We’re approaching the final chapter of the MkV Toyota Supra introduced in 2019 as the Japanese sibling of the BMW Z4. Right now, the Book of Supra is a mystery and there’s a cliffhanger. Automotive news reported Production of the BMW Z4 will end next year at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria. Without a foundation on which to build the Supra, questions arise as to what will happen to the fifth generation and will there be a sixth generation? Toyota didn’t sell many of its designs, but everyone knew it would be a niche car, and the numbers weren’t bad for a shrinking coupe and convertible segment. For context: The (admittedly cheaper) Mazda MX-5 Miata, the segment’s flagship, has sold more than 10,000 units a year in the U.S. just five times in the last two decades, most recently in 2021. The Supra’s best year in the U.S. was 2021, in which 6,830 units were sold. Last year, that number dropped to 2,652 units. And Z4? Dealers sold 1,881 units in the U.S. last year, and even if we add droptop sales from 2021 to 2024, the Z4’s tally won’t equal 2021 Supra sales. So you can imagine the struggle when executives operate the phrase, “We need to make sure there’s a business case.”
None of this means the Supra will die. Toyota said Automatic messages the automaker “has nothing to announce at this time.” North American group vice president Dave Christ, asked if there was a way to do it one-on-one with the Supra, said: “I think if we want to build something, we’ll figure out how to build it,” adding “we” will re-evaluate what to do next. “
If we were to have absurd hopes, we’d look at the recent engine announcements from Toyota, Subaru and Mazda regarding ICE development. Toyota wants compact, smaller-displacement hybrid engines in 1.5- and 2.0-liter sizes that would generally provide more power and better fuel economy than today’s 2.0- and 2.4-liter units. Honda is publicly toying with the same idea with its Prelude concept, there’s no reason why Toyota isn’t at least thinking about the same thing. But again, it’s all hope.
The next chapter is expected to open next year, with the GRMN Supra powered by the BMW M3 engine, which will be accompanied by the option of a manual transmission. Perhaps we’ll get more clues about how Toyota plans to solve the mystery by then.
