Next-gen Toyota Supra could be an EV, hotter GRMN send-off coming

The current fifth-generation Toyota Supra sports coupe could be the last with a petrol combustion engine.

According to BestCarWeb, the flagship next-generation Supra may go all-electric with a rear-wheel-driven layout, ride on an updated version of its e-TNGA platform, and could launch as soon as 2026.

Though, the Japanese publication didn’t explicitly state whether it will have a battery-electric, hydrogen fuel-cell or hydrogen-combustion powertrain.

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Revealed at Toyota's 30 BEVs announcement in 2021, could this be a glimpse of the next Supra?

But, Toyota will reportedly give the current BMW Z4-based Supra one last send off before 2025 with a limited-run hotter GRMN variant featuring the same turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine – but tuned to deliver 404kW of power (up from 285kW).

The rumour comes as Toyota is set to usher in new CEO Koji Sato in April – who currently leads Gazoo Racing (GR) and Lexus – and has already promised to prioritise battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), while maintaining the firm's diverse powertrain strategy.

“To deliver attractive BEVs to more customers, we must streamline the structure of the car and with a BEV-first mindset, we must drastically change the way we do business,” Sato said.

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“We are trying to find a characteristic unique to Toyota. We need to go to the next step. We are going to accelerate specific and concrete activities.”

However, Toyota Australia’s vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations, Sean Hanley, previously told Wheels that its performance GR sub-brand may not be electrified in the imminent future.

“In our public statements, we’ve made an exception for our GR performance cars when saying that, by 2030, we’ll have an electrified version for every model in our range,” Hanley said.

“Again, that doesn’t necessarily mean forever.

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“At some point in the future, Toyota GR cars will embrace the instant torque of electrification, and meet the other requirements of enthusiasts – perhaps before 2030, [or] perhaps even after.”

Three Toyota battery-electric models are promised to launch locally by 2027, including the BZ4X SUV – which will land later this year.

The Japanese automaker previously unveiled a hydrogen-combustion powered Corolla Cross small SUV concept, which adopts the hydrogen tech from the Mirai sedan and the same 1.6-litre turbo three-cylinder engine from the GR Corolla hot hatch.

In 2021, Toyota teased 16 EV model concepts, including the GR Sports Concept with a Toyota MR2 or Supra-like two-door coupe silhouette.