Next-gen Toyota Supra may go EV

The Toyota GR Supra appears set to pivot away from its inline six-cylinder petrol ancestry and become an EV.

And if the next-generation Supra looks anything like these retro-inspired renders from Zukun Plan via Instagram, we’re all for it.

Blending fourth-generation A80 Supra visuals – particularly the long bonnet, glasshouse and rear spoiler – with ultra-modern styling cues such as the super-slim LED headlights, this is a Supra that would herald a new direction while respecting the past.

Low-slung brake cooling air ducts behind the doors are another nod to the mid-1990s A80 Supra, while the solid grille reinforces the CGI artist’s EV vision.

“The design team at Zukun Plan wanted to reimagine the Toyota Supra MK4 Turbo of the early 1990s as an electric vehicle,” said the creators of these renders.

“The brief was simple: Create a contemporary electric sports car that is fundamentally based on the visual charm of the iconic Supra MK4.

“Though the design is decidedly modern in its styling approach, you will find reference after reference to the Supra MK4, from overall surfacing style to the smallest detail.”

Toyota has committed to producing 30 new EVs by 2030, but the burning question it is yet to answer is whether the next-gen Supra will be an all-electric sports car, or whether Toyota will push on with a heavily-updated version of the current fifth-generation coupe – developed in tandem with the BMW Z4 roadster – but perhaps with a hybrid powertrain to avoid the ire of progressive governments.

Intel from Japan indicates the next Toyota Supra will indeed flip the switch to electric locomotion by around 2026. Either way, the sixth-generation sports car is certain to retain its rear-drive layout.

Toyota’s incoming CEO, Koji Sato, is accelerating the Japanese giant’s EV rollout and recently confirmed an all-new electric vehicle platform will be launched by 2026.

His predecessor, Akio Toyoda – a racer and self-confessed petrol-head – was criticised for taking too long to restructure the company ahead of the regulation-led EV boom.

But Toyoda can be credited with transforming the world’s biggest car-maker’s brand image from dowdy and boring to youthful and exciting, in part thanks to the launch of Toyota’s GR (Gazoo Racing) performance sub-brand.

Ironically, the first GR model was the Toyota GR Supra in 2019 and it has been widely regarded as mission accomplished, providing a flagship hero coupe for the brand.

The current fifth-generation A90 Supra still has plenty of life left in it, with a manual version just launched to take the fight back to the new Nissan Z and a hard-core Supra GRMN version likely to leverage the BMW M4 CSL’s wild 400kW turbo-six.

According to Japanese publication Best Car, the Toyota Supra GRMN will launch in 2025 as a bitter-sweet goodbye for the petrol-powered coupe.

It expects the existing Supra to be replaced by a 500hp (373kW) EV that will be available with a quasi-manual gearbox and potentially steer-by-wire technology operated by a Tesla-like aerospace steering ‘yoke’ instead of a conventional steering wheel to add a ’futuristic feeling’.

Lexus is tipped to launch a high-performance successor to the limited-edition Lexus LFA supercar, based on a similar platform architecture as the new Supra a year or two after Toyota’s next performance flagship breaks cover.

Expect to see other Japanese brands jump onto the electric sports car bandwagon in future, with the next Subaru WRX STI set to be an all-electric giant-killer – albeit without its signature turbo-boxer burble.

Stay tuned for more news on Japan’s evolving sports car scene in the lead-up to the 2023 Tokyo motor show (renamed as the ‘Japan Mobility Show’) in late October.

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