Toyota Supra prototype to participate in Goodwood hill climb

The Japanese carmaker announced the new Supra's participation in the event; to be revealed before the BMW Z4 that is scheduled for an August unveil.

Published On Jul 06, 2018 02:06:00 PM

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Toyota Supra prototype to participate in Goodwood hill climb

The Toyota Supra will make its first public appearance as a prototype at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, later this month. The brand made the announcement on social media with a car in production bodywork, albeit heavily camouflaged with a vivid pattern.

The car joins a long list of sports cars making their first moving public appearances at the Festival of Speed, to be held from Thursday, July 12 to Sunday, July 15, 2018.

Toyota is getting ready to launch the new Supra in 2019. Its straight-line performance and handling is meant to worry high-end sports cars such as the Porsche 911. It was spotted testing at the Nürburgring recently. Even though it is expected to cost considerably less than Stuttgart's rear-engined model, the Supra will stay true to its predecessors and punch well above its weight.

The new Supra is expected to be fitted with a turbocharged 3.0-litre, straight-six, dual overhead cam engine that puts out 340hp at 5,500rpm and 450Nm of torque at 1,380-5,200rpm. The rear-wheel-drive engine will be mated to an eight-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox. Both the engine and gearbox are shared with the upcoming BMW Z4. The Supra also uses the same carbon-fibre architecture based on the i3, i8 and 7-series. These details were leaked onto the internet earlier this year. Even though Toyota did not confirm or deny the accuracy of these numbers, they have been widely accepted as realistic.

The leaked information also claims that the Supra will weigh 1,496kg – 250kg heavier than the GT86 and 14kg lighter than the previous fourth-generation Supra. This would also make the car 14kg lighter than a PDK-equipped Porsche 911 Carrera S, with which the Supra's time of 3.8sec for 0-100kph (also a leaked detail) would make it most comparable.

The new Supra will be larger than the GT86, its only current sports car. The leaked information suggests that the Supra will be 4,380mm long , 1,855mm wide and 1,290mm tall, with a 2,470mm wheelbase – 140mm shorter in length, 45mm wider, 15mm taller, with a wheelbase 80mm shorter than the GT86.

As Toyota's top model, the Supra is predicted to cost considerably more than the GT86 and it's expected to be launched under the Gazoo banner, like the recently introduced Yaris GRMN.

Toyota hinted at a more performance-focused sports car being due with the reveal of a GR Supra Racing Concept at this year's Geneva motor show. The model was badged under the firm's performance arm, Gazoo Racing as a pared down and more hardcore version of the Supra.

A hybrid version of the car is also predicted as part of the BMW tie-up. The Supra and Z4 will be fitted with electrified all-wheel-drive powertrains at a later stage. Toyota has also long-emphasised its desire to produce a hot hybrid model. In 2013, it revealed the Yaris Hybrid-R concept – a 420hp set-up comprising of a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor on each rear wheel.

Toyota still refrains from revealing any details about the new Supra. As our sister publication, Autocar UK, was told, "We [Toyota] don't comment on future products." Although sources claim that a hybrid set-up and variants will likely be offered exclusively with an automatic gearbox.

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