We could see the return of the legendary Supra if Toyota boss Akio Toyoda has his way. The boss and grandson to the founder has apparently given his approval to the development of a new modern Supra. But before you get too excited, note that Mr. Toyoda has also conceded that even if he has given his approval, there may be resistance to the plan within his own company.
According to a report by Autocar UK, Toyoda told journalists in Japan that he “wants to see the next Supra tested in the near future” but added that “even if one president says that we want to have a Supra again, the whole company is not going to be responding to that request”.
The report also says that the Supra replacement is on track for a launch in 2013/14 and is likely to use a V6 hybrid powerplant when it hits production. The development of the Supra is running parallel to the delayed FT-86.
Mr.Toyoda is an avid driver and has raced the LFA at the 24-hours of Nurburgring and apparently his desire to build a new Supra stems driving the previous generation Supra at the 'Ring. He said he “would like to create a car that is better than the Supra” and he was “not against the idea” of pushing through development of the car.
Toyota is also planning to launch a new MR-2 within the next four years, which will use a hybrid powertrain based on a 1.5-litre petrol engine.
Source: Autocar
