The World Rally Championship’s top-class regulations will be overhauled for 2027. The so-called WRC27 rules will introduce tubular-frame cars that utilise technology from current Rally2-homologated machines.
Toyota has been working on its new car for a long time. In fact, no other team has yet confirmed that it has started development. It is therefore highly likely that Toyota will remain the benchmark at the top of the WRC.
Toyota technical director Tom Fowler has told the German magazine Motorsport aktuell that the team’s WRC27 car is close to being ready for its first proper tests.
“We have studied the new regulations very carefully. A first prototype is practically finished,” Fowler said.
In recent years Toyota has competed with the GR Yaris. The new rules give teams more freedom with body shapes. Toyota has not yet revealed whether it will continue with the Yaris beyond next year or switch to another model – perhaps the Corolla, Supra or even Celica.
At present, it appears Toyota will be the only current team with a WRC27-spec car ready at the start of the 2027 season. Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul has already confirmed that the team is not yet building a new car and is instead likely to update its current Rally2 car.
M-Sport Ford team principal Richard Millener, meanwhile, said during the Central European Rally that a completely new car would not be ready for the beginning of 2027 if the British outfit decides to build one.
The FIA plans for the 2027 season to allow both new WRC27 cars and current Rally2 cars to compete side by side in the WRC’s top category.
