Toyota invited a group of Supra super-fans to an evening event with Tetsuya Tada, in which the chief engineer of the new A90 Supra gave owners of all four previous generations an exclusive introduction to the camouflaged prototype.
The top secret, invite-only event occurred during the long weekend of the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the keenly anticipated new fifth-generation Supra made its world debut.
Earlier in the day, Tada-san had given thousands of enthusiasts an early taste of the vehicle’s dynamic performance by driving up the famous festival hill course, after which the prototype was whisked away to another location in West Sussex for its exclusive static showing.
A total of 50 immaculately presented Supra models from all four generations had been invited to attend in anticipation of the new A90 Supra’s arrival.
The majority of the 84 owners and guests arrived in fourth-generation (A80) models, from highly sought-after UK-specification models with manual gearboxes, to examples that illustrated the enduring popularity and immense tuning potential of the iconic 2JZ straight-six engine.
Also in attendance were eight third-generation (A70) models in both original and facelifted guise, four angular second-generation (A60) models, and a single first-generation (A40)model – one of only two examples of the Celica Supra known to exist in the UK.
Tada-san drove the new A90 Supra into the building to rapturous applause from the enthusiasts. He positioned it on a rotating stand and then proudly introduced his “new baby” to the crowd as the culmination of six years of development. It was a moment that marked the first time that all five generations of Toyota Supra had ever appeared together in public.
During the course of the evening, Tada-san was eager to mingle with the guests and chat openly about the A90 project. As an enthusiast himself, he was equally eager to hear from existing owners about what Supra means to them and gain a greater understanding of their expectations for this next chapter in the model’s history.
Commenting on the weekend, Tada-san revealed: “I’m just so happy that we’ve made it to this point. I’ve finally been able to reveal the car to the UK; it’s the happiest day of my life. And to drive it up the hill at Goodwood was a really exciting experience.”
Toyota expects its new Supra to reach the market during the first half of 2019.
Toyota Supra: UK generations and sales
The first Supra was produced in 1978 as the flagship derivative of the contemporary Celica but it was never sold in the UK. The second-generation Celica Supra arrived in the UK in August 1982 and was replaced by the standalone third-generation Supra model in July 1986. The fourth-generation Supra was launched in August 1993 but discontinued in the UK in 1996. Low-volume production of the Mk4 Supra continued in Japan for the domestic market until July 2002.
| YEARS | MODEL | UK SALES |
| 1978 – 1981 | 1st generation (A40) Celica Supra | n/a |
| 1982 – 1985 | 2nd generation (A60) Celica Supra | 4,132 |
| 1986 – 1993 | 3rd generation (A70) Supra | 11,551 |
| 1993 – 1996 | 4th generation (A80) Supra | 623 |
Learn more: History of the Toyota Supra
About time we got a new icon!!
You mean a BMW? This is in no way a Toyota or a Supra for that matter. The interior also looks like a direct copy of the new 4 series… whats next are you going to put an N20 in it too? You guys are one, if not, of the largest auto manufacturer in the world and you couldn’t be bothered to design a new engine? Sorry I forgot you have to maximize profits instead of moving the sport car segment forward. Truly disappointing.
Hi Santiago,
Thank you for your feedback.
It’s no secret that we have worked with BMW on a sports car platform, but the Supra and the Z4 are very different vehicles. We look forward to revealing the full details of development closer to the launch in 2019. Any Supras you have seen in the press or on social media are pre-production prototypes used to test various aspects of the car’s performance.
Our aim through this collaboration is to pursue “ever-better cars.” Both companies share that passion, and that is what brought us together. At the same time, we at Toyota want to capitalise on this collaboration for the future by challenging ourselves on the way we work and the way we develop cars.
Thanks.
Sorry, I actually fully agree with the first comment by santiago, I’m an absolute fan of toyota but this has peeved me off to another level ..
Toyota has built some of the best engines in the world, yet they have sold their soul to the devil…
You have not made a supra you have made a BMPra
Next you’re going to create the LFA replacement, and pair up with Mercedes…
Toyota, poor show…
Riz
Bit dramatic, but thanks for your feedback all the same. Sorry to hear you feel that way.
I think dramatic is right!
I’m no car manufacturer myself but I imagine after the recession (and that 5-or-so year period of uninspiring yet fuel efficient cars that followed) it must be such a gamble developing new sports cars – especially for this price range.
I’m happy to accept that joint development with other firms is likely necessary to get things off the ground.
Granted – I think a BMW partnership is a bit more controversial than the GT86’s Subaru co-development. Yet, i’d prefer that than an inflated R&D cost which could spell the final nail in the coffin for fun, fast, powerful cars coming out of Toyota’s doors should it not make a return.
I do apologize for being dramatic, but as someone who grew up with these legendary cars on posters and watching JGTC, I’m sure I’m not the only one here. I could only dream of having legendary cars like these new from the factory, and with the first teasers of the FT-1, with a stable job, and able to make such a purchase, I thought this could be it. I seriously doubt it now that BMW is in the mix.
I say this with the best intentions here as I would like to see Japanese auto makers make it back into the sport car segment. Mazda even with their limited R&D budget in comparison to Toyota, has kept it going, same with Honda. Even Hyundai is starting to show some promising stuff (I know its not Japanese, but still).
I hope you guys prove me wrong I really do, but BMWs new series of engines, and their questionable reliability and lacking ease of service is a really worrying start.
To end on a good note, excellent work on the exterior styling! Absolutely nailed it there with the design cues from the previous generation.
Alice thank you for your response. We all know the supra has become as iconic car. With its 90’s peers like the GTR,RX7,NSX ,etc.. As true fans we were expecting this car to once again compete with the newly release models of its peers. That doesn’t seem to be the case of the new supra. I can understand the collaborating for better sports cars, but I believe with such as an identity as the name supra is to TToyota this model needed to come from the roots and heart of Toyota /TRD . As an A80 owner and enthusiast I feel no way compelled to pursue this new model…your response would be appreciated.. Thank you
We’re sorry to hear you feel that way. Thanks for your feedback.
I’m happy that Toyota are back to making fun cars again – here’s hoping for a new MR2 or SF-R announcement in the near future!
Toyota’s recent track record with modern sports cars has been a failure. It’s half hearted attempts have left me with zero excitement. This is the last attempt at stealing what’s felt of my love for Toyota sports cars. The FRS and MRS were a complete mockery of two iconic cars, the AE86 and MR2. I, once again, have no faith that the ultimate Toyota icon car will break the current trend of underwhelming the market……unless you call it a Celica.
Hi Omar,
Thanks for sharing your opinion with us. GT86 received five star reviews from the motoring press, so it can’t have been that bad! https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/toyota/gt86
Besides, specifications haven’t even been revealed yet. We recommend waiting until the car has been released in 2019 before writing it off.
Thanks
Love Toyota. Don’t love bmw or I’d opt for the m3/m5. I have the last production Celica & wouldn’t’ swap it for subaru/Toyota or bmw/Toyota. My parents have owned the full Supra range. Can’t see them falling for this homolgomation. Make your own engine don’t invest in another companies cast offs.
A80 TT owner here. You should have made your own engine toyota…It’s inexcusable for one of the biggest motoring brands. What is your reason for not?! The 2jz is part of what made the car. Big mistake. You won’t be getting my money that’s for sure. Not with a bmw engine weaker than your 20+ year old engine! 👎🏻
Hi Tom,
Thanks for your feedback.
We appreciate that the 2JZ engine was a great engine for its time, however as you can appreciate we do not want to use a 20+ year old engine in a brand new car.
The reason for our collaboration with BMW is pure and simple- to pursue “ever-better cars.” Both companies share that passion, and that is what brought us together. At the same time, we at Toyota want to capitalise on this collaboration for the future by challenging ourselves on the way we work and the way we develop cars.
Once again, thank you for your feedback.
Thanks.
Do you guys at Toyota really think this will rival the current Nissan GTR? Keep in mind that the MK4 was actually considered superior to it’s equivalent GTRs.
I have always said German cars for reliability and safety Japanese cars for fun. This is why my daily driver is a boring BMW diesel and my toy is an old Toyota (albeit with a 1uz instead of a jz… Because v8 yo)
I’ve always thought the GT86 was a good car. But it’s more of a spiritual successor to the Celica than the AE86.
I’m not sure what this will be the spiritual successor to but from the looks of it not a supra. And I think a large chunk of your fanbase think the same.
Also you say this and the Z4 are totally different cars? In the same way the GT86, FRS and BRZ are? So basically badges. Maybe bumpers too. That’s like saying my old 200sx wasnt a 200sx because it didn’t have Nissan badges or bumpers.
Hi Luke,
Thanks for getting in touch. For three generations, the GTR has been four-wheel drive. The Supra has always been front engined, rear-wheel drive, so it competes on different levels.
We also refer to our earlier statement:
Further specifications regarding the MK 5 Supra will be released in the first half of 2019, with full details of our collaboration being revealed nearer that time. Both vehicles will be different and seeing that neither has been released or specification confirmed, you cannot fully judge the vehicle. Whilst there is much speculation available, like fake news, it is not a credible source and we would reserve your full judgement on the vehicle until it is released. For further insight, we interviewed the Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada here: http://fal.cn/ycLA
Thanks.
Extremely disappointed with the BMW collaboration – develop the engine intnerally or don’t revive the name at all. I really struggle to see how a company of your size is incapable of doing this. As a Supra owner myself I was quite excited at the initial reports however this is a deal-breaker for me and many other MK4 owners I’m sure.
Hi Ryan,
Thanks for your feedback.
Our collaboration with BMW enabled us to challenge ourselves on the way we work and the way we develop cars. By doing so, we believe we can create a new sports car that can only be realized through a unique collaboration such as this.
We are sorry that you feel this way, but please do take the new Supra for a test drive before you write it off.
Thanks.
Hello toyota…
How on earth is this a challenge for Toyota?
You’ve gone to a another manufacturer and Basically said..
“hello BMW, we are not able to make an engine for our flagship car, please can we use one of yours”
It’s quite evident toyota will lose the hard fans of toyota on the production of this car, the customers who are generally “german car” buyers do so on the badge, so a German engine inside a jap car won’t really entice them, struggling to understand who the target market is..
I don’t know, I’m not overly impressed, I appreciate figures still need to come out, but that’s not the point..
Hi Rizwan,
Thanks for your feedback.
Please read this interview with chief engineer, Tetsuya Tada. We hope this may explain a few of your worries about the car:
https://mag.toyota.co.uk/new-toyota-supra-interview-with-chief-engineer-tetsuya-tada.
Our collaboration with BMW helped both companies work together to push the boundaries for the new Supra. Our engineers have been able to bounce off each other and develop their skills, this will in turn challenge and improve Toyota and the way we work.
Thanks again for your feedback.