Toyota GR Supra Super GT concept car officially teased

ABU DHABI: The reborn Supra from Toyota is all set to debut on 14 January at the 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. But a version of the new car will be unveiled a few days before the NAIAS at the 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon. Speculation is rife that the vehicle will be the new Super GT Supra-based racing car and in all likelihood will replace the Lexus LC 500-based car at the Japanese touring car series next year. The new Supra will be facing competition from race cars based on the Nissan GT-R and Acura NSX.

Toyota, however, has released only a shadowy teaser of the new car. But the prominent diffuser and the large rear wing hints that the Japanese automobile major is likely to introduce a more aggressive and robust vehicle than the other Supra-based concept car unveiled at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

The new concept car is likely to be named GR Supra Super GT. The GR branding is the acronym for Gazoo Racing. It is the official motorsport vehicle arm for Lexus and Toyota. The latter also uses the same branding for its series of performance-based sub-brand cars sold outside the US.  

While Toyota has expectedly not revealed the details about the GR Supra Super GT, it’s believed that the vehicle has been developed on the lines of the regulations in the GT500 Super GT premier class car. It means that there is unlikely to be anything in common with the current on-road Supra, except the basic body design. The GT500 Super GT cars have a carbon fibre monocoque structure with steel roll cages. The current series is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre inline-4 motor, paired with a 6-speed sequential transmission system. The minimum weight for all cars in the GT500 series is below 2,250lbs.

Nonetheless, details about the GR Supra Super GT concept car will be revealed soon, when the Tokyo Auto Salon runs from 11 to 13 January.

Toyota, true to its claims, is committed to improve the drive and ride quality of its motorsports cars and the new Supra is expected to conform to the philosophy.