By Steve & Tamami Laser
When a prototype of the new Toyota Supra made its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last July, the car was covered with artfully designed camouflage. Today the new fifth-generation Supra was finally unwrapped and revealed at the Detroit Auto Show.
The 2020 GR Supra traces its roots to the 1967 Toyota 2000GT. Like Toyota’s first world-class sports car, and four generations of the Supra that followed, the new model (above) will be powered by an inline 6-cylinder engine that drives the rear wheels.
Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corp. (above), drove the 2020 GR Supra onstage. “I’m sure for each of you, there’s been at least one car in your life that you have a particular attachment to, one car that holds a special place in your heart. And for me, the Supra is it.”
In this video from the Toyota Global Newsroom, Akio Toyoda tells the story of how the new GR Supra was developed on the racetrack. Toyoda drove the Supra on the Nürburgring and other tracks to give his personal feedback as a Master Driver. (video: Toyota)
Toyoda said that he knew there would be high expectations for the new Supra, “And it would have to be even more awesome than the original, which is why I turned to our Gazoo Racing team to help create the driving dynamics for this new Supra.”
The “GR” in the new Supra’s name stands for Gazoo Racing. It’s the first global model developed by the international umbrella for Toyota’s global motorsport program. To help Toyoda launch the new model, Fernando Alonso (above), winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with his teammates in the Toyota TS050 Hybrid, drove another new GR Supra onstage.
“I did drive the Supra in Japan and I can tell that your fingerprints, Akio, are all over this car,” said Alonso. “It really handles like a race car. I thought the cornering was great. It’s got a quick gearshift, fast acceleration, nice braking performance, the electronics are quite sophisticated. It’s like a race car you can drive quite comfortable every day.”
The new Supra’s exterior design was inspired by the FT-1 concept car styled at CALTY studios in Southern California. “Condensed Extreme” refers to the Supra’s packaging that features a short wheelbase, long hood, large wheels, wide stance, and a taut two-seat cabin.
The new Supra features high structural rigidity, said to be greater than the Lexus LFA supercar, a center of gravity lower than the Toyota 86, and ideal 50:50 weight distribution with the engine moved as far back in the chassis as possible. U.S. models are fitted with standard 19-inch forged alloy wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport tires. Adaptive Variable Suspension is standard.
Power is supplied by a 3.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine with direct injection rated at 335 hp and 365 lb.-ft. of torque (preliminary U.S. specs). An 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and Launch Control is standard. Toyota estimates 0-60 mph acceleration in 4.1 seconds with top track speed electronically limited to 155 mph. A 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine will also be available for select GR Supra models in Japan.
The driver’s cockpit in the GR Supra is said to combine traditional GT elements with ultra-modern functionality. Standard on the 3.0 model is a 6.5-inch display with Bluetooth and iPod capability. The 3.0 Premium adds an 8.8-inch touchscreen with Navigation, Supra Connect telematics services, wireless Apple CarPlay™, 12-speaker JBL audio, wireless phone charging and color Head-Up Display.
Racing-inspired sport seats employ a narrow main section combined with shoulder bolsters to hold the driver and passenger in place. Alcantara-trimmed power seats with memory are standard on 3.0 while heated, leather-trimmed seats are included with the 3.0 Premium. Supra Launch Editions are available with a red interior (above) including red leather-trimmed seats, steering wheel grips, and center console with carbon-fiber accents.
The 2020 GR Supra is expected to go on sale in the U.S. this summer. Preliminary base prices (MSRP) start at $49,990 for the 3.0, $53,990 for the 3.0 Premium, and $55,250 for the Launch Edition.
In Japan, sales are slated to begin around springtime with RZ, SZ-R, and SZ models (the latter two are powered by the 4-cylinder turbo). The European launch for GR Supra begins in late summer with 3.0, 3.0 Pro, and limited-edition 3.0 A90 models. The GR Supra will be built by Magna Steyr at its vehicle assembly facility in Graz, Austria.
For more information on U.S. models visit Toyota.com
Or visit Toyota Global and select your country/region
News source, photos and video courtesy Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., Toyota Motor Corp., Toyota Motor Europe, and Toyota (GB) PLC
Note: Features, specifications, prices, and launch dates for U.S. models are preliminary, subject to change without notice, and do not include delivery, processing and handling fees.
Story © 2019 CarNichiWa.com