There have been a couple of speculative reports coming out of Japan recently, regarding the sixth-generation Supra, with some even claiming that Toyota was planning to make it an all-electric model. In February of this year, the Japanese automobile magazine - ‘Best Car’ came out with a report that the new Supra may be fully BEV, with Toyota planning to hit 1.5 million in EV sales by 2026 and the introduction of 10 new EV models. From zero to a million and a half in three years might seem like a steep figure, but Koji Sato, the new CEO of Toyota who took charge in the April of this year, is confident the company will achieve this.
Thankfully, the new edition of Japan’s “Best Car” Magazine came out to disprove the electric Supra rumor. Additionally, the publication has also included some renders of how the next-generation Supra will look, and they look amazing. Keep in mind, these renderings are purely hypothetical and not indicative of the final design. The next generation of Supra is hotly anticipated, and it looks like Toyota will be introducing a new 3.0-Liter inline-six petrol engine which is being developed in partnership with BMW, just like the current MK-5 Supra. While this might pique purists, the MK-5 Supra engine is excellent and some experts have called it a worthy successor to the legendary 2JZ.
Predictions For The New Model
The publication goes on to elaborate on Toyota’s plans for an ICE model Supra and also a PHEV or BEV model as well, with some expert journalists speculating the latter might be the new generation Celica. The confirmation that the Supra will be ICE powered has been met with great relief, especially with Supra fans, who were worried that the current generation would be the last model with an internal combustion engine. The release date for the new model is supposedly going to be in 2025 or 2026.
Toyota is finally entering the EV race with a focus on going completely carbon-neutral by 2030. But this does not mean that their upcoming GR models will be complete EVs. One of the factors, which seems to have influenced Toyota, was the announcement from the European Union plans for the exemption of e-fuel combustion engines from new regulations.
This incentivizes companies to keep developing ICE engines and not compromise on their goals of achieving climate neutrality. Toyota has also pioneered hybrid technology in the automobile world with the Prius, which was the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle. Released in 1997, the Prius has had more than 25 years of iterations and improvements, with the current-gen Prius being the best one yet.
More News From Gazoo Racing
In other news, to commemorate the production of the 100th unit of the GR Supra GT4 race car, Gazoo Racing is introducing three special edition GR GT4 Supras made for the racetrack and 100 units of the GR Supra street version, both versions will come in an exclusive plasma orange color. The GR Supra GT4 is a special edition Supra which was specially tuned in the factory and modified with an aero kit, developed especially for participation on racetracks worldwide. Since its introduction in 2020, the GT4 has claimed 79 class victories, 207 podium events, and 20 wins from a total of 317 races that it took part in.
Unfortunately, these cars will only be available in Japan for the time being. The GR Supra road spec cars will come with an eight-speed transmission, an unmistakable front end, forged aluminum black wheels, and a special carbon fiber badge denoting the exact unit number. GR is planning on holding a special lottery from the 8th of May to the 4th of June, for granting a lucky few people access to their garage and a chance to buy their special edition car. Prices for the street spec Supra start at an incredible ¥7,600,000, which is around $55,294, however, the price for GT4 race spec cars has not been made public yet.
Toyota Working On Manual Transmission Performance Hybrids
Toyota continues to unwaveringly support the automobile enthusiast and is already taking steps to make their hybrid and even their electric vehicle more fun to drive. In February 2021, Toyota submitted a patent for an advanced alternative to the “clutch-by-wire” system, which features a shuttle valve with three clutch cylinders. One of these will be controlled by the ECU, while the other one will be controlled by the driver. This means that the driver will have more control to override the ECU when required. It might mean that Toyota is indeed working to make hybrid sports cars. You can read a more detailed explanation going into the science of the patent in his article.
Toyota, as an automaker, is not fond of fully electric vehicles, instead choosing to focus on building cars for enthusiasts. To this end of making hybrid cars more fun to drive, they have been investing in alternate combustion engine technology, like hydrogen fuel. They are also working on a simulated manual transmission for automatic cars which includes a gear lever, clutch, and a control module that delivers a real feel to drivers while driving fully electric cars. The future looks bright for us car enthusiasts, especially with industry leaders putting themselves out there looking to make our driving experience better, even as we look at a future where the manual transmission and the ICE engine might be on their way out.