Although the Supra, which has just been spotted testing at the Nürburgring again, is expected to cost considerably less than Stuttgart's rear-engined model, the Supra will stay true to its predecessors and punch well above its weight.
Twinned with the next BMW Z4 that's due in 2018, the new Supra is expected to come with a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six dual overhead cam engine producing 335bhp at 5500rpm and 332lb ft of torque at 1380-5200rpm. Those figures were leaked onto the internet earlier this year, and although Toyota refrained from commenting on them, they have been widely accepted as realistic.
The Supra's six-pot engine will send drive rearwards through an eight-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox. Both parts of the powertrain are derived from BMW units, shared with the upcoming BMW Z4. The Supra also uses the same carbonfibre architecture as its German cousin, which is based on that used by the i3, i8 and 7 Series.
Information in the leaked onto the web claims that the Supra will weigh 1496kg, making it 250kg heavier than the GT86 and 14kg lighter than the previous fourth-generation Supra, which went out of production in 2002. This would also make the car 14kg lighter than a PDK-equipped Porsche 911 Carrera S, with which the Supra's expected (via the leak) 3.8sec 0-62mph time would make it most comparable.
Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept unveiled
As Toyota's new range-topping model, the new Supra will be larger than the GT86, which is its only current sports car. The leaked information suggests the Supra will be 4380mm long, 1855mm wide and 1290mm tall. It said the wheelbase will be 2470mm. Compared to the last Supra, it's 140mm shorter in length, 45mm wider, 15mm taller, with a wheelbase 80mm shorter. The car's shorter length will present engineers with the opportunity to enhance the car's agility.
TERVIRAL
