Toyota Boss Suggests They Intend To Build More Sports Cars

Toyota currently makes the GT86 (or just 86, depending on the market) and has just unveiled the all-new Supra, but it could very well roll out more sports cars in the future.

During an interview with Autocar at the launch of the new Supra at the Detroit Auto Show, Toyota boss Akio Toyoda suggested that he wants to see more sports cars from the car manufacturer.

“SUVs are nice but, at the end of the day, is there anything better than a tight rear-wheel-drive sports car? I hope this won’t be the last Toyota sports car you see from us in the future,” he said.

When Toyoda refers to “sports cars”, it’s likely that he means performance-oriented vehicles in general, not just two-door coupes like the Supra. Consequently, Toyota could create a host of new GR-badged hot hatch models, including ones based on the Yaris and the latest Corolla.

In terms of true sports cars, Toyota has a number of routes it could take. For example, it may decide to launch a modern-day version of the popular MR2, perhaps outfitted with a hybrid or an all-electric powertrain that will help it enter the expanding world of electric sports cars. Talks about such a vehicle, though, are nothing more than speculation at this point.

Whatever direction Toyota decides to take, it’s encouraging to hear that the man in charge of the company is the one pushing for it to adopt a more sporty and appealing direction.

As for the new Supra, the reaction to it has been mixed. Outfitted with a BMW-sourced, turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine with 335 hp, some have complained that it isn’t a real Supra. Demand, however seems to be strong, and it will be interesting to see how well the Supra sells during its first year of production.