Matt Brogan•12 Aug 2013
NEWS
Toyota Supra successor to remain rear-wheel drive
Toyota confirms ‘fun' RWD Supra-style sports car, but don't count on a revival of the nameToyota has announced that its long awaited successor to the iconic Supra will be rear-wheel drive, though the nameplate is yet to be locked-in.
The top-tier sports model, which will sit above the 86 in Toyota’s line-up, will share its development with the BMW i8 and may even boast a carbon fibre frame. Though just which nameplate the upcoming sports car will wear is still a bone of contention.
Speaking at a media event in Canberra last week, chief engineer of the 86, Tetsuya Tada, told motoring.com.au that ‘Supra’ was just one of the names considered for the upcoming performance flagship.
“The Supra successor is an upper-crust sportscar, and the Supra name is just one candidate for that successor,” said Tada-san.
Tada-san said the nameplate was before a committee and he could not yet say what others badges were being considered. He did, however, confirm that the model would remain rear-wheel drive and that Toyota was not seeking to chase Nurburgring lap times, a la Nissan GT-R.
“The GT-R is a car that is clearly focussed on speed, on lap times. We don’t want to chase the same direction,” explained Tada-san.
“Toyota’s philosophy is always [one of] fun. Fun is more important to the driver, and I’d prefer the driver sense that enjoyment than [focus on] lap time.”
Driver enjoyment appears to be paramount in the decision to adhere to a rear-wheel drive layout too. Tada-san, the man behind the development of the rear-wheel drive 86 said it was his belief that to enjoy the car to its fullest, that one powertrain layout was only ever under consideration.
“The idea has always been to have rear-wheel drive. It’s the most fun layout,” he laughed.
Picture shows Toyota FT-HS (hybrid) concept with 3.5-litre V6
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Written byMatt Brogan
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