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Toyota “Preparing” Supra GRMN, Could Develop 385 PS

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Toyota didn’t deny the GRMN treatment for the Supra. Speaking to chief engineer Tetsuya Tada at Le Mans, the man behind the GT86 said: “I would like to see something like that eventually [the Supra GRMN]. We are preparing for it.” However, what does that actually mean?
2019 Toyota Supra 13 photos
Photo: CarPix
New Toyota Supra Spied Testing With Production WheelsNew Toyota Supra Spied Testing With Production WheelsNew Toyota Supra Spied Testing With Production WheelsNew Toyota Supra Spied Testing With Production WheelsNew Toyota Supra Spied Testing With Production WheelsNew Toyota Supra Spied Testing With Production WheelsNew Toyota Supra Spied Testing With Production WheelsNew Toyota Supra Spied Testing With Production WheelsNew Toyota Supra Spied Testing With Production WheelsNew Toyota Supra Spied Testing With Production WheelsNew Toyota Supra Spied Testing With Production WheelsNew Toyota Supra Spied Testing With Production Wheels
Despite the numerous spy shots and leaks, the all-new Supra is still a mystery by all accounts. The BMW Z4 is likely to get a Competition package for the M40i drivetrain, which could be borrowed by Toyota as well for the GRMN. According to insider information, the Z4 M40i Competition packs 385 PS (380 horsepower).

Over in the United States of America, the Graz, Austria-built Supra is expected to go on sale for the 2019 model year at a price of $63,500 for the 3.0-liter turbo with 335 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Unconfirmed intel further suggests it features GR badges and weighs approximately 3,300 pounds (1,497 kilograms).

Motoring Research quotes Tada regarding the “pure sports car” character of the all-new Supra. “Practicality and comfort were almost not considered,” though that is exactly why there’s room in the realm of sports cars for both the Z4 and the Supra.

And just like the Bavarian roadster, the Japanese interloper will be available with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as far as the entry-level powertrain options are concerned. These said, the Supra won’t be offered with a manual gearbox, nor will it be available as a soft-top convertible. Fixed-head coupe with a voluptuous rear wing and an automatic transmission is how the Supra likes to roll.

Following its U.S. market introduction, the Supra will replace the Camry sedan in 2019 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. There’s talk Toyota could plan on racing the Supra in other series, although nothing has been officially confirmed in this regard.

Similarly to the Z4, Toyota’s new sports car will go into production towards the end of 2018. Further down the line and higher up the lineup, the GR Super Sport Concept will make it to production in the coming years with close to 1,000 hybridized horsepower.
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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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