TOYOTA FT-1

About the 2020 Toyota GR Supra

January 30, 2019 by admin

The Supra is coming! The Supra is coming!

If you’re part of the Toyota Supra fandom, you’ve heard this exclamation for the better part of a decade, perhaps longer. More than two decades have passed since the last Supra was sold in North America, although it soldiered on in Japan until 2002.

But now we know for certain that a new Supra is on its way, thanks in large part to BMW, which had a significant hand in ensuring that Toyota’s sports car had a chance to return. Indeed, the platform, powertrain and other significant components are all BMW as this model shares much of its running gear with the all-new BMW Z4.

2020 Toyota GR Supra — The fifth-generation Supra arrives this summer.

Here’s what we know about the 2020 GR Toyota Supra:

1. It has been a long time coming.

Toyota teased us with what many thought would be the fifth-generation Supra as far back as 2007. That’s when the automaker rolled out the FT-HS concept, which stood for Future Toyota-Hybrid Sports. Yes, a hybrid sports car. The concept featured a 3.5-liter V6 engine and an advanced hybrid drive system, which together sent power to the rear wheels. With approximately 400 hp at the ready, this was one fast sports car.

Alas, the FT-HS never materialized and it took another seven years before a concept of Supra proportions emerged. That’s when Toyota unveiled the 2014 FT-1, which featured elements of the FT-HS and previous Toyota sports cars, including the MR2, Supra, and 2000GT. The FT-1 may be considered the forerunner to the 2020 GR Supra.

2. The Supra only happened because of BMW.

BMW and Toyota are competitors, especially at the BMW-Lexus level. The two luxury brands battle for top sales in the U.S., only to trail Mercedes-Benz in recent years. That said, when it comes to the auto industry, strange bedfellows sometimes make great collaborators, especially where money is involved.

2020 Toyota GR Supra

No doubt, Toyota would not have ever brought back the Supra if they had to build the model from scratch. The cost involved would likely have blown well past $1 billion for a vehicle that will only be built in fairly small numbers. Highly conservative Toyota would never approve of such a deal, but with flashy Akio Toyoda at the helm of the company, the Supra project became a reality. How much Toyota pays BMW for the right to produce this vehicle isn’t known.

3. Toyota brings the styling.

Everything about the 2020 Supra is Toyota, at least when it comes to its style. The skin is unmistakably Japanese or at least it features a look derived from previous Toyota products (the Supra was actually designed at the company’s design studio in California).

Inside, the cabin is driver-focused, as expected. The instrument panel is unique to Toyota, while the switchgear is chiefly BMW. The centered rev gauge looks like something you’d find in Porsche. As for the touchscreen, it is bolted on top of the dashboard.

2020 Toyota GR Supra

4. BMW supplies the performance.

This is where Supra purists may have the most difficult time with the all-new model. There isn’t much of a Toyota imprint here as the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six used by BMW in the Z4 and elsewhere motivates this sports car. The engine is no slouch as it makes 335 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. Power is routed to the rear wheels by means of an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The transmission choice is the only one available, which means there isn’t a manual gearbox to be had. This isn’t surprising, especially as paddle shifters are and demand for “rowing your own” can be measured in the low single digits. Nevertheless, a 0-60 mph time of about 4 seconds may have drivers forgetting what they can’t have.

Toyota still has its influence on the way the Supra behaves, thanks in part to its adaptive suspension. Adjustments to stability control and the differential give this coupe its special flavor.

5. Made in Austria.

Both the BMW Z4 and the Toyota Supra will be made at the Magna Steyr manufacturing plant in Graz, Austria. The company is fairly unique in the automotive world as it is an automotive supplier with expertise in design, engineering, and full manufacturing. Notably, the Supra’s body stampings, liftgate, seats, and door latches are supplied by Magna Steyr.

2020 Toyota GR Supra

The company doesn’t build its own vehicles, but it manufactures cars for various customers. So far, Magna Steyr says it has produced more than 3.5 million vehicles for its clients. Production of the Toyota GR Supra will commence this spring.

2020 Toyota GR Supra Prices

Toyota will offer 1,500 Launch Edition models with distinctive styling and unique numbering. These models will go on sale in Summer 2019 starting at $55,250.

Later, Toyota will offer the 2020 Supra in two grades: 3.0 ($49,990) and 3.0 Premium ($53,990). Prices do not include the $930 freight charge. A Driver Assist Package ($1,195, full-speed adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, parking sonar and rear collision warning) is available across the model line. This package builds on the standard forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, road sign assist and automatic high beams.

2019 Toyota GR Supra Specifications

Toyota	2020 GR Supra
Segment	Sportscar
Base Sticker Price	$50,920 (including a $930 destination charge)
Launch Edition	$56,180
Standard Engine	3.0-liter, turbo V6
Horsepower	335 @ 5,000 to 6,500 RPM
Torque (lb.-ft.)	365 @ 1,600 to 4,500 RPM
Transmission	Eight-speed automatic
Seating	2
Curb Weight (pounds)	3,397
Wheelbase (inches)	97.2
Length (inches)	172.5
Width (inches)	73
Height (inches)	50.9
Head room (f,r…inches)	38.3
Leg room (f,r…inches)	42.2
Shoulder room (f,r…inches)	54.4
Hip room (f,r…inches)	54.2
Storage (cubic feet)	10.2
Gross vehicle weight (pounds)	4,001
Towing (pounds)	NR
Payload (pounds)	604
Fuel	Premium
Fuel Tank (gallons)	13.7
EPA Fuel MPG (city/highway)	24/31/26 city/highway/combined
Manufacturing Plant	Graz, Austria

Photos copyright Toyota Motors.

Lexus RC F: More to Follow

January 17, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Fall 2014 release for RC line.

Toyota introduced two sport cars at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week: one was the Toyota FT-1 concept, the other was the production-bound Lexus RC F. Suffice to say the concept received more buzz than the model that will be produced, perhaps for a very good reason: the FT-1 may very well become the future Toyota Supra.

Supra rumors aside, the Lexus RC F deserves its own attention and for two good reasons:

1. For the stirring introduction by Detroit son, Jeff Bracken, now Lexus Group Vice President and General Manager. Bracken told his Cobo Hall audience how the Shelby Cobra hooked him and defined his destiny. He graciously lauded the Cobra, using that tribute as a segue for introducing the RC F.

2. As much as the speech set the table for Lexus newest sports car it was the RC F itself that lit up the audience while also pointing to even better things to come. Sure, Lexus has had its share of performance models in the past including the IS F. But, Lexus has served up more hybrids than top performers, besides the brands expansive fleet of luxury vehicles.

2015 Lexus RC F

Lexus RC F Performance

The Lexus RC F is the third sporty/performance model introduced in as many months, following the introduction of the Lexus RC Coupe at the Tokyo Motor Show last month. That model features two very different powertrains: a 2.5-liter hybrid and a 3.5-liter V-6.

The RC F will be powered by a normally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 engine, one making at least 450 horsepower and 383 foot-pounds of torque. Said Bracken about the new model, This is the fastest and most powerful V8 yet for Lexus.

And it is no ordinary V8 engine either: it utilizes both the Atkinson and Otto cycle in a bid to enhance fuel economy and increase performance. At lower speeds the Atkinson cycle is at work; when performance is needed the Otto cycle takes over. The power management tool here is an 8-speed transmission.

2015 Lexus RC F

Dynamic Engineering Features

There are a number of special features at work in the Lexus RC F that should interest fans. For one, it features an active wing, much like the one found with the LFA. The wing serves to increase downforce and improve grip over the rear 19-inch tires. Another feature is the functional vent hood, designed to decrease aerodynamic lift. And, there is also a torque vectoring differential, designed to manage traction in, through and out of corners.

Lexus gave us select highlights about the the Fs interior telling us that the instrument panel will be punctuated by a 7-inch navigation screen. It will also feature a touchpad interface, working much like your iPad or similar device. Lexus says that climate control, navigation, and media selections can be operated by a swipe of a finger.

Release and Sales Production

You’ll have to wait a bit for the Lexus RC F and the like RC 350, with both models going on sale this fall. Lexus expects to sell 1,400 RC vehicles a month once it hits its stride. And, if you like the RC F you can be assured that Lexus wont be stopping there. Bracken notes that the “…RC F is only the next addition of more Lexus performance to come.” And Lexus fans rejoiced!

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Photos courtesy of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.

Toyota FT-1 Concept to a Supra Reality?

January 13, 2014 by Terry Logan 6 Comments

Toyota Supra fans have been waiting for what seems like eons for the Supra to return, a 2+2 fastback coupe produced from the late 1970s to the early 2000s. Its cancellation removed an important and exciting vehicle from Toyotas line up, a model that has been rumored over the past few months to be on the fast track to a return.

Toyota FT-1 Supra

Toyota FT-1 Concept

That track may come by way of the Toyota FT-1 Concept, a vehicle introduced at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit today. FT stands for future Toyota and the 1 for ultimate. It is the work of Toyotas Calty Design Research team and represents what Toyota says is the ultimate expression of a Toyota coupe design, building upon Toyota’s rich sports coupe heritage dating back to the 2000GT, Celica, Supra, MR2 and most recently Scion FR-S.

Whether the upcoming model carries the Supra mantle or some other name, the concept-turn-reality-vehicle would liven up the Toyota brand like no other model produced today. That reason alone is why the FT-1 fulfills chairman Akio Toyodas stated directive to fill the Toyota product line with exciting, even invigorating products.

Toyota FT-1 Supra

Toyota Sports Car Inspiration

The Calty team had been working on the concept for the past two years, what likely has fueled rumors that the Supra was on its way back. Alex Shen, Calty’s Studio Chief Designer noted as much stating, “Our team was heavily influenced by Toyota’s sports car past, especially Celica and Supra, and we sought to capture some of that history. It is an aggressive, track-focused sports car concept with a presence that has been amplified for shock and awe.”

My Toyoda himself authorized the concept in a bid to reform Toyotas product line, what some have considered too plain and thus too safe for many years. Waku-Doi is a Japanese phrase meaning palpable heart-pounding sense of excitement, to build cars that emotively connect with its customers. Toyota has the quality and reliability part down pat, but a satisfying ownership experience also includes building vehicles that emotionally connect with people. In the FT-1, Toyota appears to have rediscovered that, mirroring what Harley-Davidson has done with motorcycles.

Raw, Muscular Design

The Toyota FT-1 is marked by a design language that is muscular, curved and highly suggestive. It looks like it belongs on the track and has the inlets, ducts, and vents that race cars employ for airflow management. It even comes equipped with a retractable rear wing that deploys and tilts forward at higher speeds to create additional downforce.

As expected, the concept is a front engine, rear-wheel drive model with the cockpit pushed further back to even out its weight distribution. Elements of the classical Toyota GT2000 design are evident too with its wraparound windshield and side glass openings.

The FT-1 could just easily have been called F-1 to point to its racing-inspired steering wheel. The low to the ground cockpit, a delta-shaped display zone and overall minimalism places the focus on the drive without the distraction of too many bells and whistles. A color head up display keeps important vehicle information in the drivers line of sight.

Toyota FT-1 Supra

From PlayStation to Concept

Toyota first developed the concept for the Sony PlayStation Gran Turismo game environment. Mr. Toyoda, himself an accomplished race car driver, completed the virtual circuit and was hooked. Especially after beating the lap time at Fuji in his LFA. That paved the way for the concept to be built and begin touring the international auto show circuit. And although Toyota has not committed to building this vehicle, it “…embodies elements of the emotion and performance that Toyota will imprint upon future production designs. Yes, the Supra seems likely to return or at least its spirit wrapped in a sports car frame.

See Also — Production Reality: 2018 Lexus LC 500

Toyota FT-1 concept photos courtesy of Toyota Motors of America.