More evidence is emerging that a Mark V Supra will soon be upon us. And this time, Toyotaku will be pleased to hear that the motor could be something Toyota is developing on their own.
According to AutoGuide, which picked up the story from Japanese automotive tabloid Mag-X, the next Supra will come equipped with a Toyota-developed twin-turbo V6. If true, the news would contradict rampant rumors that Toyota would be using a BMW inline-6 in its sports car, a source of much disappointment to die-hard Toyota fans.
To be clear, Toyota is almost certainly collaborating with BMW on this sports car. We refrained from reporting that the engine would be BMW-derived, however, as it never made sense to us. Why would Toyota, builder of the most bulletproof engines humankind has ever known, employ on their halo car, an overly complex mill with a reputation for built-in obsolescence the minute the warranty expires?
Some people said it was because of Supra tradition, as BMW still makes inline-sixes and Toyota does not. But wouldn’t it be a bigger break from tradition to not use a Toyota engine at all?
Of course, this new V6 rumor is not any more substantial. But the report does go on to say that the V6 would be used in the next-generation Lexus GS and LS, which seems more like Toyota’s M.O.
It also says the V6 will generate over 400 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. That’s significantly less than that other Japanese twin-turbo V6 sports car, the newly facelifted 565-horsepower Nissan GT-R, but Perhaps the Toyota will remain RWD and weigh less.
In any case, let’s hope it looks like the FT-1 Concept, or is at least penned by the FT-1’s designer, a known fan and owner of a classic Celica.
Yes, please keep it lighter and RWD.
Fun doesn’t need to have huge HP.
Hopefully if it’s lighter and less HP then the price tag wont be huge.
The beauty of the mk4 was:
1. It was crafted beautifully
2. It drove beautifully
3. It was attainable to the masses
The GTR is no longer attainable due to the price.
The GTR is great! no doubt, but it’s price is more than alot of us can afford.
Toyota – if you are listening –
1. Make it fun
2. Make it pretty
3. Make it affordable
4. Make it reliable
5. Make it customisable
6. Make it awesome
7. Make it a true Toyota that will be admired for generations to come.
I’m thinking #3 (both lists) is out for this one…
If it’s to compare against the GTR, then it’s going to do so in price, as well.
Nothing against the “Supercar for the masses,” but it’s probably going to be priced to make it more of an oddity. None rare like a Lambo, but certainly not Avalon-common, either. (Yeah, I MEANT to use the Avalon for that comparison…)
Just because of the lower output numbers, I’m thinking $60-ish K?
The other thing to remember is that the 86 platform is expected to carry on for some time – to make the supra in a price bracket to near to the 86 will cause them grief.
I really hope they don’t go with a BMW engine. As much as I like the GT86, it bums me out that it’s powered by Subaru. Nothing against Subaru, I’ve just been driving Toyota (mostly Celica) since 15 (19 years now), and just prefer my Toyotas to be Toyota powered. I also understand completely that it was a joint project with Subaru and otherwise likely wouldn’t exist, I’m just saying I like Toyota engines. But hey, at least they are making sports cars again.
Now…with the popularity of new yet retro inspired muscle cars (Mustang, Camaro, Charger, etc) – can Toyota please make a new Celica with styling based on the 1st gen? And RWD?
The FRS is the Celica. Its much more Celica-like in its looks, character, and market positioning than it is to the Sprinter/Levin that some marketing guys claimed inspired it…
Agree with Kitsune would be terrific if Toyota would do a new Celica inspired by the original cars… would have a very broad base appeal and RWD is a must.
Something like: Take a Corolla chassis, mod the 2-3 pieces of sheetmetal (floorpan) and 2 motor mounts to RWD, and do a 2-door body? Would the pickup’s 4-cyl/trans fit for the concept mockup? Maybe start the structure off with the Tacoma’s floorpan… (Just some free-thinking there.)
I think the back seat in the FR-S/86 is just there for looks. Actually looks smaller back there than what my Conquest had. If any car is going to be your ONLY vehicle, it almost certainly NEEDS to have a USABLE back seat. Two doors would be awesome, as would the ability to equip it to YOUR specs (stick shift AND a moonroof in the same car!), but the practical aspects are what make it day-to-day tolerable.
I may LIKE 20″ wheels, and a roofline like a Z, but I *NEED* someplace for this week’s groceries, and I gotta pick up my kid and his/her friend at the mall later. Neither one will fit in a shoebox, so there needs to be SOME space in the back. Can I please have something that’s usable that still allows me at least the illusion that I still “got it goin’ on” when I meet Stacy’s mom?
I’ll get the 20s on my own, thanks.
Maybe modify the iA into a 2-door for this project?
Have more than one engine/trans combination available.
Take the older corolla’s interior measurements; start from there. It can NOT be this difficult. Any one of us on this site could do the specs, so is it the bean counters, the F-1 wanna-bes, or who that’s holding these ideas back? If *I* can think this stuff up, why can’t the multi-billion dollar, multinational corporations do so?
The simple answer is you are a car guy, and there aren’t very many car guys that work as engineers anymore it seems. I always imagined cars were built by people with a passion for the products and the use of them. After leaving the aftermarket and going to what we will call an OEM supplier start up I have learned a lot. The most shocking is how many people work in automotive that don’t really care what they drive, or what it even looks like. To so many of the engineers the engine is just the thing that holds the parts they need to figure out the controls for nothing more. Of course if car guys ran the companies they would have some cool offerings, but would all be broke just like most of us are.
Just had an afterthought:
JUST BUY THE IDX FROM NISSAN!
“That’s significantly less than that other Japanese twin-turbo V6 sports car” but substantially more than the new Infinity Q-whatever with a 300hp twin-turbo V6,
Don’t forget the new V6 turbo from nissan/infiniti is also available in the higher power ver. making 400hp.
V6 BMW Derived?? Toyota what’s happening with you? You are not cool anymore 🙁
What is powering the FT-1 concept now? Is it just a simple 2GR-FE? Sure, it’s got a fancy plastic cover on the engine so it’s visible through the hood bubble, but this thing actually drives, right?
It’s a beautiful concept car, but you can tell this overall design isn’t built for the road. In my opinion, I think they will probably make it closer to something like the Lexus RC-F. They are similar in shape… if you squint. And a twin turbo V6 could easily be built by Toyota and it will probably contain their new Direct Injection technology.
https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xfa1/t51.2885-15/e15/11033056_1538705983084284_976739272_n.jpg
They’re D-4S has been around for quite some time. It’s far from new. They have, however, continued to upgrade and improve the system. They’re D-4S is also the only reason Subaru was able to achieve Toyota’s requested 100hp/l figures.
Agreed. I remember learning about the extremely high pressures used in the common rail diesel engines back in the early 2000’s (1HD-FTE). Then they introduced the D-4D on all diesels. Good stuff.
I don’t know why the hell Toyota would collaborate with the vanity company that is BMW. They have literally *nothing* to offer to Toyota, whereas they are getting Toyota’s best-in-the-world hybrid technology out of this “partnership”. All I can hope is that Toyota is just getting huge amounts of euros or something out of this. I don’t want shoddy BMW “workmanship”, convoluted and unreliable BMW mechanicals, or the BMW designed-to-fail-and-cost-too-much-to-repair product that they deliver to the suckers they call their customers. I don’t care for a V6 either though. Toyota or otherwise. …Come on Mazda, show us what you got *rx7rx7rx7* reborn!
I don’t know many details about Toyota’s partnership with BMW, but I know that BMW has the largest carbon-fiber components plant in the world. They are the industry leader in structural carbon fiber and this technology could be key to keeping the weight down on a long GT car like the Supra, as well as Toyota’s electric-powered vehicles where weight reduction is crucial. There could be other reasons though.