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2020 Toyota Supra Convertible Is Real, Actually Based on a Lexus

Would Toyota like to build a 2020 Supra Convertible? Well, the bean counters probably would, while at least a part of the engineers would likely dismiss the structure-compromising idea. However, one thing is certain: the 2019 BMW Z4 sibling of the Japanese coupe means we won't get an official drop-top from Toyota. However, nobody said custom shops can't create such toys.
2020 Toyota Supra Convertible Build 4 photos
Photo: yuya_arita/instagram
2020 Toyota Supra Convertible build2020 Toyota Supra Convertible build2020 Toyota Supra Convertible build rendering
In fact, an aficionado over in The Land Of The Rising Sun is completing such a build as you are reading this. Judging by the social media photos portraying the project, Yuya Arita, the gear head behind it, still has plenty of work ahead. Note that the builder is not at the first stunt of the sort, as he's also behind the Mazda RX-8 RX-Vision conversion we discussed last month.

However, the open-air Supra seems to be taking shape, even though this isn't actually an Mk V Supra. Cutting the roof off an Mk V wouldn't be all that difficult, but the cost of the donor car and the fact that a roof mechanism would be required are serious obstacles.

As such, Yuya has decided to build on top of a Lexus SC430 instead, which means the chassis of the thing is not that far from the underpinnings of the Mk IV Supra. The said Lex, which was built between 2001 and 2010, came with a folding hardtop and it will be interesting to see if this is retained.

You see, the roof solution of the SC430 involves a moving rear deck (you can check out a demon in the YouTube clip below), but this project will use a wing, as you'll see by swiping to the end of the first Instagram post below. That's where you'll find a rendering of the machine, which also spills the beans on the livery of the vehicle: once again, we're looking at an Mk IV Supra, namely the one the late Paul Walker hooned in the original Fast & Furious movie. Then again, the said wing may or may not make it to the real world.

Unsurprisingly, this project will split opinions, tech side included: the factory 4.3-liter V8 is being ditched in favor of the all-muscular 2JZ straight-six.




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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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