Ever since Toyota revealed the GR GT3 Concept at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon and then showed up at a Lexus dealer conference a few months later, there have been questions about whether the new coupe would be the new Supra or a new Lexus. Now we have an answer – it will be both.
According to a new report from Japan’s Best Car Web site, the Japanese giant is planning to create a new sports car for both brands from the same new platform. The new report also claims this is just the tip of the iceberg, with Toyota’s GR performance arm also planning an all-new GR86 and new revived Celica, which is consistent with our own previous reporting.
READ MORE: Toyota’s plans for a new Supra
We know Toyota is committed to introducing a new Supra, but in order to not be reliant on another brand, as it is with the BMW Z4-shared A90-generation model, Toyota has developed a new front-engine, rear-wheel drive platform that can be shared across multiple models. This will underpin both the new Supra and a new sports coupe for Lexus which will replace both the RC and LC models.
The new Supra is expected to launch sometime in 2026, leaving a small gap between the out-going model, which was expected.
READ MORE: Toyota plotting return of Celica and MR2
What sits underneath the bonnet remains unclear, however, with conflicting reports. There have been claims it will be a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with hybrid assistance. But there are also reports that Toyota could lean on its new partnership with Mazda and utilise its inline six-cylinder engine (which is also available with hybrid help) to keep the Supra true to its roots. There’s also the possibility to offer both, with Toyota selling the A90 with both a four- and six-cylinder engine.
We have previously seen video of the new Lexus GT3 car testing with what clearly sounds like a V8 engine. However, it is highly unlikely that the production car version will offer a V8 and instead will share the same engine/s as the Supra.
To differentiate the new Supra from the new Lexus coupe, the Toyota is expected to be a two-seater, while the luxury model will offer 2+2 seating.
In addition to this new pair of coupes, Toyota could launch the new GR86 in 2026 that would move away from the current Subaru-shared platform and instead feature new underpinnings and a new engine. That would mean dropping Subaru’s trademark flat-four ‘boxer’ engine in favour of a 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder.
Then, in 2027 Toyota could complete its ‘three brothers’ sports car revival and bring back the Celica. This has been long-rumoured and even teased by the company, but with limited hard facts about what form it will take.
The most likely scenario, with a new GR86 and Supra being rear-wheel drive coupes, would be to make the Celica an all-wheel drive performance coupe. That would return it to its glory days when it was the basis for the company’s World Rally Championship efforts in the early 1990s.
This would also fit in with the ethos of company CEO, Koji Sato, who declared earlier this year that Toyota would no longer just build “commodities.”
“A car is not a car if it’s not fun,” Sato said in a recent interview. “That’s why we will never allow our cars to become commodities.
“Gone are the days when everything was determined by logical left-brain thinking, and cars sold by simply having better catalog specs. We can no longer sell cars just with model updates, slightly better fuel efficiency, or new designs. It comes down to your passion for making products that move people’s hearts.”
Which new Toyota sports car are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.
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