Toyota reportedly still plans to introduce a hot GRMN version of its GR Supra before it’s replaced by an electric model in 2025.
Japanese outlet Best Car Web reports the GRMN Supra will use a 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.
The GRMN Supra will reportedly be the ultimate version of the current Supra, with no further variants planned.
The current Supra will reportedly exit production in 2025 along with the related BMW Z4, alongside which it’s produced by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria.
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GR Supra
Previous reports suggested the GRMN would debut in 2023, and employ a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and various weight-saving measures like greater use of carbon-fibre components.
Those reports also indicated it would be a limited-run model, with potentially only 200 units produced.
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.
Having recently introduced a manual version of the current car, it’s possible Toyota is working on a version of the next-gen model for enthusiasts not willing to let a stick shift out of their clutches.
Toyota patented a simulated manual transmission for electric vehicles with a faux clutch last year, but it’s unclear if this technology will feature in production vehicles. Automakers are known for patenting interesting concepts without necessarily intending them for production.
“The arrangement and operating feeling of the pseudo-clutch pedal [and pseudo-shifter] are equivalent to those of the real MT vehicle,” Toyota said in one of its patent filings.
Toyota said its aim with this EV manual transmission “is to provide an electric vehicle capable of enjoying both driving like an MT (manual transmission) vehicle and driving as a normal electric vehicle without unsafety and anxiety”.
The Japanese automaker details in its patent filings that this manual-shifting function can be switched off if desired.
The Supra’s arch-rival, the recently launched Nissan Z, is set to receive a performance flagship of its own.
A Nismo variant is reportedly in the works and is expected to offer more power than the standard Z, though just how much – and what other mechanical changes it will receive – isn’t clear.
The standard Nissan Z produces 298kW of power and 475Nm of torque, mated with either a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmission.
MORE: Everything Toyota Supra
