Toyota’s sportiest and most-like cars are also the most short-lived. For years, the Supra and MR2 have been rumored to be in development, no concrete evidence for or against the rumor, either. Reporters at The Detroit Bureau have pieced together various comments from Toyota higher-ups that seem to indicate there is a bit of truth to the rumors.
Toyota executives, notably Tetsuya Tada, chief engineer of the FR-S concept program, mentioned, “The president [Akio Toyoda] has asked me to make a successor to the Supra as soon as possible.” And that he was looking to make a vehicle that balanced environmental friendliness and “driving fun,” which is important to maintain Toyota’s image.
As far as the power-train goes, there is the possibility Toyota might pursue an electric platform designed by Tesla Motors, much like the collaboration that resulted in the recently-released RAV4 EV. A good Supra combination could be the Toyota FT-86 Concept II coupled with the Model S platform. Tesla has hinted that a sports car based on the Model S might be in the works for a 2017 release date. Could the Supra / Model R be future competitors?
Of course, this is all purely speculation, and even if the rumors are true, we’re still looking at at least five years to redevelop the Toyota Supra. Will all the green sports cars being developed, though, it sounds like a good idea for Toyota to be developing an electric of their own.
