Photo: Toyota
Wait, what? Is this for real? According to the general manager of the Toyota division in North America, “the name has not been pinned down,” with Supra being “a candidate but not the only candidate” for the new model.
Can you believe January 2018 marks four years since Toyota lifted the veils off the FT-1 Concept? And during this time, the Japanese automaker has been working closely with BMW to develop the successor of the A80 Supra, which was introduced in 1993 and consigned to the past in 2002.
But here’s the thing. Speaking to Motor Trend, Jack Hollis isn’t too sure that the Supra name will be applied to the J29, which shares its platform and powertrain options with the next BMW Z4, internally known as G29. “There are other names that could be better,” he said, with the official even suggesting that the J29 could be badged Gazoo instead of Toyota.
It is worth mentioning that Toyota trademarked S-FR in 2015 with the USPTO, but for what it's worth, the Supra name fits the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car best. And with a simple search into IP Australia's database, you won't find S-FR trademarked in the Land Down Under, but only Supra (registered in 2016).
From the report, the motoring publication also highlights that the all-new Supra or whatever it will be called won’t be unveiled at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. That’s baffling, to say the least, more so when you consider all those Nurburgring-bound prototypes with production-ready exterior trim.
Hollis is also the man who confirmed that Toyota is working on an all-new subcompact crossover for the U.S. market, which will arrive in 2020 with front- and all-wheel-drive configurations. Be that as it may, the J29 is a make-or-break model for the Japanese automaker, which has been making efforts to enhance its sporting image as of late.
Scheduled to go into production at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria, the J29 Supra will be offered with a choice of 2.0- and 3.0-liter turbocharged engines. Based on an older report, citing an official BMW model codes list, the newcomer will differ from the G29 Z4 regarding transmission.
But here’s the thing. Speaking to Motor Trend, Jack Hollis isn’t too sure that the Supra name will be applied to the J29, which shares its platform and powertrain options with the next BMW Z4, internally known as G29. “There are other names that could be better,” he said, with the official even suggesting that the J29 could be badged Gazoo instead of Toyota.
It is worth mentioning that Toyota trademarked S-FR in 2015 with the USPTO, but for what it's worth, the Supra name fits the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car best. And with a simple search into IP Australia's database, you won't find S-FR trademarked in the Land Down Under, but only Supra (registered in 2016).
From the report, the motoring publication also highlights that the all-new Supra or whatever it will be called won’t be unveiled at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. That’s baffling, to say the least, more so when you consider all those Nurburgring-bound prototypes with production-ready exterior trim.
Hollis is also the man who confirmed that Toyota is working on an all-new subcompact crossover for the U.S. market, which will arrive in 2020 with front- and all-wheel-drive configurations. Be that as it may, the J29 is a make-or-break model for the Japanese automaker, which has been making efforts to enhance its sporting image as of late.
Scheduled to go into production at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria, the J29 Supra will be offered with a choice of 2.0- and 3.0-liter turbocharged engines. Based on an older report, citing an official BMW model codes list, the newcomer will differ from the G29 Z4 regarding transmission.
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