Toyota Supra Flaunts Double-Bubble Roof in Front of BMW Z5 During Winter Testing

Much like the GT 86, the Supra has a low center of gravity, which makes it more stable on the snow than your regular car. The Toyota model should be the lighter, more focused of the two vehicles, but you never know what BMW is up to.

By the look of things, the Germans are handling much of the testing work, but not the design. The opening of the trunk and the shape of the front end are completely different, unlike the Toyobaru twins, which share a lot more.

Another significant difference is that the Supra has a double-bubble roof, a feature we saw on the FT-1 concept recently and way back in 2007 on the FT-HS.

While Toyota is famous for making the 2JZ engine, the motivation for this generation of the Supra should come exclusively from BMW in the form of a base 2-liter and a more powerful 3-liter inline-six. That one should pack at least 340 horsepower, making it 2-3 seconds faster than the GT 86.

However, a hybrid model with 400 horsepower or more has been speculated. That could be a way to differentiate the Z5 and Supra while also allowing Toyota to get recognition in the affordable sports car segment.

But it's too early to get ahead of ourselves. First comes the debut, which is likely to take place in Frankfurt or at the Tokyo Motor Show, towards the end of the year. Both models should have a seven or eight-year life cycle, plenty of time for updates and even a few engine swaps. Who knows, maybe the 2019 bit of speculation will include the word "V8."