I'd go even further - for every Supra enthusiast there will be 50 others who are just looking for a new sports car that's reliable and doesn't have the prestige-related cost premiums of the Europeans. In North America at least the number of legacy Supra fans is minuscule compared to say the size...
Yes, demand is very likely to be highly price-sensitive. There are likely to be many in my position - in at $45-50k US, not biting at $56+k. A $10k price difference could lead to a 300% change in sales volume. I would love to see a graph of Toyota's price/volume projections.
The revised engine in the Miata is getting rave reviews, with its sweet 7500 redline. Definitely an alternative for me if the Supra turns out to be a mega-bucks special.
Absolutely agree. While I am not a big fan of the insect-eye look on the Supra, the Z4's headlights are worse, they look somewhat like the ugly lights on very old Hyundais... not saying they're identical, but:
I'd love to see some real colours like the Emerald Green Mica Mazda used to offer on the Miata but I bet the palette will be largely monochrome, with one red and perhaps a blue if we're lucky.
LOL - A friend just got one of those, days before the new provincial government will be cancelling the ridiculous $14k rebate they've been giving people for these things.
Anyone making a summary judgement on that at this point is the one not thinking hard enough. There's not enough verifiable information available yet to be able to accurately assess the relative contributions of BMW and Toyota to the Supra's development and final form.
The downside of 450 hp on the base version for North America: the price will be up there with a base Corvette, or at best a fully loaded Mustang GT. I'm hoping for 350 hp for $10k less.
Which is why Toyota may decide to do a revamped 86 to address that market tier instead. I can't see them selling any variant of the Supra at $34k in the US, they'd be losing money on every sale. Happy to be proven wrong though.
Personally I'd be fine with that sequence: 335 hp at <= 3000 lbs would be my sweet spot, any more power is useless on the street for me. And the price would be more acceptable as well.
That's likely a minority view here, but then active forum members are hardly representative of the average...
Plus a much nicer interior, infotainment tech that doesn't look like it came from a Pep Boys in 1998, an engine that does not sound like it was birthed by a tractor, much greater body rigidity, etc.
But a difference of only 3000 pounds sterling ($4-5k) from an 86? Wishful thinking there, $40k...
Unfortunately that is SOP in the auto industry for performance cars - look at just about any model: Mustang, Camaro, Jag F type, BMW, Corvette - the highest performing variants are always coming out a year or two (or three) after initial release of a new model. I wouldn't expect Toyota to do...
True, but ECU adjustments can be tied to active exhaust setting levels to enable or disable the crackles in conjunction with exhaust sound changes. This is what Hyundai has done with the I30 N/Veloster N; the loudest setting gives you the pops, the quietest doesn't.
If I had to drive a car that sounded as unpleasant as a stock 86, I'd take a version of this trick any day of the week, fake or not... drive a 911 one day, an AMG GTR the next, treat myself to the LFA on the weekend...:D