New Toyota Supra Won’t Be a Toyota

The new Toyota Supra may be the most highly anticipated car since the return of the Chevy Camaro.

Theories regarding what it will look like and what will power it have captivated the Internet for a good 18 months. Maybe even since the Supra was discontinued all the way back in 2002. We now know it’s coming back, but will it be co-developed with BMW? Will it be a hybrid? Gas only? Electric only?

Will it be a Z4 with Toyota badging?

All we’ve really known for sure is that the new Supra will, 100 percent, no-doubt-about-it, have a Toyota badge. Because it’s a Supra.

The Supra is a Toyota legend and was, for many years, the top-performing car in the Toyota stable. It has Toyota blood flowing through its arteries. The Supra coming back as a Toyota is as safe a bet as the Camaro was to return wearing its bowtie.

But, as it turns out, there are no guarantees in life.

Here’s what The Detroit Bureau had to say on Monday:

Officials with Toyota have confirmed reports that the all-new Supra sports car will ditch the Toyota badge when it goes on sale during the second half of 2019, instead carrying the logo of the Japanese maker’s new sub-brand, Gazoo Racing.

Otherwise known as GR, Gazoo originally was formed to give Toyota a new base in the racing world, and it has been a solid performer, among other things winning the World Rally Championship. But Gazoo is now going to be used as a sub-brand for Toyota’s sportiest models, much like Nissan’s NISMO and BMW’s vaunted M. The first batch of GR models will even include a sportier version of the Prius Prime.

Your first reaction might be a blank stare followed by the words, “I’m sorry, what?”

If you’ll recall, we introduced you to the Gazoo Racing brand in early September but we, like most rational people, assumed it would be a brand for other markets and that any GR-branded cars would come here as Toyotas.

No sir. We were wrong.

The new Toyota Supra will actually be a Gazoo Supra. How’s that sound to your Toyota-lovin’ ears?

Aside from that, all we know is that it’ll have 50/50 weight distribution and probably be a hybrid. Gazoo Racing president Shigeki Tomoyama said that “hybrid technology will be necessary for the future sports car. It’s not just about prioritizing efficiency but speed too. The key challenge we need to overcome is controlling the energy flow, the regeneration and keeping the weight low.”

So the Supra is coming back as a Gazoo instead of a Toyota. How do you feel about that?

-tgriffith

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