Toyota Teases GR Line Up: Supra MK6, Celica MK8, MR2 MK4, 86 MK3 and GR GT

[swrdply400mrelay]

Interesting that the C&D journalist described the entire mid engine development mule *program* as "modular", suggesting the resulting work could create more than one final vehicle.

I'm speculating but maybe that is why an earlier rumor suggested that the Celica and MR2 were sharing development work. Or... maybe it's just the C&D journalist's impression and wishful thinking. Hard to say.

But with all the work being done to get the "MR2"-like car right and on such a long timeframe and given how much Toyota GR surely wants to use that AWD system into the next several years I would not be surprised if all this R&D ended up in more than just one production car. Now that's just me thinking about it. But it's a tremendous amount of work, investment and time.

I noticed that too, I’m guessing the AWD will at least share a platform with the GRC.

The Emira is such a weird car. It looks a step up from the Supra - like the curves are more purposeful and genuine - but it's just not up to punching up at all. At car meets it looks out of place next to higher priced cars in a way the Supra just doesn't. It's like the Supra is a bit of a working class hero whereas the Emira is an expensive car that just isn't up to the hype, despite its looks. It's a bit of a poser in my opinion. And lets face it, that Toyota engine didn't do much for its street cred.. just don't tell the should've been a Toyota Toyota Supra crowd.

I love the Emira and the way it looks, on top of that I love that Lotus kept the manual, though it’s going away.

I wish Lotus would have upgraded the internals and turned up the boost a bit to 500 hp.

Sponsored

 

[jmikes]

The Emira is such a weird car. It looks a step up from the Supra - like the curves are more purposeful and genuine - but it's just not up to punching up at all. At car meets it looks out of place next to higher priced cars in a way the Supra just doesn't. It's like the Supra is a bit of a working class hero whereas the Emira is an expensive car that just isn't up to the hype, despite its looks. It's a bit of a poser in my opinion. And lets face it, that Toyota engine didn't do much for its street cred.. just don't tell the should've been a Toyota Toyota Supra crowd.

Well said and I agree for sure.

The Supra just wanted to be a great sports car, but gets respect from supercar guys because it looks unique and can make supercar power for very little effort/investment

The Emira wanted to be a supercar, but the performance leaves much to be desired, the engines' potentials aren't great (from what I know), and the car tries too hard to look like every other supercar

I still like the Emira of course, but for the price I'd rather get a 911 non-turbo, or if I need it to look like a traditional supercar, a C8 Z06.

 

[KahnBB6]

I love the Lotus Emira but the one that really got me was the previous Evora. It's one of those cars that looks better in person than it does in most pictures. Several years back a neighbor had one as a daily. Gorgeous design.

And very interestingly it was 2GR-FE V6 powered in a rear-mid-engine configuration *as a 2+2*. It wasn't that big of a back seat (par for the course with most 2+2's) but that was quite a feat of package design for the time.

If the MR2 does actually get badged as a "Celica" then taking the Lotus Evora packaging layout would seem to be the most appropriate reason for it IMO. But there's really no telling at this point. At this stage we're only seeing the frankenstein modified GR Yaris test mules which they're using to get the drivetrain cooling issues solved and the handling at the limit balance with the AWD system figured out since they do not want a repeat of the lift oversteer handling quirks of the 2nd gen MR2 Turbo.

As for platform sharing with the GRC I'd guess at the subframes maybe...? The GR Yaris already shares the same rear subframe more or less with the GR Corolla as I understand it.

I would be surprised if the "MR2" production car went to a full front and rear full double-wishbone suspension though. That would be more the Supra and Lexus coupe's territory I'd think.

 

[KahnBB6]

I very much doubt that the MR2 would be above the Supra (in cost nor status).

Based on the history of all these cars I agree. The Supra has always been at the top of the Toyota sportscar line.

Although now they have changed that with the Lexus LFA and GR GT3 by making true supercars at the top. But I still don't think those cars change anything about the Supra's perceived status in the hierarchy.

The issue is that the MR2 started off as very small, compact and affordable with not too much power in the AW11 and still in the SW20 and then a couple of steps back again with the MR-S / MR2 Spyder. The SW20 Turbo could be modified to be very formidable but it wasn't stepping into the Supra Turbo's spotlight or price point in stock form.

Now that Toyota wants to use GR-Four AWD to mitigate at the limit handling issues that less experienced driver's encountered in the SW20 Turbo series it will bring the cost up. And many regulations have made making a compact low cost mid engine sportscar more challenging.

It WILL be a very good car but doing it the way they want to is likely not going to allow it to easily slide under the Supra in power to weight ratio and price the way it used to. They want to make a great MR2 and seem to be determined to do so (which is very good).

But given where the Supra has hovered in price since the MKIV series (roughly $70k-$80k USD adjusted for inflation) which has been only slightly undercut in certain MKV trim levels I don't understand how they want to position these cars in relation to one another.

They may just want to make them while they can make them as they want to and offer them side by side as two very different expressions of Toyota engineering and performance.

...

Aside, this also takes me back to some earlier rumor I heard about the Lexus LC500's four wheel double wishbone platform architecture possibly being downsized and heavily reworked to strengthen it for future use in another product. Maybe this means just subframes...? It was a rumor.

But also A70TTR did mention (a long while back) that Lexus and Toyota were greenlit a core performance platform to use for Supra MKVI and future Lexus coupe development.

He did not go into the nature of what that was but as we follow the development process for the Supra MKVI, MR2 4th gen, Celica 8th gen, GR86 3rd gen and previously the GR Yaris and GR Corolla it would not surprise me to see Toyota re-use big chunks of prior platforms and hardware just as they always have.

Sponsored