The new Toyota Supra global debut

By Chad Lückhoff

Toyota officially pulls the wraps off of the new Toyota Supra at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

After more than 10 years worth of speculation and rumour around the water cooler, Toyota has pulled the wraps off of the fifth generation Toyota Supra at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

We were fortunate enough to get to sample the pre-production version of the car in Spain last year (read more here: Toyota Supra First Drive) but at that stage, we could only get estimates as to how much power it would be producing and what the final spec would be.

We knew that the A90 Toyota Supra would be a joint venture with BMW, benefitting from the CLAR modular platform as seen in the new Z4. It would also be using the B58B30 BMW engine as to retain a straight-six turbocharged powerplant; a prerequisite for chief engineer, Tetsuya Tada.

He also stipulated that the power should be sent to the rear wheels. It does this through a ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox. Tetsuya Tada and the team at Gazoo Racing worked tirelessly on the chassis and suspension tuning in order to get the engagement that they were after, managing to craft a wheelbase-to-track ratio of less than 1.6, achieving a ratio of 1.55:1. This places the new Supra in the territory of the Porsche 911. This ratio is pertinent to the dynamics and handling of the vehicle with a lower ratio translating into a sharper turn in and improved poise.

Official figures:

While our initial impressions were positive, we can now confirm some fact and figures.

Engine:	B58B30
	3.0-litre straight-six
	Twin-scroll turbo
	Direct injection
	Continuously variable valve control
Power:	250 kW
Torque:	500 Nm
0 – 100km/h:	4.3-seconds
Gearbox:	8-speed ZF automatic with steering mounted shifters
Suspension:	Adaptive-variable suspension

Differential:	Electronically engaged Limited Slip with 100% lock
Weight distribution:	50:50

 

Local information:

While we can confirm that the new Toyota Supra will be making its way to South Africa, there is no official pricing available as yet. U.S. Markets indicate a recommended retail of $52 000 (approx. R720 000) for the top-of-the-range 3.0-litre model.

There is also no indication that South Africa will consider importing either of the 2.0-litre versions at this time.

Expect a local launch in the coming months.

Watch our pre-launch driving impression here: Toyota Supra Driven