Could it be More Super?

About a decade ago, Toyota had roughly 3 of the exact same vehicle on the road. The Toyota 86, Scion FRS, and the Subaru BRZ. Granted the Subaru was not Toyota, it was a Subaru, but it was only that by badge. All three cars were basically the same. Now, for the new Toyota Supra, Toyota has teamed up with BMW. The BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra are roughly the same car. There are minor interior and exterior differences, as well as a few mechanical differences, but they have more similarities than differences. It is very similar to the products they had on the road ten years ago, and actually, still up until today with the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86. The fact that the 86 is still around is surprising in itself, and that can be a whole other blog subject.

To me, it would have made more sense to get rid of the 86 replace it with the Supra and instead of partner with BMW, do everything in house, based off the Lexus RC. If Nissan went slightly larger with their comeback king, the GT-R, then Toyota can and should too. I have made a graphic of all the size and price differences of all the cars referenced, along with the Lexus LFA, the one time supercar from the brand. A larger, more powerful, dare I say better looking Supra should have been the goal from the start.

I don’t have the IS500 on here, and the FRS is very hard to find anymore. It has the same dimensions as the 86 and BRZ. Click on the chart to see it in full size.

When it comes to power, I know the plan to put a V8 in the new 2022 Lexus IS500 had to have been around when the Supra was conceived. Maybe? Either way, when the Nissan GT-R went from a straight six to a V6, people didn’t complain THAT much. If Toyota planned to put a 5.0 V8 in a Supra, these things would be selling faster than they could be made. None of the new Supra makes any sense to me. There was so much potential and while the car is incredibly popular, it really didn’t meet what I thought could have happened. Granted, I did like it at launch, and I still am a fan. It just doesn’t seem like a Supra in the sense that it doesn’t compete with anything that the original did, or perceived to do. Perception is very important. Potential is also important. The Supra should have been a GT-R competitor, built in house, based off the RC, with a V8 engine. Toyota should have done all that on a budget and gave every 5.0 Ford Mustang owner a run for their money.

The RC looks so good in my opinion. It is the perfect start for a Supra. Plus, it can be all wheel drive. This one was.

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Where Did That Come From?

The other day while watching TV I sat on the couch in complete awe of what I was seeing. I was watching a supercar commercial filled with pavement peeling exhaust and shattering glass. What mighty car is this? The LFA???? Let me quickly go over this…

Yes my friends Toyota has brought us not only a validated supercar, but is advertising it on TV. Not only did they break ground in the supercar world but also in the media world. So the question would be what is Toyota trying to gain? Reputation? A place in the supercar arena as well as the domestic automotive world? No one knows. One thing is for sure…we don’t want the gas pedal on this 560 bhp beast sticking on anyone.

With a 4.8-liter V10 engine we see a substantial amount of performance out of this vehicle expressing Toyota’s attempts to distance themselves from the almighty Prius. With only 175 available to the U.S. market I guess this will become yet again another well known unknown vehicle. The question is does Toyota have any other supercar concepts under their sleeve??? The stats on the LFA is impressive for their first supercar, let’s hope thier $375,000 tag doesn’t send people toward Lamborghinis same price doors.

I greatly appreciate a supercar as well as the next person, so I have to admit my interest in this vehicle. I appreciate the vehicle, but I still remain a little confused as to the price tag and the time of its release. Price range is steep, launched at a transition time for the company, and so my mind wonders as to what their estimates of return or profitabilty will be for this vehicle. But for those who can afford it I say buy now, because who knows where the company will go next in this arena.

                                                                                                                                   -Josh