New Models
New Models

2019 Toyota Supra: Australian launch confirmed, here’s what we know

Here's everything we know about the rear-drive sports car, which was co-developed with BMW.


It’s official, folks. Toyota Australia has confirmed the fifth-generation Supra is coming to Australia in the third quarter of 2019, with a full global reveal set for early 2019 – and we have a stack of new information to share, along with first drive impressions.

Read our first drive and watch our review of the 2019 Toyota Supra here.

Let’s start with the most important information: the powertrain under the bonnet of the 2019 A90 Toyota Supra.

  • Power: 220kW+ [295hp+]
  • Torque: 450Nm+ [332lb.ft+]
  • Transmission: Eight-speed automatic with torque converter
  • 0-100km/h: Under 5.0 seconds
  • Driven wheels: Rear-wheel drive with electronically controlled active differential
  • Weight distribution: 50:50
  • Build location: Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria

Toyota hasn’t yet confirmed specific details, but what we do know comes from Australian details and our initial drive impressions. Apologies if some of this comes across as a little vague, but it’s all we have to work with.

Toyota has confirmed Australia will get the Supra with a 3.0-litre turbocharged (twin-scroll) inline six-cylinder petrol engine with direct injection and variable valve control producing “more than” 220kW of power and 450Nm of torque, for a claimed 100km/h sprint time “well under five seconds.”

While the exact gearbox is yet to be confirmed, we know it’s an eight-speed unit – Toyota says it was picked for its “shift speed and direct feel, as well as for maximising torque converter characteristics for powerful take-off acceleration.”

The use of a torque converter should mean there's no low-speed jerkiness, the likes of which is common in dual-clutch transmissions, with the logical gearbox being the BMW-derived ZF Sachs eight-speed automatic.

Exact dimensions are also yet to be confirmed, but Toyota says the Supra will feature a 50:50 weight distribution and a 1.6:1 wheelbase-to-track ratio, meaning it should feel more stable on the road than some narrow, short sports cars. The wheelbase, remarkably, is shorter than the Toyota 86, with Supra also boasting a lower centre of gravity.

In addition to its compact dimensions, the Supra will be built from a new aluminium and steel composite frame boasting rigidity close to that of the carbon-fibre Lexus LFA.

All four corners will feature adaptive suspension, while the car itself will ride low to maximise downforce and agility. Braking comes courtesy of Brembo, with four-piston calipers and large diameter discs.

The new Supra will be the first car branded with Toyota Gazoo Racing locally, which is the company’s new performance sub-brand.

Gazoo Racing was built to support Toyota’s development of sportier road cars building on new technologies and solutions developed under “the extreme conditions of motorsport, such as Toyota’s world endurance and rally championship campaigns”.

Toyota describes the architecture as ‘pure sports-car’, taking advantage of high-performance tyres and specially-designed wheel hubs with optimised camber and kinematics, along with stiff wheel bearings for maximum rigidity.

The tyres on the prototype vehicles we drove were Michelin Pilot Super Sport measuring 255mm wide and 35 profile at the front, while the rear sported 275mm wide, 35 profile rubber. Both the front and rear rims measured 19 inches.

Chief engineer, Tetsuya Tada, said the goal of the Supra program was to develop a robust car that would reward the driver.

“Regarding driving pleasure, my target was to achieve extreme handling performance as a pure sport car,” Tada-san said.

“Thanks to Supra’s robust body and high-performance suspension, you can enjoy an extremely high level of all performance aspects, including acceleration and deceleration response, ride comfort and cornering,” he said.

Toyota’s testing stretched from the Nurburgring to the roads of the USA, where factors like boot space, noise/vibration, and digital speedo sensitivity were tuned. According to Toyota, 90 per cent of testing and development was conducted on public roads and public tracks.

Toyota Australia is excited for the arrival of Supra in 2019, with vice president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, confirming the development of this car and its characteristics will also trickle down into the rest of Toyota’s range.

“As the halo model for Toyota sports cars and our new GR brand, Supra points to a new-generation of driver-focused vehicles that will offer dynamic styling and faithful handling, even at the limits of performance,” Hanley said.

“These inherent qualities will also flow into our regular production models, enhancing Toyota’s DNA as a company committed to bringing the freedom, adventure and excitement of driving to everyone,” he elaborated.

The Supra began in 1978 effectively as a six-cylinder extension of the Celica range. It had broken free of the Celica by 1987, and was fitted with a 3.0-litre turbocharged engine, which became a twin-turbocharged unit in 1993.

In the 10-year period from 1983 to 1993, Toyota sold 2895 Supras in Australia, with some examples still in excellent condition cruising the streets of Australia.

What do you think of the engine and performance specifications of the 2019 Toyota Supra? And, how much do you think it will cost when it finally arrives in Australia in late 2019?

Click on the images to see the full Supra gallery.


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