The GR Supra Racing Concept makes its world premiere at the Geneva International Motor Show reviving the name and spirit of the most celebrated model in Toyota’s sports car history. Toyota is bribing back the Supra for the road and the track. The Supra defined Toyota’s performance passion for a quarter of a century and was an all-conquering machine on the racetrack, dominating Japan’s top-level GT racing series.

Created by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, the GR Supra Racing Concept has a front-engine, rear-wheel configuration and is made from advanced lightweight materials. The large ‘90’ race number on its doors is a reference to Supra’s codename and a big visual clue to the fact that this concept is Supra’s return in a fifth generation. Its development is true to the belief of Kiichiro Toyoda, Toyota’s founder, that racing provides the challenges of performance and durability that can directly help create better road cars, while at the same time creating interest and enthusiasm among sports car fans.

Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing are pursuing success at the highest levels of international motorsport, including the World Rally Championship, World Endurance Championship and the Le Mans 24 Hours race. Taking part in these and other racing series provides technical advancements that can be transferred from the race track or rally stage to development of new generations of Toyota’s sports-focused GR models.

The GR Supra Racing Concept will be featured in a new update of the Gran Turismo Sport video game which is scheduled for release in April 2018.

The racing concept has a dramatic bodywork design that includes a large rear wing. It makes extensive use of strong but lightweight composite material for elements including the wide front and rear bumpers, front splitter and rear diffuser, side skirts, door mirror housings and the rear wing. The hood is created from the same material and features louvred air inlets. The windshield and side windows are made of plastic.

The concept’s chassis features lowered front and rear suspension using original equipment components, BBS racing rims, Michelin racing tires and Brembo Racing callipers and discs. The cabin is competition-focused and is fitted with a racing dashboard, OMP driver’s seat and safety harness, OMP quick-release steering wheel and racing column mounted paddle shifters.

The Toyota Supra still has iconic status among sports car fans 16 years after it went out of production. Its enduring popularity has been helped by its success as a popular model in the Gran Turismo video game, and as a starring car in the first film in The Fast and the Furious movie series. The Supra first appeared in 1978 on a larger and more powerful version of the second generation Celica before becoming established as its own model.

Known as the A40, the original Supra was followed by three further generations: the A60 in 1981, A70 in 1986 and A80 in 1993. The front engine, rear-wheel drive GT stayed in production until 2002, and in its final generation it was Toyota’s most powerful production model. The Supra’s reputation was greatly enhanced by its success in motorsport. The fourth generation Supra, introduced in 1993, became the dominant force in the All-Japan GT racing winning the GT500 class four times. The Supra also competed in the IMSA racing series in the US in the 1980s and competed in two 24 Hours of Le Mans races in the 1990s.