Yahoo Autos Toyota Executive Suggests Upcoming Supra Could Be a Hybrid
Very few future cars excite enthusiasts like Toyota's upcoming flagship sports car. We know for sure that the car shares a platform with the successor to the BMW Z4, and most people seem to think it'll bring back the legendary Supra name. Rumors suggest Toyota is planning a hybrid drivetrain for this car, and the head of Toyota Europe recently hinted those rumors are true.
In an interview with Auto Express, Toyota Europe CEO Johan van Zyl hinted that this upcoming sports car could be a hybrid. He didn't confirm this outright, but given what we know about the car, a hybrid powertrain seems like a distinct possibility.
When asked by Auto Express about the possiblity of a hybird sports car, van Zyl said "I would imagine that in the future that will definitely happen."
"I think we will find that if we can have a World Endurance Championship racing car with hybrid technology, it can happen on a road car," van Zyl said. "I do not have any doubt whatsoever that in the longer-term future there will be a real Toyota sports model using electrification."
The race car van Zyl's referring to is Toyota's TS050 LMP1, which combines a turbocharged V6 with electric motors at the front and rear wheels. Those electric motors are powered by an onboard battery that stores energy generated by the engine and by braking.
Toyota Supra prototypes captured in spy videos sound like they use six-cylinder engines, though it's unclear if it's a V6, or a straight-six from partner BMW. Previously, we reported that the Supra could use a V6 hybrid all-wheel-drive setup.
Considering today's hybrid LMP1 cars, like the TS050, are as high-tech as F1 racers, their tech trickling down into street cars is incredibly exciting. It would make sense for Toyota to want to use its investment into endurance racing to provide a tangible link to its performance cars.
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