Remember the Mk IV Supra in TRD 3000GT flavor? The 1994 concept is coming back to life with a bit of a twist for the fifth generation of the breed, now called GR Supra even though it’s a BMW Z4 in a fixed-head disguise.
Built in Austria by Magna Steyr and only available with the ZF 8HP automatic transmission, the all-new Supra leaves much to be desired. Because the A90 is the kind of car that polarizes opinion, Toyota took up the challenge to re-create the 3000GT a quarter of a century later for the ’19 SEMA Show.
The teaser video doesn’t show much, but the hood and wing certainly throw you back to the olden days when the 2JZ used to be king of the hill. The B58 in the Mk V Supra can be tuned to 1,000 horsepower and beyond, but on the other hand, the Bavarian engine lacks the hype surrounding the twin-turbocharged zee.
To understand why the B58 isn’t as loved as its spiritual predecessor, did you know that BMW doesn’t even offer a dipstick to check the oil? It’s also possible for the Supra to inherit problems such as rough idling, coolant leaks, and carbon buildup on the valves. The engineers in Munich sure make lovely engines, but reliability isn’t one of their strongest points as proven time and time again.
The TRD-built Supra 3000GT Concept also features a widebody kit and four large vents on the hood, both inspired by the one-off build from 25 years ago. “Nostalgia factor” are the two words that come to mind, and that’s a huge letdown considering that Toyota Racing Development is behind this project.
No technical information was released whatsoever, and that’s worrying to say the least. If TRD didn’t work their magic on the B58 but only on the visuals of the car, that would be further proof the all-new Supra isn’t worthy of the Supra nameplate.
Stripping down the A90 reveals more BMW logos than Toyota badging, but hey, what did you expect from the company who called up Subaru to develop the 86 boxer-engined sports car?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News