Rumors of a Supra GRMN have been swirling around for years and yet there's no sign of the spicy derivative. A new report from Best Car claims Toyota has not given up on the idea of introducing a derivative carrying the "Gazoo Racing Meister of Nürburgring" suffix. It's bound to happen before 2025 as that year will allegedly see the introduction of a next-generation Supra devoid of combustion engines.
The Supra GRMN is expected to serve as the swan song for the fifth-generation model and have somewhere in the region of 543 horsepower as the Japanese magazine speculates it'll pack 550 PS. Logic tells us Toyota will borrow the S58 engine from BMW M where the twin-turbo 3.0-liter mill produces the same output in the M4 CSL and the M3 CS. The Bavarians also use this engine with an extra 10 ponies in the ultra-exclusive 3.0 CSL while the new M2 boasts a detuned configuration of the same inline-six.
2023 Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo
It would seem Toyota has already made up its mind about replacing the Z4-based Supra with a next-gen model. However, many pieces of the puzzle are missing as we don't even know where it'll be built. As a reminder, the current model is assembled in Graz, Austria by Magna Steyr, which also assembles the equivalent BMW. The soft-top Bavarian roadster is believed to retire in 2025 with no direct successor planned.
Best Car claims the Supra Mk6 will retain the rear-wheel-drive layout but switch to midship proportions. It's said to ride on an evolution of the e-TNGA platform and do away with the combustion engine altogether. Chances are it won't be related to the Sports EV as the exciting concept unveiled in late 2021 with Gazoo Racing branding seemed smaller.
Take the report with the proverbial pinch of salt, especially since it seems a bit drastic to jump from a pure ICE setup to a completely electric drivetrain. Toyota has been adamant combustion engines still have a future in the automotive industry, so we wouldn't necessarily rule out a hybrid powertrain. If the Supra does indeed go electric in 2025, it'll mirror the next-gen Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman EV slated to come out the same year.
In the meantime, Toyota's luxury division Lexus is working on an all-electric LFA replacement with a simulated manual gearbox. Previewed by the Electrified Sport concept, the zero-emission supercar will also boast all-wheel drive and brake-by-wire when it arrives later this decade.
