TCR promoter Marcello Lotti has made a rallying call to the other Japanese manufacturers to join the fold next year, and take the fight to Honda at the launch of the TCR Japan Touring Car Series at Suzuka.

Lotti made a statement at the press launch to encourage the manufacturers to join TCR, with Honda the main Japanese brand represented in TCR with the other manufacturers notable by their absence.

Outsight of the fully privateer Subaru programme of Top Run Motorsport, which is yet to produce a TCR car in numbers and with suitable performance or reliability, Honda has the Japanese market sewn up, with Honda’s main rival at home in the endurance-based Super Taikyu series coming from teams running the Audi RS 3 LMS instead.

“I imagine Honda will be represented very well next year that, and I know Audi will also be well represented,” said Lotti. “But I want to invite other Japanese manufacturers to help fight Honda to fight under the Japanese flag.”

It’s understood that a number of Japanese manufacturers have been investigating developing a TCR car, with Nissan the most likely to make the move. Mazda have also been understood to have been looking at developing a TCR version of their Mazda 3, while Toyota are well-placed to start a TCR programme, with the new global Corolla being launched next year.