest from customers eager to purchase its new 2027 World Rally Championship car, which is still under development for the upcoming season. The Japanese automaker is the sole traditional carmaker actively building a vehicle to comply with the FIA’s fresh WRC technical regulations set to take effect in 2027. In addition to Toyota, tuner outfits Project Rally One and RMC Motorsport have also announced plans to develop cars in line with the new rules.
As Toyota nears a pivotal stage in its program, the car is entering its final durability testing phase, scheduled to wrap up this summer before the homologation process begins. Toyota has not yet revealed which model its new WRC entry is based on. Under the updated FIA rules, constructors must offer their cars to customers, with specific homologation requirements for WRC27 machines. Producers are required to manufacture at least 10 units within 24 months of the homologation date, and they must be capable of supplying at least 10 race-ready WRC27 cars per calendar year to customer teams.
With less than six months remaining until the 2027 rally season kicks off in Monte Carlo in January, the interest from potential buyers is already substantial. Toyota’s technical director, Tom Fowler, told Motorsport.com that the level of inquiry has been strong, though he noted some confusion among potential customers about where and how the new cars can be used within the various categories. “We’ve seen a really strong level of interest in the car,” Fowler said. “But there’s still some confusion in the customer base about where they can run the cars and how they fit into the different categories.” He added that many people have submitted requests to join the interest list, while others remain cautious about the practical applications of the new machinery.
Among those apparently waiting is Teo Martin Motorsport, a Spanish outfit currently running Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 cars for drivers like Alejandro Cachón in WRC2. Teo Martin Motorsport’ s team principal Teo Martin indicated on Spain’s Rallycast podcast that he intends to purchase at least two 2027-spec Toyotas. “My first car will be delivered in December and the second five months later,” Martin stated. He also said he planned to consult with Toyota about whether the second car could be available for Rally Monte Carlo and whether a third vehicle could be allocated for testing purposes.
Toyota is already laying the groundwork for a production program to build its 2027 rally cars for customer teams next year. Fowler noted that the company is in the process of coordinating a production plan. He compared the current situation to the early days of launching other rally platforms, explaining that initial production releases are often constrained by the supply of key components such as transmissions and engines. “If you look back at the introduction of any Rally2 car, including our own in 2024, the first production runs are naturally limited by the availability of essential parts,” he remarked.
As the countdown to the 2027 season continues, Toyota’s commitment to meeting homologation obligations while addressing customer demand remains a central focus. The unfolding strategy will likely influence how quickly the company can deliver production units to buyers and how readily teams can deploy the new platform in competition. With manufacturers racing to adapt to the FIA’s 2027 WRC technical framework, Toyota’s progress and its ability to translate expressed interest into tangible orders will be closely watched by the rallying community.