Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) has announced that the forthcoming GT86 CS-R3 competition car will be delayed until October due to an unforeseen technical issue.
The rear-wheel-drive car was announced in November 2013 and delivery to the first customers was planned for May this year. However, despite an intensive test and development programme, a delay has become unavoidable.
TMG states that, ‘as a whole, the CS-R3 has performed very well during testing but selection of appropriate power steering has been a recurring difficulty’. Due to the specific lay-out of the GT86, it has proved harder than expected to find a suitable power steering unit, which must be an off-the-shelf product according to FIA R3 regulations.
TMG is confident the final stage of development will be completed successfully but regrets that it has caused a delay in homologation. Delivery of the first kits is now scheduled for October, giving customers time to prepare for the 2016 season.
Consequently, the first season of the HJS TMG GT86 CS-R3 Trophy has been postponed until 2016. As a gesture of goodwill, TMG will offer refunds and free entries to the 2016 Trophy for all participants who are already registered for the 2015 edition.
TMG already commited to providing the winner of the 2015 Trophy with a test drive in the new Toyta World Rally car and this prize will be again offered next season, subject to specific conditions.
“It is extremely frustrating that we must wait until next season to see customers competing with the CS-R3,” explaind Nico Ehlert, principal engineer customer motorsport. “The car is running very well in testing and we have received positive feedback from everyone who has driven it, from our professional test drivers to the potential customers attending our events. So it’s particularly disappointing that one component has had such a significant effect, but we’ve tried everything to keep to our schedule and unfortunately it was just not possible. We have a solution in place and I am sure the final result will be very positive.”
