NEWS: Supra Chief Engineer arrested by Tokyo prosecutors

Multiple news outlets in Japan are reporting that Tetsuya Tada, chief engineer of the 2020 Toyota Supra, was arrested by the Tokyo prosecutor’s office at 8:07 pm last night while leaving a Tokyo karaoke bar. The office is the same one that arrested Carlos Ghosn, the former CEO of Nissan, last fall. The office charges Tada with misdeeds that have irreparably harmed Toyota Motor Corporation.

According to the statement, Tada used $94 million from the development budget of the 2020 Supra to set up a shell company called Tachibana Real Estate. There, instead of using funds intended for the development of a new chassis and inline-six, tentatively called the 3JZ-GTE, Tada and an accomplice, BMW powertrain engineer Hugo Andore, funneled the money into multiple properties in Bavaria, cars, and jet-setting trips around the world to meet with Tada’s many fans.

The investigation, which has been ongoing since 2016, showed that while on a trip to Germany to purchase Berg Katz, where Tada held a lavish, Oktoberfest-themed wedding last year, the Toyota engineer met with Andore for the first time. Andore proposed that Tada use the BMW B58 inline six engine under the guise that Toyota and BMW were in partnership. With development costs saved, the pair would then divert the cash into several historic castles in southern Germany.

Andore was apparently impressed with Tada’s affinity for German culture and collection of Prussian antiquities, original-release Kraftwerk vinyl, and automobiles, which included Franz Ferdinand’s 1910 Gräf & Stift Double Phaeton touring car, multiple RWB Porsches, and a 1967 Toyota 2000GT swapped with a BMW M30 inline-six and equipped with several fake vents. Those vehicles, along with the properties, have now been seized by authorities.

Agents intercepted Tada in a Mazda Bongo van at Karaoke Kan, a popular Tokyo bar, after complaints that he was being disorderly while wearing lederhosen and a David Hasselhoff T-shirt, causing a stir when they refused to let him sing Fichtl’s Lied by Die Woodys. Toyota has not released a statement on the matter.

We will be updating this story as additional developments unfold. You can view the Tokyo prosecutor’s office press release here.

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25 Responses to NEWS: Supra Chief Engineer arrested by Tokyo prosecutors

  1. 88TSI_Rob says:

    Woah, that is a crazy story if the allegations are true. Potentially one of the biggest automotive stories of 2019

  2. Kohen Judd says:

    Hahahahah very good! Now all the bros will know where their 3jz went! Also, who isn’t disorderly whilst wearing lederhosen!?

  3. LB1 says:

    April fools??

  4. Zuhair says:

    SO HE IS THE REASON WE DONT HAVE A 2JZ

  5. Felipe says:

    HAHA for a second i was thinking thats the reason why they choose a BMW engine!! No Way!!!

    luckily i clicked the link to the press release 😀

  6. Zuhair Ahmed says:

    Haha good one

  7. Dillan says:

    2000GT swapped with a BMW M30 and fake vents, you guys are too much lol. Happy April Fools day!

  8. Rob says:

    Tachibana Real Estate! I knew Kiryu had something to do with this.

  9. Mike Smith says:

    April Fools! had me for a sec till I saw the date hahahaha

  10. I nearly, nearly fell for this. Cut a little too close to the bone for me, almost failed to check other sources!

  11. Daniel says:

    I knew this was fake news when I read he had RWB Porsche.

  12. Allan says:

    Happ April fools day! But I wish he be arrested for leaving us wanting

  13. Kanata Rivington says:

    “…and a 1967 Toyota 2000GT swapped with a BMW M30 inline-six and equipped with several fake vents.”

    Nice one…#AprilFools

  14. Buzz Lightkill says:

    Well, as hopeful as I was for some post-karaoke JUSTICE…I saw the amount they allegedly swindled.

    94 million YEN would be a possibility, but fat chance they’d get away with 94 million DOLLARS!!!

    For perspective, the corrupt, former-governor of Tokyo was ousted for misappropriating approximately $40,000 USD. He got busted and it was a major scandal.

    $94,000,000
    HAHAHAHAHA

  15. Anonymous_C says:

    Nearly got me until Hugo Andore’s name pop up! Great one!

  16. KBurns says:

    It would seem such an obvious April fools post if only, this exact thing hadn’t happened at Lotus because of Dany Bahar a few years back.

  17. Sonny says:

    The Mazda bongo van was a dead give away boys, but still i was not happy. Lol.

  18. LanciaquattrogroupB says:

    Lol almost had me until i read 3 RWB’s and m30 swapped 2000gt…….i was like no way someone that educated had tacky and ruined cars……good one…..

  19. Scott says:

    Well Holy Crap…. This new Super is sporting a BMW engine that wasn’t even authorized to be used. Talk about pushing your money away if you bought one. Hahaha!!!!

  20. T says:

    Where can we find the auction for the RWB Porsches

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