Tokyo, Japan - Toyota has confirmed that the new Supra, developed in collaboration with BMW alongside a soft-top successor to the Z4, will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on 6 March.
The one and only teaser shot released by the maker today shows a rear three-quarter view of a sexy fastback coupé with a gynormous fixed wing - lending credence to the rumour the show car will be a near-production ‘design study’, rather than the definitive showroom version.
It’s been a long time coming; Toyota and BMW announced as far back as 2012 that they would be working together on new two-seat sports-cars sharing the same (all-new) lightweight platform and many of the same mechanicals, including BMW’s multilink rear suspension. The Supra will initially only be offered as a coupé, apparently, whereas the BMW Z5 will be a roadster with a fabric top, rather than a folding hardtop as per the Z4.
Diesels and hybrids as well
Induistry insiders are talking about four variants of the Supra, including one armed with a version of BMW’s iconic three-litre turbopetrol straight six, tuned for about 250kW. There will also be smaller-engined variants with four-cylinder turbo’ed engines of around two litres (probably diesel as well as petrol and, knowing Toyota, at least one with auxiliary electric motorvation).
But by far the wildest rumour we’ve heard so far is that the new Supra will be badged as a Gazoo, in an attempt to establish Toyota’s racing stable as a brand in its own right. Sorry Toyoda-san, “I drive a Gazoo” won’t really cut down at the pub - maybe it should be called a TGR (Toyota Gazoo Racing) instead…