At a time when the Japanese manufacturer's intention to develop a new family of sports cars, starting with the new Yaris GRMN is already known, Toyota's chief engineer, Tetsuya Tada, has just revealed a little more of the manufacturer's plans for the future.
Speaking to Motoring Research, Tetsuya Tada, with whom the Car Ledger he also had the opportunity to speak at the last Geneva Motor Show, reveals that Toyota is already preparing a GRMN version of its sporting future, Supra.
Although the regular version of the model that the Japanese brand developed with the contribution of BMW, is only expected to reach the market in 2019, Tada admits that he would like to see something like a GRMN version of this car. In fact, “we are preparing for this”.
Toyota's chief engineer also assumes that the next-generation Supra will share the in-line six-cylinder engine and transmission with the next-generation BMW Z4. Although he already guarantees that the two cars will have different ways of being and driving.
Tetsuya Tada, Chief Engineer at ToyotaEach manufacturer started by defining what they want and developed their car according to this guideline. As such, BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra have a suspension that is totally different from each other, as does the software calibration.
In addition to being sporty, the future Toyota Supra also promises to be an example of avant-garde technology, starting with the application that allows owners to compare their time on a given circuit with the time that the recent winner of Le Mans, Fernando Alonso , would do that same track. Basically a kind of race against a virtual opponent, on a real circuit.
Also inside, a fully digital instrument panel, Head-Up Display, driving and navigation aids, should also be standard equipment. And which should also include an adapted version of the well-known iDrive system from BMW.
It should also be noted that the most recent information indicates that the top version of the Toyota Supra will feature a 3.0 l in-line six-cylinder of BMW origin, delivering 340 hp and 500 Nm of maximum torque. Values that should allow you to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5s, thanks also to a weight of just 1497 kg.
Gazoo Racing gains importance
Along with the news related to the future Toyota Supra, Tetsuya Tada also revealed that the Gazoo Racing brand will gain greater preponderance in the future, and, in particular, through participation in the development of GR and GR Sports versions of Toyota models — which, unlike the GRMN variants, they will focus mainly on the sporty aspect, rather than on the actual improvement in performance.
Alongside these versions, Gazoo Racing will also develop its own models, such as the recently presented super sports car: GR Super Sport.
“We are going to investigate which cars to introduce in the future, but the latest trends show the direction we intend to take,” concludes the chief Toyota engineer.
While the Supra GRMN doesn't arrive, get to know the first GRMN to arrive in Europe — and with all production already sold. The Toyota Yaris GRMN impressed us: