Car Advice
  • Home
  • »  2013 Toyota Supra hybrid development

2013 Toyota Supra hybrid development

By Brett Davis |

Remember the Toyota Supra from the late Nineties? The grand touring coupe was a real piece of driving pleasure, built for enthusiasts. The Supra is no longer available now though, so what do Toyota offer?

Well, Toyota hopes to recreate the Supra with this hybrid sports car concept. Some may remember, the concept was developed in 2007, but it didn’t take long until the plans were canned due to a priority adjustment in company’s direction.; they were more interested in developing hybrid-focused technology for the everyday motorist. Toyota did think about producing a 3.5-litre V6, high-output, hybrid engine for the Supra concept but saw little interest in chasing the performance segment at the time.

Now though, it seems development has been reintroduced, as reported by Autocar this week. Toyota has discovered huge interest among the American market with high-performance cars that are also enviro-friendly.

Code-named the FT-HS, the Future Toyota Hybrid Sport development team has said they hope to release a new generation Toyota Supra to the public by 2013, and, they say it will achieve four-second 0-100km/h times using hybrid technology.

We hope it’s this concept that goes into production. It certainly looks very sharp and very modern, even showing some signs of GT-R in the front guards.

Check out the futuristic targa roof!


 
  • Jabba the Hut

    I think their chief designer worked on the set of transformers.

    • Jester

      If they decide to build this, and its performance matches its looks, and price in Oz is 120K or so – I’d buy it.

  • AJ

    This car will never go into production.

    Look whats happening with the FT-86.

    Toyota keeps saying it wants to create a sportier image, but keeps producing the same boring cars.

    • ox

      Yeah, once the bean counters fun police at Toyota have their say it will end up being a camry coupe.

    • The Other Brad

      Afaik the toning down of the FT-86 is just rumour mill from what I’ve read. And there’s been just as many rumours and reports that counter this ‘softening’ of the FT-86.

      Soo.. it’s a case of wait and see.

  • davie

    From memory the supra was originally a variant of a mid 80′s 4 cyl celica. What made it different was a different nose styling and a 6 cylinder engine

    using a similar principle, Maybe they could put the subaru flat 6 under the bonnet of the FT-86, add a turbo or two and call it the toybaru supra.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1435885244 Yani Hendriawan

    just change the front bumper

  • Neo Utopia

    Looks really futuristic, in a good way. If Toyota can pull this off then many gen X and Yers who like sporty with lower oil will want it.

  • yowza

    The “softening” of the FR-S (FT-86) are speculations by internet doubters…

    Japanese sources have shown little change from the concept they shown about a year ago.

    The “Supra” Hybrid, is still on the shelf. Of course there is interest in the U.S… its the world’s biggest market.

    But the fact is, the FT-HS has become the FR-S (FT-86). Body-wise anyways.

    The “Supra” Hybrid will have some similar styling but will look different from the FT-HS.

    And Australia is not a good market for sports cars profit wise. Hence they charge premium.

  • Fenno

    Do it…

  • jay

    As a bean counter, all I can say is, how expensive can it be to raid the parts bin and bring out old chassis designs from the mothballs?

    Not expensive at all. All R&D would have been done and the costs already recouped. It’d be cheap as chips to cobble together some franken beast, sell it, and profit!

    Hybrid or not, Toyota… DO IT!

    FT86- all existing Subaru Impreza/Liberty platform
    THere’s the IS250/ISF platform. The JDM Mark X/Cresta… heaps of platforms to work from. The old Supra shared the same platform as the IS300/MarkII/Chaser/Soarer/SC

    There is nothing hip and cool about the Rukus. A Rukus that comes in white is a fridge. A whitegood.

  • Flying High

    I am not really sure how many buyers of this type of car really care about how much fuel it drinks.

    The first priority for Toyota should be to have a respectable and relatively affordable halo car already. If it is hybrid, bonus, but not at the expense of getting a great car to market.

  • Wayne Kerr

    My estimate on it’s price is 80-90K when it gets released in Australia (given the non-hybrid 370Z costs ~70K). I am willing to give sports hybrids a try but not at such outrageous prices.

    At least the WRX and Aussie V8s are reasonably priced, despite the stigma.

  • Tom22

    Toyota is always reportedly working on this and that and thinking of brining its ‘legendary’ names back.

    It never happens. They havn’t done squat ever since ive been an adult capable of buying my own cars.

    There are so many good performance buys out there i certainly do not care what toyota might be planning for 2015

  • Howard

    Hybrid Supra? No Thanks

  • Vince

    I will believe it when I see it. All we now need is Mitsubishi to redevelop the GTO/3000GT to rival the GTR and it will be on like Donkey Kong :)

  • Sexythang

    this is a toyota i wouldnt mind buying

  • http://mymaties.com VDub Fan

    An Lexus LFA on steroids. No thanks.