Toyota Supra Chief Engineer Hints At Lightweight, Track-Focused Model

The Toyota Supra is starting to feel like a mythical unicorn at this point, but the model is still coming and it could be joined by lightweight, track-focused variant.

Speaking with Top Gear, Toyota Supra chief engineer Tetsuya Tada said “At some point I would like to make a track-limited Supra with less weight.” He went on to say, “We’re already making a racing version, so we know if you take out 220 lbs (100 kg) it’s a completely different car – you don’t even need any more power.”

When asked about the “track-limited” remark, Tata reportedly said the company is looking into the possibility of making the car road-legal or track-only. However, he seemed to suggest the latter is more likely as he stated “There’s always a trade-off because being road-legal brings restrictions.”

There’s little doubt that a track-only Supra would be a blast, but the restriction would seriously limit the car’s appeal. Of course, Toyota could give into the sales pressure and decide to go with a road-going model that sacrifices some capability for the ability to drive it everyday.

Regardless of what Toyota decides to do, Tada said the standard model has been benchmarked against the Porsche Cayman and they’re “definitely in the same zone.” However, the engineer conceded that the Cayman does have an advantage thanks to its mid-engine layout.

Speaking of performance, Toyota is looking at other opportunities to take the Supra racing. The company has already announced plans to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but that racecar is little more than a standard NASCAR model with a Supra wrap.

Thankfully, there could be real Supras in competition as Tada said Toyota is looking at the LM GTE class. If the company were to enter a Supra in the field, it could compete against the Aston Vantage, BMW M8 and Ford GT.