There is a lot of discussion on various websites and in magazines worldwide about what might be a new Supra, thought to be announced at the Tokyo Auto Show this year. Enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting - or hoping - for a new Supra.
Note that it's only discussion - other than the concept car shown to the right there has been zero official word from Toyota - and zero spy photos of running prorotypes (which there should be by now if production is indeed planned).
So take all of these reports from all of these sites for exactly what it is: speculation.
So now lets speculate.
SPECULATION MODE: ON
Toyota has taken a very brave step. This is a car that will be the same size as the current 350Z, and aimed at the same market. There will be a base engine of 3.5 liters that will directly compete with the 2009 370Z. That makes sense, and this would fill one of the holes in the traditional sporting Toyota (MR2, Celica, Supra) lineup.
The brave step is the optional hybrid engine - where Toyota is using technology to increase total available power rather than just build a car dedicated solely to fuel economy. The output of 400 HP is plenty for what will be a fairly small car. More importantly, it's the torque curve and drivability of that engine that would be of interest to enthusiasts. There will be lots of power and torque across the board, delivered nearly instantaneously. 0-60 MPH times will be fabulous.
Why do I like this idea? First, the bravado of Toyota in bringing it to market. But second the strategy: performance enthusiasts don't like hybrid cars currently because none of them have been built for enthusiasts. The current crop of hybrids is largely (and necessarily) econo-boxes or small SUVs - many with unusual or downright weird styling in our eyes. And all of them easily out-performaned by otherwise equivalent but conventionally-powered vehicles.
The market is absolutely moving towards hybrid or alternative powerplants. We all need to accept that fact. Toyota's forward-looking vision tells us that driving enthusiasts have something to look forward to - that performance is not dead under any circumstances and can indeed be improved. And that we can reduce our dependency on unreliable middle eastern countries and still have our fun.
This could be an autocross car: imagine the instantaneous torque of electric assist. The car would be well-balanced because a ground-up design could optimize the weight of the battery packs in the back and the electric motor in the front. Yes, it will be heavier than the base V-6 car, but the trade-off will be significantly increased performance.
This could be a track car: imagine seamless, smooth, and linear flow of power across a wide range of RPM, available for long blasts down the straight and at any point in a turn. Couple that with balance and it'd be a good car for events for people who want to drive their daily driver to the event and then back home again.
Everything that we know about suspensions and driving dynamics applies equally here as it does anywhere else. Optimizing springs, bushing, swaybars, damping, and tires applies just as much here as it does anywhere else. Likely - speculation again - the car uses the same double A-arm suspension and multi-link rear as does the IS series. That is a very well designed chassis that would make an excellent basis for the Supra (it's also an evolutionary offspring of the last Supra!).
Very possibly first true hybrid sports car wil be the start of something great. There will be issues with it, things not entirely mature, and it will be a bit heavy for it's mission (but still less than a V-8). All that will optimize as evolution proceeds and probably picks up the pace. But it's very clearly the future, very clearly a brave move, and the only question now is which of we enthusiasts will be brave enough to buy one?
SPECULATION MODE: OFF
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