Last seen in 2002, the famous name of the tuner world, Toyota Supra, is preparing for a comeback. It will be a resurrected through a cooperation between Toyota and BMW, the latter working towards the Z5 coupe sharing the platform with the new Supra.
The Supra that has been snapped in these pictures is believed to be doing preliminary testing. It retains the shape and lines of the FT-1 concept which was showcased at the 2014 Detroit Motor Show. Though highly camouflaged, the test mule appears to be sporting similar headlamps, long bonnet, short overhang, narrow and sharp taillights and flared wheel arches as was seen on the FT-1 Concept. With the Toyota GT86 type rear lip spoiler and dual exhaust tips at the back, the mule is riding on alloy wheels which also seemed to be borrowed from the FT-1.
The long bonnet indicates that it will house a longitudinal straight-six petrol engine sourced from BMW, but there are speculations that the new Supra might even come with a hybrid powertrain.
We believe that the car will be rear-wheel drive, but if it does go the hybrid route then electric motors will be attached to the front wheels making the Supra and the Z5 an all-wheel-drive coupe. The Supra will also benefit from the carbon fibre architecture from BMW.
The new Supra is expected to make its global debut late next year, with an arrival in the market only sometime in 2018. The car will slot above the GT-86 in the company’s portfolio and will rival the likes of Porsche 718 Cayman, Audi TT, Mercedes SLC and the co-developed BMW Z5.
