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Chief Engineer Expects A Very Different Toyota GR Supra For the A100 Generation

2020 Toyota GR Supra Matte Storm Gray 8 photos
Photo: Toyota
2020 Toyota GR Supra Matte Storm Gray2020 Toyota GR Supra Matte Storm Gray2020 Toyota GR Supra Matte Storm Gray2020 Toyota GR Supra Matte Storm Gray2020 Toyota GR Supra Matte Storm Gray2020 Toyota GR Supra Matte Storm Gray2020 Toyota GR Supra Matte Storm Gray
Compared to the A80, the fifth generation of the Supra doesn’t tick all the right boxes. It’s hardly a Toyota given the CLuster ARchitecture, four- and six-cylinder engines, and ZF 8HP automatic transmission, but Gazoo Racing is proud of what came out of the partnership with BMW.
If Toyota were to develop the Supra in-house and manufacture the car in the Land of the Rising Sun, the A90 would’ve arrived in 2021 according to chief engineer Tetsuya Tada. The man behind the Supra is also confident the A100 will happen at the right moment, but it’ll probably be different.

Tada-san is aware of the rising demand for autonomous technologies and EVs, but as mentioned beforehand, the chief engineer isn’t certain what kind of Supra the A100 will be. By the time Toyota rolls out the sixth generation, he’ll be at home enjoying retirement according to Japanese Nostalgic Car.

Codenamed J29 in BMW jargon, the 2020 Toyota GR Supra will become available with a six-speed manual in the near future. The Z4 already offers three pedals and a good ol’ stick, but only for the entry-level engine with fewer than 200 horsepower. A manual would’ve been a lot better in the Z4 M40i, which happens to be more potent than the most powerful GR Supra.

Built in Graz, Austria by Magna Steyr, the Japanese coupe with underpinnings from a German roadster is available in limited supply for the 2020 model year. The U.S. gets the inline-six turbo from the get-go for $49,990, packing 335 horsepower, adaptive suspension, an active differential at the rear, and launch control.

Launch Edition retails at $55,250 excluding destination, and that’s a lot of money for this type of vehicle. For reference, the C7 Corvette in Stingray flavor starts at $55,900 for the small-block V8 engine with 455 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.

Even worse for Toyota, the Porsche 718 Cayman is $56,900 excluding destination charge. Care to guess how much the Z4 M40i costs in the United States? Make that $63,700, thank you!
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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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.
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