Is this the next Toyota Supra?

Toyota has unveiled the future direction of its sports car fleet, including details of a powerful hybrid drivetrain and racing-derived dynamics.

Due to be shown in full at the Tokyo Auto Salon next week, the GR Super Sport Concept is set to shift Toyota’s performance potential into a different paradigm.

Whether the car teased in this solitary photo is the same as the long-awaited Supra co-developed with BMW is yet to be seen, but Toyota says the new GR Super Sport Concept “reveals the direction for next-generation sports cars”.

Developed by the Japanese firm’s Gazoo Racing division, the concept takes inspiration form the TS050 Hybrid race car familiar with the World Endurance Championship (WEC).

The centrepiece is a 735kW powertrain comprising a 2.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine teamed with hybrid motors. The V6 employs direct injection along with “lean burn” technologies that will purportedly allow it to deliver ultimate “power and environment performance”.

“The newly revealed concept is composed of mostly the same main parts as the TS050 Hybrid, reflecting Toyota GAZOO Racing's aim to ensure that technologies and know-how acquired in motorsport are fed back into new production vehicles,” Toyota said in a statement.

GAZOO Racing Company president Shigeki Tomoyama said the concept was the starting point for a broader plan to develop sports cars from race cars, which suggests this project could be separate from the Supra altogether.

"Rather than developing production cars into sports cars, we aim to work out how to incorporate the know-how developed through races and rallies into production cars," Mr Tomoyama said.

"Although it will be some time before you all have the opportunity to get behind the wheel, I hope that the GR Super Sport Concept will give you a taste of what we aim to achieve with our next-generation sports cars."

There are few other technical details at this point, other than the fitment of 18-inch wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza tyres.

In isolation, the GR Super Sport Concept bears more than a passing resemblance with the long-awaited Supra, which has been spotted on multiple occasions testing.

However, the timing and location of the Concept reveal is curious. Toyota was originally due to show off its next-gen sports car at the Tokyo motor show last year. When chief Akio Toyoda didn’t front the press conference, expectations immediately shifted to an unveiling at next week’s Detroit motor show.

BMW delivered its version of the Supra, the Concept Z4, at the Frankfurt motor show last year, co-developed with Toyota under a platform- and engine-sharing agreement.

Is this Toyota’s equivalent? All will be revealed by the end of next week – we can only hope.