Interviews with Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada

PerformanceSound said:

Hehe....I have said too much already.

If I can give any reputable advice, it would be to WAIT....the introductory cars are not what "most of us" will want. That being said, the last thing I will hint at is that Toyota is VERY WELL AWARE of Supra fans reactions up to this point .

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JP_Supra said:

I hope they’ll announce plans for a manual before the car is available to purchase. Doesn’t make sense to bring it back as automatic only, let everyone buy it, and then say “by the way we’re going to offer the transmission you actually wanted next year”

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mkivalex said:

Now dont mind my thinkint after a few joints and a beer but what if...

Developing a whole new chassid was more than Toyota wanted to commit. So they do the BMW partnership to get the cheaper car. To then go back to the drawing board with that now developed car and put their spin on it. Basicslly just using BMW to get the car made. Dealing with the B58 as the standard engine. And going with the infamous 3JZ for the diehards.

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Toyota feels pressure with new Supra

TOYOTA is feeling the weight of expectation that comes with the reintroduction of a famous model as its legendary Supra coupe is set to be revealed in full at the Detroit motor show ahead of an Australian arrival in Q3 2019.

The Supra has not been on sale since it was discontinued in 2002, however a partnership with BMW has given Toyota the opportunity of creating its own sportscar alongside the BMW Z4.

Speaking to GoAuto, Toyota Supra chief engineer Tetsuya Tada said the brand felt pressure to continue the legacy of one of its most beloved models.

“Of course (there is pressure to succeed). With the fifth-generation Supra, the old heritage from the previous generations have to be succeeded with the newest technology,” he said.

“The segment for this Supra is very competitive, there are so many other competitors as you know in this segment.

“So, to compete with that, it has to be so much more fun than its competitors. So, it’s a lot of pressure, and that’s why we have to limit the price as well.”

Toyota is still a way off announcing pricing for the Supra, however Mr Tada said the cost would have to be “acceptable for Toyota fans.”

When asked on how to measure the success of the new Supra, Mr Tada said the company would not look at its sales performance, but rather the reaction it garners from fans of the car.

“The goal for a Toyota sportscar is not to sell a lot, but to really to sell Supra to fans who like cars a lot,” he said.

“So, to index the success of a sportscar is really hard. I think that’s why for many of the car companies, it’s really hard to make a sportscar. If you can sell more it’s good, but it’s not (a priority) for a sportscar.”

Toyota Australia public affairs manager Brodie Bott agreed that sales will not be the measuring stick for the Supra’s success, but the model will help shift the way Toyota is perceived in terms of performance and excitement.

“In terms of sales, I think its job as a halo car is far more important than the sales targets, because to be completely honest with you, the volumes in the first year won’t be big,” he said.

“So, it’s not about getting them out there, it’s about the job it does to build the Toyota brand.

“I think if you look at where the brand’s going – you see it in the new Camry, you see it in the new Corolla, the TNGA, the lower centre of gravity, the performance, the styling – we’re not the company we used to be.”

Mr Bott anticipated the Supra will help create a legion of Toyota enthusiasts in the same vein as the 86 coupe.

“I think you look at what 86 has done for the Toyota brand and all of the enthusiasts it has created, I think it will be the same for the Supra,” he said.

“You’ve got Supra enthusiasts but I think this one is a leap ahead again, you’ll see a lot more enthusiasts and advocates not only for Supra but for the Toyota brand.”

According to Mr Tada, the decision to revive the Supra nameplate after 17 years came from customer feedback, after listening to “voices from all over the world” demanding that the car should be revived.

Mr Bott added that the time was right to reintroduce the Supra given the opportunities the tie-in with BMW presented, particularly with the use of an inline six-cylinder engine, which was found in Supras of old.

“I think if you look back at the partnership that we formed with BMW, the partnership just naturally grew into a sportscar,” he said.

“And I think the fact that we had an inline six through our partnership with BMW, it just made sense that it would be a Supra. I guess it’s just taken the development and all of the bits and pieces that go into it, I think it’s just unfolded that now is the time for it.”

The Supra will be revealed in full next month at the Detroit motor show, and will go on sale in Australia in the third quarter of 2019 with the 3.0-litre inline six under the bonnet.

Toyota is also mulling whether to introduce other engine options.

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Supra93 said:

https://www.goauto.com.au/news/toyo...pressure-with-new-supra/2018-12-19/77011.html

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DevonK said:

Two statements from Tada in that interview have some interesting pricing implications. First, he states that "The segment for this Supra is very competitive, there are so many other competitors as you know in this segment." That's only true if you consider cars like the base Cyaman/Boxster, M2 Competition, Audi TTS/TTRS, Mustang GT350, etc. as the segment in question - not a lower-priced tier where one finds the 370Z Nismo, which is really the only sportscar in its price class currently.

Second, his comments about not being concerned with sales volume as a marker for product success also implies that despite a claim that the car will have to have a price "acceptable to Toyota fans" it's going to be relatively expensive - maybe not 718S expensive, but certainly well into the fifties in the US.

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DevonK said:

not a lower-priced tier where one finds the 370Z Nismo, which is really the only sportscar in its price class at this point.

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PerformanceSound said:

The reason being is Tada and Toyota expect the MKV Supra as a whole to sell quite well. Even though there is mention of limited production of the MKV Supra, Toyota is expecting to sell more of the base/entry models more than anything. This is where the "affordable" statements are originating from....Toyota wants EVERYONE (boys, girls, young, old, etc...) to have a Supra. That is why the version that we all want won't appear right away...the money maker won't be in those cars.

The serialized cars, I believe, will be rare sales....just like Ford does with the GT350R. They are maybe one car sold every three months or something along those lines, with production numbers being in the 1600's???

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justbake said:

Dont forget about Mustangs and Camaros considering they are more sports cars than pony cars nowadays. Both have 4cyl and V8 variants that are no slouch at their price points.

This is why cost cutting and production numbers are important and why cars like Mustangs and Camaros can be sold so cheap and why GTRs can not. Chevrolet couldnt sell their 650hp ZL1 1LE at 'only' $70k if a 275hp base model didn't exist.

Takes 400 years to sell 1600 at that rate but I get your point.

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I am also pretty damn sure that Toyota tested much more powerful gear in the MKV Supra platform before signing off to go to production .

justbake said:

Dont forget about Mustangs and Camaros considering they are more sports cars than pony cars nowadays. Both have 4cyl and V8 variants that are no slouch at their price points.

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DevonK said:

Opinions vary on that, most reviewers are not enamored of the Mustang GT's handling even with the the PP1 option. The SS handles better, but it certainly did not feel like a sports car to me when I drove it, far too big, cumbersome, and heavy.

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