Captain_Kirk
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I don’t understand what Tada-san is saying.[GR Supra test drive part 4] Development leader Tetsuya Tada talks about the next development!
Toyota Supra will get more power, additional versions
In our exclusive interview, chief engineer Tetsuya Tada hints at future plans
Toyota's performance strategy is curious. Even though the company has a rich history of sports cars, it chose to team up with partners for its last two projects, the 86 and the 2020 Toyota Supra. The man behind both of them is Tetsuya Tada and I recently sat down with him to talk about the future of Toyota's latest sports car.
While the 86 was co-developed with Subaru, who sells the model as the BRZ, the Supra was developed in concert with the third-generation BMW Z4. It's a cooperation that took some time to get off the ground. Initially, BMW's then-CEO Herbert Diess, now head of Volkswagen, wanted to jointly develop a successor of the i8, but Tada declined. After Diess' departure, talks resumed.
But while BMW was interested in continuing the Z4 in the form of a somewhat more lazy cruiser, Tada-san made sure the joint project turned out to be a serious sports car. And a drive in the Supra will reveal that Toyota's tuning is more in line with its performance purpose than BMW's convertible – even though the BMW, in its six-cylinder form, packs a whopping 382 horsepower, significantly more than the 335-horsepower Supra.
I spoke with Tada-san about the reaction to his car - and about where it could go next. One thing is clear: The 335-horsepower rating is not the end of the road.
"With a sports car, the promise is to offer more performance with each additional version," he said. And we can expect additional versions pretty much every year.
While Tada won't confirm actual figures, we believe that the six-cylinder version of the Supra will get an additional 50 horsepower or so when it is facelifted in about three years. But even before, there will be performance upgrades, such as available carbon-ceramic brakes.
Tada also told us what not to expect: There will be no manual transmission, despite an outcry in parts of the enthusiast community over the lack of a row-it-yourself shifter. His advice: "Customers who want a manual should choose the Toyota 86."
What about a roadster version? That's unlikely to happen as well, as there is already such a model: the BMW Z4. "The relationship between the Supra and the Z4 resembles the relationship between the Porsche Cayman and Boxster," Tada ventures.
Of course, there is more differentiation. While the Supra offers exactly two driving modes, tuned to perfection, the BMW Z4 comes with a vast number of modes and two transmission maps to fiddle with. The BMW's steering is also overly heavy, in an artificial effort at sportiness. On the other hand, BMW is one step ahead when it comes to the infotainment system: In the interest of reliability, Toyota says it chose to stick with BMW's previous generation.
A quick spin with Tada-san behind the Supra's wheel confirms its legitimate sports car credentials. And it makes me want more of the higher-performance future variants he hints at. He smiles: "We have many ideas."
Toyota Supra chief engineer is asking you: manual gearbox or more power?
During the press drive of the A90 Toyota GR Supra at Sportsland Sugo in Japan, Tada spent quite a bit of time with members of the regional press to talk about the Supra and the interesting development story behind it.
I can't say it enough: I really had a good conversation with Toyota chief engineer Tetsuya Tada. He had the honor of taking the lead on two of the company's most exciting projects; the 86 sports coupe, as well as the much-awaited fifth generation Supra. And I had the pleasure of picking his brain for several hours in the day he spent with us.
When I asked him about the potential MR2 revival, he gladly obliged with a surprise answer. But there was another question that I've been itching to ask Tada-san ever since they launched the Supra: “Why doesn't the Supra, given its name, come with the more powerful BMW S58 engine and when can we expect a Supra with a manual gearbox?”
Okay, so I actually had two questions, but they were rather intertwined. For starters, BMW does have a more powerful variant of the B58 engine, and it's known as the S58; it's capable (in stock factory tune) of producing 500 horsepower. The other is more obvious, especially given that the Supra is supposed to be a pureblooded sportscar, and such a sportscar should -at the very least- have a manual option for purists.
Toyota's chief engineer for the Supra sportscar project was actually ready with an answer... but not the kind I expected.
“If you had to choose between the S58 twin turbo or introducing the manual transmission, which would have the higher priority?” said Tada-san as we walked over to have lunch.
Personally I was taken aback; I'm not really used to getting answers in the form of a question, but it was clear that the A90's chief engineer wants a little help deciding which way to go with the Supra. Some parties want him to give it more power while others want a manual, or even both.
“I really want to hear what you guys want the absolute most,” said Tada.
Here's the interesting bit: Tada san had mentioned to other automotive websites that the manual gearbox option for the Supra won't happen, especially in a time when the industry -super sportscar manufacturers included- are moving away from a manual gearbox. Does the question he replied to us mean -given the voice of many Supra fans, enthusiasts, and even customers- that he is exploring the possibility of a manual gearbox for a future Supra update or variant?
With that in mind, which do you think should come first: (A) Toyota A90 GR Supra with a 6-speed manual or (B) Toyota A90 GR Supra with the more powerful S58 engine? You could say (C) for both, but that won't exactly help him out.
The answer I gave Tetsuya Tada then and there was: “Okay, then it's just a matter of choosing a shift knob I like.”
Yes, I'd personally prioritize developing a 6-speed manual option for the 6-cylinder Supra because the B58 is already a superb engine for the car's size and handling. And developing and putting in a 6-speed manual (presumably from ZF, the same makers of the 8-speed auto) would really work well for a sportscar that, quite frankly, is fairly old school raw despite its strong digital connections.
As for the 500+ horsepower S58, well, I think that can wait for a special variant. Super Supra, perhaps?
https://www.autoindustriya.com/auto...-asking-you-manual-gearbox-or-more-power.html
Manual transmissionToyota Supra chief engineer is asking you: manual gearbox or more power?
During the press drive of the A90 Toyota GR Supra at Sportsland Sugo in Japan, Tada spent quite a bit of time with members of the regional press to talk about the Supra and the interesting development story behind it.
I can't say it enough: I really had a good conversation with Toyota chief engineer Tetsuya Tada. He had the honor of taking the lead on two of the company's most exciting projects; the 86 sports coupe, as well as the much-awaited fifth generation Supra. And I had the pleasure of picking his brain for several hours in the day he spent with us.
When I asked him about the potential MR2 revival, he gladly obliged with a surprise answer. But there was another question that I've been itching to ask Tada-san ever since they launched the Supra: “Why doesn't the Supra, given its name, come with the more powerful BMW S58 engine and when can we expect a Supra with a manual gearbox?”
Okay, so I actually had two questions, but they were rather intertwined. For starters, BMW does have a more powerful variant of the B58 engine, and it's known as the S58; it's capable (in stock factory tune) of producing 500 horsepower. The other is more obvious, especially given that the Supra is supposed to be a pureblooded sportscar, and such a sportscar should -at the very least- have a manual option for purists.
Toyota's chief engineer for the Supra sportscar project was actually ready with an answer... but not the kind I expected.
“If you had to choose between the S58 twin turbo or introducing the manual transmission, which would have the higher priority?” said Tada-san as we walked over to have lunch.
Personally I was taken aback; I'm not really used to getting answers in the form of a question, but it was clear that the A90's chief engineer wants a little help deciding which way to go with the Supra. Some parties want him to give it more power while others want a manual, or even both.
“I really want to hear what you guys want the absolute most,” said Tada.
Here's the interesting bit: Tada san had mentioned to other automotive websites that the manual gearbox option for the Supra won't happen, especially in a time when the industry -super sportscar manufacturers included- are moving away from a manual gearbox. Does the question he replied to us mean -given the voice of many Supra fans, enthusiasts, and even customers- that he is exploring the possibility of a manual gearbox for a future Supra update or variant?
With that in mind, which do you think should come first: (A) Toyota A90 GR Supra with a 6-speed manual or (B) Toyota A90 GR Supra with the more powerful S58 engine? You could say (C) for both, but that won't exactly help him out.
The answer I gave Tetsuya Tada then and there was: “Okay, then it's just a matter of choosing a shift knob I like.”
Yes, I'd personally prioritize developing a 6-speed manual option for the 6-cylinder Supra because the B58 is already a superb engine for the car's size and handling. And developing and putting in a 6-speed manual (presumably from ZF, the same makers of the 8-speed auto) would really work well for a sportscar that, quite frankly, is fairly old school raw despite its strong digital connections.
As for the 500+ horsepower S58, well, I think that can wait for a special variant. Super Supra, perhaps?
https://www.autoindustriya.com/auto...-asking-you-manual-gearbox-or-more-power.html