If You Want a Pure, Unadulterated, Driver's Car from Toyota, You Better Get In Line for the New Supra

TopSpeed

By Robert Moore

Published Jul 27, 2018

The Supra will be the last, "pure" driver's car with a Toyota badge

The fifth-gen Toyota Supra will likely be the last gas-powered driver’s car from Toyota. In a recent interview with Toyota UK, Chief Engineer of the new Supra, Tetsuya Tada, said exactly that, pointing the finger at stricter emissions regulations and the constant push for autonomous cars as the reason. On the plus side, Tada did confirm that the new Supra is indeed rear-wheel drive and will carry an inline-six under its long bonnet. At least for now, anyway. That, in a way, leaves the door open for the potion for hybridization (assuming the chassis can support an electric motor and battery pack) and maybe even all-wheel drive.

The Toyota Supra – A Bleak Future or Just the Tip of the Iceberg?

During his interview with Toyota UK, Tada made one of the most important statements that he could have made at this point in time. Regarding the design of the new Supra, it was important to him to hold respect for the previous models and that a lot of inspiration came from the MK4 Supra. He even hopes, or almost pleas, to owners of the last-gen to have as open of a heart and mind as he does:

"I have an open stance and want to offer my respect for the older Supra models," Tada said regarding the A90's role in the Supra's legacy. "In turn, I hope the owners will be open enough to see what the new model is all about, even if it takes them some time to fully accept it.”

For now, we’re going to get exactly what we want and what we deserve – a powerful, two-seater, sports car that should remain at least somewhat true to its roots. It has a low center of gravity and is said to handle exceptionally well. We won’t know for sure until production models hit the road, but with all of the hype and anticipation surrounding the long-awaited model, Toyota knows better than to drop the ball on this one.

The question now is what the future holds. Will the Supra eventually be offered with some kind of hybridization? Did BMW and Toyota but the Z4 and Supra twins with electrification in mind? There have been rumors that “silent” models were out testing, so it’s not necessarily out of the question. And, to be honest, it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. With even a small battery and electric motor, the already-powerful Supra could deliver some serious power in quick bursts.

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see, but keep an open mind. An all-gas powered model will be the first to debut anyway, so you’ll be able to get your hands on what you want. With that said, if you’re not one who’s willing to open up your heart to hybridization, you better get in line for a new Supra – it is probably the last gas-powered driver’s car from Toyota. Don’t believe me? Take it from Tada himself:

“Looking at the current automotive industry, the talk is all about autonomous driving, electrification, and artificial intelligence. What that’s doing is giving rise to a lot of strict regulations, and that limits our capacity to make emotional sports cars; it’s getting much more difficult to do that. So for the fifth point, I think the new Supra will be the last present from Toyota to those who enjoy hearing the pleasing sound of a pure petrol engine at high revs.”