If the name Supra refers to the best 2-door, rear-drive sports car made by Toyota, it is a question worth considering.
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Those Toyota Supra fans dying for a new generation have begun to pin their hopes on the Toyota FT-1 concept. The Rocket Bunny Supra shown above is a rendering done by the Supra5forum. Indeed, there are other forums already dedicated to the Supra as well as Toyota FT-1 Supra clubs on Facebook. The FT-1 may very well eventually become a production model named Supra by Toyota.
Can any FT-1 Beat the Lexus RC F?
On the other hand, the 2015 Lexus RC F is here now. The RC F is no poser. Its lap time around Streets of Willow is to the second the same as that of the mighty 2015 BMW M4 in the hands of a professional GT car race driver. Toyota could create an FT-1 with 467 horsepower. Doing so would mean either borrowing the Lexus RC F engine or creating a 6-cyliner with forced induction (turbocharging or supercharging) or a hybrid-electric drivetrain to boost output. Neither option gets Toyota a vehicle costing anywhere near what “affordable” means to most Toyota shoppers.
1,000 hp Supra
The last generation Toyota Supra like Vlad Yevtushenko’s built by him at National Speed shown in the video below can be tuned to over 1,000 horsepower. Thinking that a V8 like that of the RC F or RC 350 would be more difficult to tune, I spoke to a local member of our press association that owns a tuner business, Junior D'Amato. I told him I thought that the Lexus RC was really not “tunable” and he laughed and said “Any performance car can be tuned. How deep are your pockets?”
What Drivetrain and Price Point Will FT-1 Have?
The FT-1 Concept is exciting for many reasons. Toyota has not announced what the exact drivetrain might be, or that it will even make it to production. This former Supra owner would love to see it offered in an affordable form. Perhaps with the new 2.0-liter turbo that the Lexus NX has. Such a car might start in the high $30K range. With an optional more powerful engine, Toyota could bring it to market in the mid-$40K price range and not step on the Lexus RC 350s toes too much. Alternatively, Toyota could make it insane, price it to match the vapor-ware Acura NSX and keep us all waiting for years. Let’s hope not.
Related Stories:
Toyota FT-1 stuns in graphite
2015 Lexus RC F vs. BMW M3 - Which is your better track car?
2015 Lexus RC F destroys the 2014 IS F on track
Supra5forun image used by invitation.
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Current four-cylinder engines
Current four-cylinder engines are the result of government interference in
the marketplace. A four belonged in a Pinto/Vega it doesn't belong in a
Lexus, or any high-performance vehicle.
The Lexus RC F is a great example of doing a performance vehicle right.
Just wish Lexus would follow the example of the Corvette/Camaro and offer a Toyota Supra, with the RC F V8 engine, at a Camaro price - I'm both a Toyota and Camaro owner.
The RC-F/IS-F 2UR-GSE is a
The RC-F/IS-F 2UR-GSE is a very tuneable power plant in the right hands, Unfortunately those who live in the old combustion age will never get to grips with the modern tuning techniques needed..Direct injection lends itself so well to forced induction..but "old school tuners" need to relearn a whole new tuning stratedgy and venture into a new realm of electronic control principals for this..