Toyota GR Transforms The Humble Hilux Champ Into A Track Monster | Carscoops

The race-prepped truck from Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand looks like a Transformer on the race track

The Hilux Champ was launched last year as a bare-bones, budget-friendly pickup truck for Asian markets, with Toyota hyping up its potential for customization. Now, it appears that Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand has taken that promise a step further, transforming the humble workhorse into a fire-breathing race truck for the Super Pickup championship.

The race-prepped Hilux Champ quietly broke cover earlier this year, flying under the radar until now. According to posts on Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Thailand’s official Facebook page, the truck had its first competitive outing in May. A more refined version returned to the track in July and August, facing off against heavyweights like the Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton, and Ford Ranger.

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According to the regulations, only single-cab rear-wheel-drive trucks with diesel powertrains can enter the Super Pickup championship. The first-ever Toyota GR Hilux Champ received a custom bodykit and a racing livery.

At the front, the deeper front bumper features a splitter, a massive cooling intake and a new grille opening, allowing the air to travel through the vented hood. The profile has been upgraded with racing wheels and bolt-on fender extensions, while the tail gained a rear wing and a large diffuser. With its boxy proportions and color-matched aero components, the Champ looks more like a rogue Transformer than a budget pickup.

Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Thailand / Facebook

Moving inside, the cabin is as stripped-down as you’d expect. A lone Sparco bucket seat, matching Sparco steering wheel, and racing-spec switchgear are all business. There’s also a fire extinguisher within arm’s reach, because, well, things can get a little toasty in this line of work. The roll cage—bolted directly to the ladder-frame chassis—required some serious surgery, with holes cut into both the cab and bed for added rigidity.

On the chassis front, the Hilux Champ sits on a lowered suspension setup with a heavy dose of negative camber to sharpen its handling while riding on race-spec wheels and tires.

Under the hood is an upgraded version of Toyota’s 2.4-liter turbodiesel, now juiced up beyond the stock 148 hp (110 kW / 150 PS). The modifications include a new turbocharger, larger intercoolers, a custom exhaust system, and reworked intake and fuel setups. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a manual gearbox.

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The Toyota Hilux Champ is not the only racecar from the factory-backed Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Thailand. On their social media channels we found race-prepped versions of the Thai-spec Yaris, Yaris Cross, Corolla sedan, Hilux, and GR Supra, each one participating in different kinds of motorsport activities.

For a closer look at the track-focused Hilux Champ, check out a series of videos uploaded by Edd Ellison on his YouTube channel. Ellison speaks with people from the development team, uncovering a few more details about the truck. At the end of the second video, the YouTuber says that Toyota GR will initiate a one-make racing series with the Hilux Champ in Thailand next year.

H/T to Top Gear Philippines