Captain_Kirk
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R&T is saying it will start production next year.
2019 Toyota Supra: What We Know So Far
Toyota has a new rear-drive sports car coming, with help from BMW. Here's what we know, and what we think we know, about it.
Toyota reentered the rear-wheel drive sports car game with the 86 (née Scion FR-S) back in 2012, and now it's got something bigger in the works. Something that could be a successor to the mighty Supra, one of Toyota's most beloved cars of all time. There's a lot we know about this car and there's a lot we've heard, so we're compiling all of it here, just for you.
We don't know for sure whether this car will wear the Supra badge, but for simplicity's sake, that's how we're going to refer to it for now. Who doesn't want a new Supra?
It Might Not Wear a Toyota Badge
Speaking to Motor1 UK, Shigeki Tomoyama, the president of Toyota's Gazoo Racing division implied that the Supra might not wear Toyota badging. Instead, according to Tomoyama, it will be badged as a Gazoo.
Tomoyama also made some big promises about the Supra's sports-car credentials.
"The Supra will be a pure sports car," he told Motor1 UK. "The previous Supra had a straight six engine, twin turbochargers and rear-wheel drive. These were important elements."
Tomoyama, who owns a 600-hp MkIV Supra, also said that Toyota boss Akio Toyoda had a hand in the car's development, saying it needed a "more mobile" rear axle. The Supra will also have 50:50 weight distribution, and Toyota is already developing aftermarket parts.
It'll Be Revealed Soon, At Least In Concept Form
Originally, we heard the Supra would make its debut as a concept at Octobers's Tokyo Motor Show alongside a version of the rear-drive S-FR concept. Sadly, that didn't happen. And in case you haven't heard, the L.A. Auto Show was last week—no Supra there either. The Detroit Auto Show is coming up next month, and according to one report, you shouldn't get your hopes up.
When asked if the Supra was coming to Detroit, Toyota Group vice president Jack Hollis told Motortrend specifications are still being finalized for the car, and that it is "not at production levels yet." As with the above report, Hollis says the company still has yet to decide on a name for the car.
In any case, we'll find out what Toyota has in store soon.
It's Being Co-Developed With BMW
The Supra will be the result of a BMW-Toyota collaboration first announced in 2012. The two companies are working together on engines and lithium-ion batteries, and most interestingly, a new rear-wheel drive platform.
We've already seen the concept form of another car set to ride on this platform—the next BMW Z4 roadster, which debuted at Pebble Beach this summer and promises to be a legitimately excellent sports car. BMW is reportedly targeting a sub-3200-lb curb weight for the Z4, which is good news for the Supra said to share its platform. We think the Supra might be available as a hardtop only, since we haven't seen spy shots of any soft-top prototypes testing, so it's possible the Supra might be even lighter.
It Starts Production in 2018
In May, we reported that the Supra would hit production next year, and that it would be assembled in Austria by contract manufacturer Magna Steyr, which is best known as the company that builds the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen.
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