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Monster 353kW Supra replacement to sprout from Toyota-BMW collaboration

EVER since Toyota and BMW announced their technical collaboration in a joint-venture sports car program in 2012, both companies have been meticulously drip-feeding information about the progress of that development. Just a few months ago, a senior Toyota executive confirmed his company’s version of the car would be positioned above the 86 as a successor…

Monster carEVER since Toyota and BMW announced their technical collaboration in a joint-venture sports car program in 2012, both companies have been meticulously drip-feeding information about the progress of that development.

Just a few months ago, a senior Toyota executive confirmed his company’s version of the car would be positioned above the 86 as a successor to Toyota’s long-lamented Supra, while more recent reports have suggested delays for BMW’s version, which is expected to replace the Z4 and could be called the Z5.

Motoring.com reports that news of the project quickly gathered momentum late last year when photos of a BMW 2 Series prototype testing in Germany surfaced. It might have been plastered with camouflage trying the disguise the car’s shape and external secrets, but it was obvious from the surfaces and door gaps that this test mule was hiding something underneath.

Indeed, the unique shape of the vehicle revealed a few secrets, including its dimensions relative to the 2 Series coupe, since its wheelbase had been shortened and its roof, bonnet and driver’s seat heights had all been lowered, dropping the car’s centre of gravity, improving aerodynamics and resulting in a sharper, sportier design.

Then, at the Geneva motor show in March, Toyota confirmed it had completed its product evaluation with BMW and started the development process. A final confirmation came from a BMW boss in May when he confirmed the company had started R&D work and that we should expect to see two very different looking sports cars from BMW and Toyota.

A Toyota insider has said details of the development mule were held under lock and key by BMW, the company in charge of chassis development for the joint project. A source revealed that the surprising frustration that Toyota engineers appear to be feeling with regard to the details of their sister car, saying only a precious few at Toyota are privy to the fundamentals of the two cars.

Inside this initiative called the ‘Silk Road’ project, BMW would take charge of the basic chassis and engine development, while Toyota would be responsible for the environmental technologies. What Toyota particularly wanted BMW to focus on was its tried and proven handling prowess and its acclaimed inline six-cylinder powerplant. This combination has already been lined up for the next-generation Z4.

Source said that the two cars would be less than 4500mm in length, under 1840mm in width and no more than 1340mm high, with a wheelbase of less than 2500mm.

This means both coupes will be smaller than the outrageously styled Toyota FT-1 concept and even the old Supra, but a fraction larger than the current Z4.

While the entry-level BMW variant should offer the Bavarian brand’s high-output 180kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four, both 3.0-litre straight-six turbo-petrol models will pack 250kW and more than 450Nm.

However, when matched with Toyota’s hybrid power unit, the six-cylinder turbo plug-in version will pump out an impressive 353kW.

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