EXCLUSIVE: Lexus Australia chooses GT3

Lexus Australia has ruled out an entry into V8 Supercars – for now. The Japanese luxury brand’s much publicised “internal motorsport study” sidelined the locally-developed V8 Supercars championship this week, instead choosing the burgeoning international GT3 category.

Lexus Australia could now support a local GT3 motor racing campaign as soon as 2017.

Critics of V8 Supercars will use the decision as evidence the dominant force in local motor racing is gradually having its supremacy eroded by the growing support for GT3, which is the headline act at the Bathurst 12-hour, features most of the world’s most evocative brands and will have its own sprint and endurance series’ in Australia from 2016.

But Lexus Australia chief Sean Hanley, who started investigations into a motorsport program 12 months ago, told motoring.com.au Lexus has taken up its option for the V8 safety car program in 2016 and may still reconsider its racing policy, post the introduction of the Gen2 regulations in 2017.

“The door is still ajar on V8 Supercars because we believe the Gen2 regulations deserve a deep study and consideration. Our association through the safety car allows us the ongoing ability to do that study,” said Hanley.

“However, that study is post the introduction of Gen2.”

While a theoretical green light has been given to going racing in GT3, at this point Lexus Australia has no approval to do so from the local board or from its parent, Lexus international.

Nor has a race program been ironed out. It could vary from a full factory support (the most expensive and most unlikely option) through to supplying customer teams with cars to go racing.

Hanley commissioned the study into motorsport in Australia when the Gen2 rules were crystalizing publicly last year. Lexus marketing chief Adrian Weimers oversaw the exercise.

Gen2 appeared around the time Lexus started ramping up its sporting image with the launch of the RC F 5.0-litre V8. It will be followed by the GS F sedan on to Australian sale next February. The F Sport line has also been spread to all model lines bar the LX SUV and mundane mid-size ES.  

Lexus Australia had studied racing the RC F coupe in what is expected to be dubbed Supercars (an acknowledgement of the Gen2 rules which allows engines other than V8s) in 2017, powered by a racing version of that car’s 5.0-litre V8 engine.

Weimers went as far as commissioning Toyota Style Australia in Melbourne to establish how well the RC F would fit over the standard spaceframe chassis the category uses and what the car would look like with a stretched wheelbase.

He also discussed engine supply with Japan-based Lexus Motorsport, which is developing the RC F for racing. He also engaged in high altitude discussions with local V8 teams about the costs and technicalities of the category.

But Weimers’ study found the advantages of aligning with Lexus’ global GT3 plans rather than opting for a go-it-alone program in Australia were too obvious to ignore. The GT3 RC F was designed by Lexus Motorsport in Japan and is being developed via racing programs in Japan and Germany (pictured).

The race car should be in production and on-sale in time for Lexus to prepare for racing in 2017.

“After analysing the Lexus International or Lexus Motorsport direction we believe this is the right thing for us to take advantage of - the development of the GT3 that has occurred,” said Hanley.

“It aligns perfectly with some of the other activities happening that are occurring in the Australian motorsport landscape in the future.

“So 2017 would be the timeframe in which expansion to other markets of the GT3 program would occur and we see that as a great opportunity for Lexus in Australia.”

While that could easily be interpreted to mean that Lexus simply opted for the cheaper program, Hanley insists money didn’t dominate the decision.

“Cost wasn’t the overwhelming reason for our direction,” he said.

“It just made perfect sense given the development of GT3 on the international motorsport scene for Lexus brand. It just perfectly aligned. However, locally, had we wanted to move in the direction of V8 Supercars, cost was not the issue for us.”

The decision by Lexus leaves no manufacturer at this point committed to the new Gen2 Supercar regulations for 2017 and beyond. Holden, however is all but guaranteed and Nissan is talking positively about extending beyond 2016. Volvo is an unknown beyond 2016, while Ford pulls out at the end of this season.

The only other brand represented in the series is Mercedes-Benz, but the German luxury manufacture has no involvement in Betty Klimenko’s privateer effort.

V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton predicted a new manufacture would join the category for 2017.

“Gen2 is about retaining the existing manufacturers as this is critical to the future of the sport. It’s also about attracting new manufacturers going forward and we are still confident of having one new manufacturer in the sport in 2017.

“Lexus is a strong supporter of the sport through the safety car program and we are encouraged by its ongoing interest in V8 Supercars. It’s certainly not ruling out a future involvement in the series.”

Declaration: Bruce Newton is a freelance contributor to the official V8 Supercars website.