GM Inside News Forum banner

New Toyota Supra to get BMW hybrid tech

4K views 17 replies 12 participants last post by  sfbreh 
#1 ·
New hybrid Toyota Supra to benefit from technology-sharing deal with underpinnings from next BMW Z4

The Toyota Supra is set to return as a plug-in hybrid sports car using BMW underpinnings, Auto Express can reveal. And our exclusive image shows how the radical styling will be influenced by the FT-1 supercar concept seen at this year’s Detroit Motor Show.



The ‘BMW Supra’ has been born out of a technology-sharing deal announced by the two companies in 2011. At the time they confirmed a number of projects, including hydrogen fuel-cell development, shared battery tech and a joint sports car platform.

It’s understood that the underpinnings for the next-generation BMW Z4 will also form the basis of a new Supra. The new BMW roadster will use lightweight know-how gleaned from the i3 and i8 plug-in range, with extensive use of aluminium and carbon fibre aimed at reducing weight and upping the roadster’s stiffness.

But while the new Z4 is expected to use turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder engines and remain rear-wheel drive, Toyota will borrow the same engines and instead use electric power to unlock all-wheel-drive traction.

Toyota is thought to be employing drip-down tech from its Le Mans race cars, although unlike the TS040 Hybrid, the ‘new Supra’ will use twin electric motors on the front axle, together with an engine-supplementing e-motor at the rear, rather than purely rear-wheel drive. This will allow a greater degree of regenerative braking, plus the handling benefits of torque vectoring, by instantly shifting drive or retardation between the car’s wheels in hard cornering.

Interestingly, the system will implement Toyota’s first-ever dual-clutch transmission, in place of the slow-witted CVT gearboxes we’re accustomed to in existing Toyota and Lexus hybrids.

By designing the motors in-house, and taking advantage of BMW’s weight-saving methods, Toyota is thought to be targeting a kerbweight of less than 1,400kg. However, it’s expected that the BMW will be the lighter of the two models, on account of its simpler drivetrain.

The cars are expected to debut within a few months of one another, but not until 2017 at the earliest.

LINK
 
See less See more
1
#5 ·
I doubt that. In fact, it might be the other way around. Toyota placed second with their hybrid LMP1 at Le Mans this year. They probably know a lot more about hybrid technology than BMW and they have quality experience with carbon fiber manufacturing. They opened a cf plant when they developed the LFA.

Not for sure why making it a Hybrid, is better then just slapping a V8 or TT V6 in it and make it a supercar.
Because the highest levels of racing and supercars today employ hybrid technology. NA powertrains are yesterday in the supercar world. Anyone can slap a powerful combustion engine in a car these days. The best supercars in the world employ hybrid technology, not the other way around.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Toyota and BMW cooperation on hybrid drivetrains goes a long way. Initially, it was BMW who approached Toyota several years ago to buy Toyota's reliable hybrid technology. BMW needed to offer hybrids to compete in the fuel economy field, but their initial internal attempts at hybrids were not very successful, suffering from reliability issues. Given that Toyota has arguably the most reliable and proven hybrid drivetrain technology, BMW asked Toyota for help. Eventually, BMW turned the hybrid technology into a performance booster, in addition to fuel economy advantage. So now BMW is "paying back the favor" by giving Toyota access to the high-performance hybrid technology details.

Actually, BMW and Toyota "friendship" pre-dates the hybrid "boom". Another area in which BMW and Toyota cooperated in the past is 4WD technology. Toyota helped BMW to develop 4WD drivetrains when BMW introduced their first SUV (X5).

The two companies have considered different types of cooperation multiple times. In spite of being large car companies, their product lines are quite "complementary" instead of being "competitive". The only market they really compete head-on is USA, with Lexus and BMW brands. In other parts of the world, they usually compete in different segments, with minimum overlaps. They also share many common corporate culture traits, being very focused on quality. Unlike a merger between VW and Fiat, which compete in the same market segments in most geographies, the overlap between BMW and Toyota is much smaller, and cooperation is highly beneficial to both sides. BMW and Toyota have a lot to gain together. In the early 1990's they actually got quite close to a merger, but eventually both companies decided that a "loose" association was more beneficial than a full-blown merger. But depending on how things evolve in the future, a Toyota-BMW conglomerate is not out of question, especially, if the (unlikely) takeover of Fiat by VW gets track.
 
#10 ·
So it looks like the next Supra is going down the same road as the last one. Way overpriced so no one buys it only to have a quick death. Why can't Honda/Toyota make a Camaro/Challenger/Mustang competitor or at the very least a Vette competitor.

Don't they have the LFA to show they can do expensive, high tech, niche vehicles that no one buys.
 
#12 ·
I like the side view mirrors.

The car looks very European-Supercar to me & that's a compliment. I wonder if they have the jacks perm mounted to the frame like the show car (never could figure that one out).
I bet it aint gonna be cheap.
 
#17 ·
No it's not! This car will never see the light of day the way it sits. Toyota will want it to become a cash cow, so they will water it down both in styling, to conforms to US regs, and in power so it can sell under $100,000.

The ZO6 will crush it, and that other ugly creation called the NSX. If Acura could ever get over that horrible front end,...oh, well,...... the NSX will wimp out next to the ZO6. That is, if you can keep it from burning to the ground on the way...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top