Toyota Australia passes on four-pot Supra

TOYOTA has confirmed that the just-announced four-cylinder version of its GR Supra sportscar is not under consideration for Australia, citing overwhelming customer preference for the six-cylinder engine and leaving plenty of room for the forthcoming next-generation 86.

Announced earlier this week in Belgium, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder Supra will pack a turbocharged 190kW/400Nm punch and boast a perfect 50:50 weight distribution with its kerb weight tipped to be up to 100kg less than the full-fat BMW-sourced 3.0-litre turbo-six that produces 250kW/500Nm.

Despite the 100kg weight advantage, there is no escaping a 60kW/100Nm deficit in the sprint from 0-100km/h, with the four-cylinder taking 5.2 seconds compared to the six-cylinder’s 4.3 seconds.

Toyota Australia senior public affairs specialist Orlando Rodriguez said the Supra’s six-cylinder heritage was a driving force behind the model’s success Down Under.

“There are currently no plans to introduce the four-cylinder version of the Supra to the Australian market,” he said.

“Our research has shown that the overwhelming preference for the Supra is for a six-cylinder version, especially as the inline six has been present in every previous version of Supra.

“We are however, always evaluating our model line-up and this might change in the future, but it is currently not on our radar for introduction.”

One model that is most definitely on the radar is the next-generation Toyota 86 which will once again be developed and share its underpinnings with the Subaru BRZ and could be renamed GR 86 once it reaches production next year.

On the topic of the 86, Mr Rodriguez said “86 fans are always keen to share their love of the 86 and how they would love the next-generation model to be”, with the top request being more power but not at the cost of the current model’s balance, responsiveness or steering feel.

English publication Autocar this week reported that the new 86/BRZ twins could be powered by Subaru’s latest 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine, currently producing 194kW of power and 374Nm of torque in the overseas Liberty and Outback XT variants.

These power figures would push the next-generation 86/BRZ onto the same playing field as the new four-cylinder Supra, which is another reason why Toyota Australia is hesitant to dive straight in with a four-pot version of its flagship sportscar.

The 86’s current Subaru-sourced 2.0-litre four-cylinder boxer engine delivers 152kW/212Nm in manual guise, or 147kW/205Nm with the automatic.

“This is a vehicle that is still in development and we have no confirmation to make on its- introduction at this stage,” Mr Rodriguez said.

In Europe, the four-cylinder Supra will be launched in March with a special Fuji Speedway limited edition sporting metallic white paint, red door mirrors, black alloy wheels and carbon trim inserts on the dash.

For those who cannot shake the desire for the four-cylinder Supra, the same engine, transmission (an eight-speed ZF automatic) and architecture is fitted to the mid-range BMW Z4 sDrive30i costing $104,900 plus on-roads – $20,000 more than the base price of the six-cylinder Supra.