Nikkei Asian Review: BMW Partnership Means Toyota Supra Will Return
Hookups are hot, with teenagers–and automakers. Mazda and Fiat. AMG and Aston. All the cool kids are doing it. And regardless of how you feel about the Toyota and BMW deal, a new Supra is reason to celebrate.
There’s been no official confirmation from Toyota that the Supra will rise again, but this morning’s report from this morning’s Nikkei Asian Review seems to indicate it’s a done deal:
“The automakers will use the same platform as early as 2017 for the BMW Z4 and a planned revival of the Toyota Supra, a model popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The vehicles will have different body designs and be sold under their respective brands.”
Given what’s come out of Toyota’s design studio lately, the fact that these won’t be twins–like the BRZ and FR-S–is a great thing for fans who’d like to see some echo of the original Supra in the body. Personally, I think the FT-1 concept would be a great place to start, and the recent success of NX Chief Engineer Takeaki Kato’s team in translating the crossover from concept to consumer sheetmetal means it could hit showrooms looking damn close to the way it did on the carousel at the NAIAS in January.
Obviously I’d like to see a Toyota engine in a new-school Supra, but given the history of BMW and its wicked straight-6 engines, I wouldn’t be too upset to see the powerplant come from Bavaria–particularly if it came fortified with a beefy pair of turbos.
That said… Will we see a new Supra before an NSX?
