Reports out of Japan say that the current, fifth-generation Supra will not be the last. However, it might be the last one with an internal combustion engine. The grapevine whispers claim that a next-gen GR Supra will carry the nameplate on as an electric sports car. But before that happens, an even more hard core performance variant may be built to send off the gasoline engine with a bang.
Both rumors come from Japan’s Best Car magazine. They say the ultimate ICE Supra may have as much as 542 horsepower, which would be a significant step up from the current 382 for the 3.0-liter turbo six. That comports with the output of the same engine in the BMW M3 CS and M4 CSL.
Instead of the GR Supra name, it could wear the GRMN prefix, which stands for “Gazoo Racing, tuned by the Meister of the Nürburgring” and is reserved for only the hottest of the hot GR models. The name is a tribute to long-time Toyota chief test driver Hiromu Naruse, who died by the circuit while testing a Lexus LFA. This supra Supra, if you will, is slated to be the final model on the A90 chassis, according to Best Car, production of which comes to an end in 2025.
After that, the sixth-gen Supra would go electric. That was hinted at by chief engineer Tetsuya Tada as early as 2019, but Best Car lays out more details now. The magazine says the so-called A100 would be rear-wheel-drive and have an equivalent electric output of about 444 to 493 horsepower. The e-Supra would also adopt the pseudo-manual transmission that Toyota has been developing for EVs, which mimics the feel of a traditional standard gearbox. Perhaps most surprisingly, they say the 2-seater will take the form of a mid-engined sports car, as an EV platform will allow for freedom of design.
If true it will be good news for enthusiasts. A swan song ICE blast is always interesting, and the industry needs a good affordable EV sports car option. Hopefully this roadmap comes to fruition.
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