The spiritual successor to the Toyota Supra is on its way, with a new concept previewing the reborn Japanese sports car set to arrive in 2016. According to Tetsuya Tada, chief engineer of Toyota Motor Corporation’s Sport Vehicle Mangement Division, the new model will be part of the carmaker’s sports car line-up comprising “three brothers.”
Among the “three brothers”, the S-FR coupe will be the smallest sibling, although it is currently in the concept phase for now. The “middle sized” brother will be the 86, whereas the “big brother” will be the new “Supra.”
Speaking to Drive, Tada stated the Supra nameplate is unlikely to be adopted by the upcoming model. Instead, the car will try to capture the spirit of the iconic coupe. Tada also said, “I don’t know the name but Supra is the heritage of Toyota sports, therefore Supra has a good image and direction.”
Currently, Toyota is in a partnership with BMW, which initially involved the development of battery and fuel cell technologies, as well as fuel-efficient vehicles. The deal was expanded later, where both carmakers will jointly develop a sports car as well. Toyota got the speculation train rolling when it unveiled the FT-1 concept at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.
Barring the lack of any powertrain details at the time, the FT-1 includes many design elements from Toyota’s various sport car introductions including the 2000GT, Celica, Supra, MR2 and, most recently, the 86. Now, Tada has divulged that the Supra successor would probably adopt a hybrid powertrain.
“Hybrid technology is key technology for Toyota. We release hybrid sports (cars) in the market, we must provide something new, something wow, a surprise,” he said. Questions on whether the powertrain will feature electric turbocharging was also answered vaguely.
Additionally, don’t expect ludicrous amounts of power to be offered with the new model. “Now there are so many high-end sports cars in the world. Now 700 or 800 hp is not so special,” Tada said.
However, Tada did reveal that the Porsche 911 is expected to be the benchmark sports car, which the new Toyota sports coupe will match up against. He added, “Big brother will have amazing performance.”
With Honda’s introduction of the second-generation NSX, and Mazda looking to bring back the rotary engine with the RX-Vision concept, Toyota’s Supra successor would certainly make for an interesting entry to the reborn Japanese sports car segment. Which grabs your attention the most?
Toyota FT-1 Concept
Toyota Supra
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New Toyota Supra vs. New Honda NSX.. new challenge for a new century.
hoping that the technology of Lexus LFA will be transferred down to Supra. and more…since NSX is going to be so advanced Toyota must be prepared to be competitive for at least the next 3 years before the first facelift
Anyone can make-up a ‘concept’. Many toy cars have much braver concept than from car manufacturers.
I wonder how long will this round of japanese comeback last? Unlike the Europeans where they always have a sports version and real sports car available in their inventory.
Japanese automakers are all about saving money and constantly churning out economical/budget cars 24/7. Once in a while though, when they sense their fellow colleague bring out a sports car, they response. However, as soon as one of them let up, all of them would kill their sports car programme asap to save money.
and when they do it once in a while, they beat the europeans flat out in their game
given the choice between an euro/us sports car and a jap. Jap anytime for ownership. For euro, rent it for 2 weeks is enough. Not meant to be stuck in JAM, and hot sun… it just ain’t so great if you know the stories though mechanics.
If it’s to capture the spirit of the Supra, it needs to have a straight six engine, mated to big turbocharger(s) that produces insane level of power-to-displacement ratio. A 3.0L twin-turno L6 with around 450hp would sound normal, but pair it with some powerful motors and we could have a nice power figure. Fingers crossed.
or… it could be a hybrid… or fully electric vehicle.. hehe… ;)
Cant wait to buy this car. Going to buy this to replace my turbocharged vios
Looks great!It has a very strong characteristic.
Best Motoring TV program will return. Hopefully.
One can only pray and hope…
dammit I really miss Dorifto-king Keiichi Tsuchiya.
huh? another concept? not ft-1?
very good design which is unique and oozes with a sporty yet not too vulgar (ricer?) character. Toyota do it! Not so hot about the interior.
Looks like a batmobile….I like.
We’ve all been following this car, and many of us have different levels of enthusiasm, and I feel enthusiastically inclined to say that in my opinion, this car will be a repeat of the GT 86/BRZ business venture. This makes complete sense in that, BMW lacks one major component to it’s fleet of cars, affordable hybrid vehicles. It just so happens that Toyota is the leading innovator in hybrid systems. The Prius, coming in three different sizes is a testiment to the success they have achieved in the U.S. alone. Couple Toyota’s efficient production techniques and their pioneering hybrid technology, with BMW engineering, and something very special can be built, say once the information has been thoroughly processed and translated. Imagine an M car that has the mpg of a Prius, now we’re talking! Bimmers guys have been wanting the revival of the M1, hyper car beginnings!
What we ultimately have here is, the revival of a Titan. Like the 86, there is a sports car following, that has true loyalty (not like marriage). A moral code of ethics, born on the street, infused since birth, learned through bloody knuckles, and boy hood dreams. This Supra variant will honor the cult it created, how? By staying true to the essence of what a sports car should be. The GT86, is a perfect example, it is under powered, very low priced, drives great, looks good in every angle, did I mention low priced. FRS/BRZ are selling like hot cakes, and tuners will continue where the manufacturer left off (in order to keep cost down). Tgus Supra variant will be staging in the box with it’s long rival, the Fairlady Z. Staying true to the rivalry, especially with the Japanese market, the battle must continue with the V6 vs. Inline 6. Here’s where the BMW M4 comes in the picture, for this venture to work, BMW cannot render their pride and joy obsolete. This will be achieved by replacing the Z4, with perhaps a Z5. This limits the units required to be profitable on both sides. If your not fimiliar, Z4 rodsters are purest track cars, like the Miata, and S2000. This component is key, as the Cayman comes un a roadster as well.
The next Supra will have a chassis made from BMW, and a heart from their M division; an inlne 6 with twin turbos (current M3/M4), JDM fans rejoice. Toyota people will be thrilled that the interior looks as they remembered it. You will be sitting on Toyota seats, surrounded by familiar sound system and knobs. However, you’ll notice an extra touch of refinement; the battery will be placed in the trunk, along with a first aid kit, and tire pump. The engine bay will be premier and maintenance challenging. It will be a car that me and you can aspire to buy, and the tuner market will forish with turbo kits, blow off valves, suspension booms, exhaust symphonies, and spoilers rising into the air! It will be beautiful…