Toyota retires iconic sports car after 6 YEARS – but launches one last special-edition revamped model to say goodbye
TOYOTA are bidding a fond farewell to the monstrous GR Supra – but not before giving it one last hurrah.
The iconic sports car that’s adored by petrolheads was first released in 2019 as the Japanese brand’s fifth iteration of the model – some 17 years after it was last pulled from the market.
The return of the famous nameplate was seen as something of a passion project of the firm’s chairman Akio Toyota, who said: “Even though Toyota had no plans to make a new Supra, just like a lot of other die-hard Supra fans around the world, I secretly wanted to make it.”
Offered with a choice of 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 3.0-litre six-pot BMW engines, both with either a manual or automatic gearbox, the latest Supra could hit a top speed of up to 163 mph without its limiter.
Now it’s set for retirement once again, but not before giving petrolheads one final treat with a 429bhp special edition model boasting aggressive new stylings and a race-inspired cockpit.
Known as the A90 Final Edition, numbers will of course be limited – with just 300 units to be sold globally.
Autocar believes it could be one of Toyota’s fastest road cars yet, with power that outranks the Porsche 911 Carrera thanks to revisions to the airflow system, a new low-back-pressure exhaust catalyst, and changes to the ECU mapping.
But perhaps most striking of all is the car’s added extras to its bodywork,, which includes a new carbonfibre rear spoiler, front-mounted canards, and a large cooling vent on the bonnet.
There’s plenty to be excited about inside the cabin too, with carbonfibre Recaro bucket seats trimmed in Alcantara – with the driver’s seat finished in red.
Set to be rolled out by spring next year, Toyota have said the Final Edition will be their final road-going version of the Supra.
However, they will “continue to hone the Supra through motorsports activities going forward”.
This comes as they recently confirmed the Celica will be relaunching some 18 years after production stopped.
After years of speculation, the company’s vice president Yuki Nakajima told reporters: “We’re making the Celica.”
He added: “To be honest, there is no sign of it right now.
“However, there are many people within the company who are eagerly awaiting the Celica.
“So, I wonder if it’s okay to say this in a public forum, but we’re doing the Celica.”
Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda has previously spoken of his wish to revive what he describes as “the three brothers” – the Celica, MR2 and Supra.
Toyota will also be looking to release the souped-up GR Corolla to rival the VW Golf R – after years of fans begging for it to arrive.
The model has already taken the US by storm but now appears to have been confirmed for a UK debut.
The hot variant is only produced in Japan and marketed in Asia and North America.
It has already proved a hit in the States, with strong sales figures year on year.