Make no mistake, there are few cars that are due to be unveiled in the near future that has more hype and anticipation surrounding it than the upcoming Toyota Supra.
So far, though, there aren't that many indications about the way the new car will look like aside from the general dimensions gleaned from seeing a heavily disguised prototype put through its paces at the Nurburgring.
There were rampant speculation that it would take many cues introduced on the FT-1 Concept which premiered at the 2014 North American Auto Show (Detroit). For one thing, upon witnessing the pre-production test vehicle, however, we can be sure that the final car won’t look nearly as brawny or as low.
However, Jalopnik has commissioned a set of realistic renders from artist Marco van Overbeeke based upon analysis of every bit of footage and information (public and insider) about the new model.
The result is the car you see here. A certain resemblance to the FT-1 still remains - the long bonnet, steeply raked roofline a-la BMW Z4 M Coupe, short overhangs, pronounced aircraft-like nose - but still doesn’t shed light on car’s technical details.
We do know that both the Supra (if it’s even going to be called that) and the upcoming Z5 roadster are both closely related, developed concurrently and the result of a collaborative sports car project as part of a deeper partnership between Toyota and BMW.
Therefore, they will share common underpinnings and perhaps even similar powertrains. Based on test footage, the Supra’s unusual sound signature as it drove past had many a motoring journalist stumped and suspecting that its high output petrol engine is augmented with an electric motor.
While the Supra is meant to sit above the 86 in Toyota’s sports car line-up, it shouldn’t cost as much as the BMW Z5 when the pair hit showrooms. Then again, a fully kitted out example of the last generation of Supra could end up running close to the asking price of a comparable German sports car of the period when new.
With a likely quite high level of technology stuffed into either model, though, it wouldn't be too much of a shock if it’s priced within earshot of each other despite the gulf in average model price between BMW and Toyota.
For more on Toyota vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
