All-New Toyota Supra image appears online before 2019 debut

ABU DHABI: Toyota is all set to unveil the all-new Supra at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next year. However, a purported image of the upcoming car has appeared online, and has sent speculation mills on an overdrive regarding what could be in store for prospective buyers.

The image appears to be that of the final production version. It reveals that the front-end design of the new Supra will conform to the previously displayed prototypes of the car. The 2019 version will see the return of Supra brand after 17 years. It was used for the last time in 2002. The design and development of the vehicle started in 2012 vis-à-vis the new Z4 from BMW. Both cars are a part of a series of projects scheduled between the German automobile major and Toyota.

The new Supra will be powered by a 3.0-litre BMW-sourced straight-six motor that produces around 345 bhp and outputs a peak torque of 475 Nm. The engine is mated to an automatic 8-speed transmission system with power being delivered to the rear wheels. The car also has a limited-slip BMW M Active differential system. With a 50:50 weight distribution, the vehicle weighs around 1500kg.

The 2019 Supra, not surprisingly, is one of the most eagerly anticipated cars and has seen a long series of bits and pieces of leaked information over the long gestation period. Some of the earlier images showed three different sized wheels for the three different trims. The car is largely touted to come with turbocharged six-cylinder or four-cylinder engines.

While the full styling of the vehicle has expectedly not been revealed, some key elements have already appeared before the media. These include the front lights, the digital instrument cluster dashboard, and the rear bumper and splitter. All these have appeared separately over the past few years, hinting at what the new Supra could look like. The script-like distinctive Supra logo, like in the previous-generation model, will also make a comeback on the new vehicle.

The 2019 Toyota Supra was previewed as a concept car in 2014. The design in the new vehicle has been marginally toned down compared to the earlier models.