Watch your back, Nissan! Toyota has been spied testing its Z Nismo rival on the Nurburgring.
This racier Supra could be the rumoured GRMN variant, reportedly a final send-off for the current A90-generation Supra.
Best Car Web reports this GRMN variant will be the ultimate Supra, with no further variants planned, ahead of the Supra and related BMW Z4 exiting production in 2025.
This prototype Supra still wears the same bumpers as the ‘normal’ version, but does feature a tweaked front splitter and canards just forward of the wheel arches.
No extra cooling hardware is visible behind the front cooling inlets of the prototype, however given this is a prototype we could expect to see further changes on the production model including restyled bumpers.
Moving around to the side, this hardcore Supra can be seen wearing a set of prototype testing wheels, and behind them, a set of larger, cross-drilled brake rotors and red-painted calipers.
At the rear of the car, the diffuser looks to be untouched while a new rear wing sits atop the boot lid. The rear wing looks larger than what’s found on the Supra 45th Anniversary and, upon closer inspection, is adjustable for angle of attack.
According to Best Car Web, the GRMN Supra will use an uprated twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six producing 404kW of power – up from previous reports of a 385kW output, and putting it line-ball with the BMW M4 CSL.
Along with BMW’s cracking turbo six, the GRMN model is reportedly expected to feature a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and various weight-saving measures like greater use of carbon-fibre components.
This report also indicated it would be a limited-run model, with potentially only 200 units produced. The special model was reportedly going to debut in 2023, but considering testing is still underway, a 2024 reveal looks more likely.
As for the name, GRMN is short for Gazoo Racing Masters of the Nurburgring. Appropriately enough, this prototype was spied at the Nurburgring.
The standard GR Supra features a single-turbo 3.0-litre inline-six with 285kW and 500Nm. It’s offered with either an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission or, introduced last year, a six-speed manual.
Details on the next-generation, electric GR Supra are hazy, though Best Car Web reports it’ll be rear-wheel drive and have a design reminiscent of a mid-engine sports car.
The Supra’s arch rival, the Nissan Z, is getting a more hardcore Nismo variant that will arrive locally in late 2023 or early 2024.
The Z Nismo continues to be powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine but outputs have been boosted to 313kW of power and 520Nm of torque, 15kW and 45Nm more than the regular Z.
It’s available exclusively with a nine-speed automatic transmission, and has received numerous cooling and suspension upgrades over the standard Z.
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