Ultimate Reunion: CUSCO and Tarzan Yamada Bring Golden-Era GT300 Monster to WTAC!
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The 2026 World Time Attack Challenge Sydney welcomes back two names deeply connected to the event’s earliest international era: CUSCO and Eiji “Tarzan” Yamada. This time, they return with a machine that represents one of the most exciting periods in Japanese motorsport history, the CUSCO GT300 GC8 Subaru Impreza.
For long-time WTAC fans, this is a true full circle moment. Back in 2010, WTAC was still writing its opening chapter. The event brought some of Japan’s most respected time attack teams and drivers to Sydney, instantly giving the concept international credibility. Among them was Tarzan Yamada, who claimed victory in the legendary CyberEVO and also drove the Tomei/CUSCO Subaru Impreza WRX to third outright in Pro Class.
It was one of the moments that helped define what WTAC would become: a meeting point for wild engineering, elite drivers, Japanese tuning culture and the relentless pursuit of one perfect lap. Now, more than 15 years later, Tarzan and CUSCO return to Sydney Motorsport Park together.
The car itself is no ordinary Subaru. The CUSCO GT300 GC8 comes from Japan’s GT300 era, a time when race cars still carried the unmistakable identity of their road-going origins while pushing deep into purpose-built competition engineering. Low, wide and unmistakably aggressive, the GC8 Impreza silhouette remains one of the most iconic shapes in Subaru performance history.
For Subaru fans, JDM diehards and motorsport purists, this appearance is special. The GT300 GC8 represents a period when CUSCO was taking the Impreza into serious circuit racing territory, transforming a rally-bred platform into a dedicated GT machine. It is a car that connects Subaru’s all-wheel-drive performance image, Japan’s touring car culture and the experimental spirit that has always sat at the heart of time attack.
But the biggest emotion comes from the names attached to it. CUSCO was part of WTAC’s origin story. Tarzan Yamada was one of the drivers who helped make the event feel global from day one. Seeing them return together in 2026 is more than nostalgia. It is a reminder of where WTAC came from, how far it has evolved, and why the connection between Japan and Australia remains such a powerful part of the event’s identity.
Come see the CUSCO GT300 GC8 Subaru Impreza blaze Sydney Motorsport Park in all-out demonstration laps with legend Tarzan Yamada behind the wheel, both days at the 2026 Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge this September!
