Details of Toyota engine emerge

Since the Supercars Supra project was first announced a year ago, Swindon Powertrain has been working in close collaboration with homologation partner Walkinshaw TWG Racing to lead the development, simulation and production of development engines and key parts such as the crank train.

Final assembly and ongoing servicing of the race engines is undertaken by Walkinshaw TWG Racing at its facility in Clayton, Victoria.

According to Swindon Powertrain, Toyota’s all-aluminium, quad-cam 2UR-GSE V8 usually found delivering smooth, effortless performance in cars such as the Lexus LC500, now in 5.2L guise, was a natural basis for the Supercars series that mandates engine capacities between 5.0-5.7L.

“The engine’s architecture, such as its square 94×94 (bore and stroke), offers a great base for a competitive and durable power unit to achieve 600bhp,” says Swindon Powertrain’s managing director, Raphaël Caillé.

Balancing durability, cost and performance was essential

Caullé indicated that the key to the project is balancing durability, performance and cost attributes.

“The Supercars calendar, including supporting the Australian F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne, sees over 12,000km of track running – that’s around five times the mileage of the 30-round British Touring Car Championship and harsher when you consider events such as the Bathurst 1000 with its 1.92-kilometre straight,” adds Caillé.

Balancing the need for engines to last the season and keep to stringent cost targets, Swindon Powertrain focused on the evolution of the crank train and valvetrain hardware as well as the combustion and calibration elements.

The robustness of Toyota’s road car engines meant cost-effective OE parts such as the cylinder head, block, main caps, timing chain and followers could be used. The 2026 unit also runs hydraulic variable valve timing (VVT) and a 3D-printed inlet tract – the latter a manufacturing technology proven on Swindon Powertrain’s BTCC-winning engines.

Relishing the challenge

With Swindon Powertrain’s ISO 9001-certified facilities located in the UK and France, its engineering team – headed by technical director Sylvain Rubio, who will be trackside for the first events – worked closely with the project partners to ensure distance is no object, underlining Swindon Powertrain’s capacity to support programmes around the world.

“It’s been a fantastic collaboration: the time zone difference enabled us to work around the clock, in effect,” adds Caillé.

“However, we don’t underestimate the challenge. Supercars is a competitive championship with established engine producers with experience of the GEN3 regulations. We respect the job they are doing and now it’s up to us to learn, develop and bring our best efforts to the track. We won’t be satisfied until we start winning!”

Walkinshaw TWG Racing team principal, Carl Faux, said the team was ecstatic to be partnering with Swindon Powertrain as it brings the Toyota Australia Supercars project to life.

“There’s been a mountain of work and development undertaken to ensure the 2UR-GSE is Supercars ready, and importantly, meets all the regulations of the category that are so strictly enforced. To be able to have the Swindon Powertrain expertise and production capabilities has been great,” he said.

“While the final assembly and servicing of the engines all happen in-house here in Clayton, to have a program that has been able to run day and night due to time zones has been essential in meeting deadlines and bringing it to life. We are all looking forward to the first official race in just a few weeks’ time.”

Supercars series one of the most competitive in the world

An engine and component developer for over 50 years, supplying winning engines and components in formulae as diverse as F1, F3, WRC, BTCC, sportscars and historic racing, Swindon Powertrain is relishing the significant but exciting Supercars challenge ahead.

“This marks Swindon Powertrain’s debut in this incredibly competitive series. I was fortunate to work for 888 with Holden in the early 2000s and fondly remember the pure competition, awesome sounds and enthusiasm it generates. I’m really looking forward to seeing the Supras building on our success in touring cars,” concludes Caillé.