New Toyota Supra, BMW Z5 launch in 2018

    The Supra is planned to be sold exclusively as a fixed-roof coupé; the Z5 to take a roadster-only body style.

    Published On Nov 29, 2016 06:00:00 PM

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    New Toyota Supra, BMW Z5 launch in 2018

    1996 Toyota Supra (for representation purpose)

    A new Toyota Supra, being developed in a joint engineering venture with the new BMW Z5, is now in its final phase of development and will form the basis of a newly-created Toyota performance sub-brand. The model will resurrect one of Toyota’s highly treasured performance models following a 14-year hiatus for the Supra, which was first introduced to the Japanese carmaker’s line-up in 1978.

    Slated to launch internationally in mid-2018, the Supra will be offered with the choice of either a traditional petrol engine or a petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain. The hybrid version is claimed to draw on technology and processes developed for Toyota’s most recent TS050 LMP1 Le Mans race car.

    This upcoming fifth-generation Supra was first previewed by a pair of Toyota FT-1 concepts that were unveiled at the 2014 Detroit motor show. Taking inspiration from the exaggerated proportions of the FT-1 concepts, the production version of the sports car will feature a short front overhang and long, sweeping nose section, which houses a longitudinally-mounted engine. As expected, the detailing throughout the new car’s largely aluminium body has been toned down and refined compared with the FT-1, providing the production Supra with a crisper and smoother appearance. The two-door layout and liftback-style tailgate of the concept are retained.

    As for the interior, the new Supra will provide accommodation for two in the front, with space in the rear taken up by a shallow parcel shelf and a boot similar in size to that of the current Porsche 718 Cayman.

    The Supra is planned to be sold exclusively as a fixed-roof coupé, whereas the Z5 will take a roadster-only body style and act as a replacement for the recently discontinued Z4. The move is intended to ensure that there is little or no overlap of sales between the new Toyota and its BMW sibling. According to insiders, the new Z5 will be pitched more directly than its predecessor at the Porsche 718 Boxster.

    The starting point for the new sports car pairing is a freshly developed platform engineered by BMW. It derives chassis components and engineering solutions from the current 3 Series and its various derivatives, including the rear axle and five-link rear suspension from the M3/M4. As stipulated from the start of the project, the new platform has been engineered to support both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.

    Toyota and BMW have also developed a number of lightweight construction processes that will be used within the body structures of the Supra and Z5. To further keep weight down, the folding hard-top of the Z4 has been replaced by a lighter and easier-to-accommodate fabric roof. Sources suggest, the BMW roadster will weigh little more than 1,400kg in turbocharged 2.0-litre four cylinder entry-level guise. For its part, Toyota has contributed extensive knowhow about hybrid drive systems to the project.

    The Z5 will receive BMW’s newest engines, including the latest evolution of its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder powerplant, the B48, delivering around 251hp and a turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder unit, the B58, in the Z5 M40i M Performance with 340hp. Both Z5 models will come with standard rear-wheel-drive and an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. Rumours that BMW’s M performance division is already working on a Z5 M flagship model are yet to be officially acknowledged.

    A diverging strategy will mean that the Supra will be offered with Toyota-developed drivetrains. Kicking off the range is a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine in two price-leading rear-wheel-drive models. In base form, the four-cylinder unit is expected to offer around 245hp. A more highly tuned variant with close to 304hp is also under development and due to be offered from the outset of sales, according to sources at Toyota’s R&D centre in Nagoya, Japan.

    A newly-developed twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 petrol unit, which will be shared with various Lexus models over the longer-term will be the performance flagship of the new line-up. It will deliver more than 406hp in a rear-wheel-drive version of the Supra. This range-topper will be the most powerful Supra to date and have an expected 0-100kph time of less than 4.0sec and a governed 249kph top speed.

    Meanwhile, the four-wheel-drive hybrid version of the new Supra is expected to have a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine in combination with an electric motor housed within a ZF-engineered eight-speed automatic gearbox, producing more than 355hp. A similar setup featuring a 3.0-litre straight-six engine could also feature in the Z5.

    Copyright (c) Autocar UK. All rights reserved.

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