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Toyota Supra to bow in Geneva in four trims under Gazoo Racing brand

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The 2018 Geneva Motor Show, two months hence, will serve to introduce the production Toyota Supra into the world. Rather, not the Toyota Supra, but the Gazoo Racing Supra; Toyota's new hi-po sportscar will retail under Gazoo Racing branding, after Toyota knighted Gazoo as the automaker's performance arm last year. According to Auto Express, the Supra will come in four trims: Supra, Supra GR, Supra GR Sport, and Supra GRMN (GRMN stands for Gazoo Racing tuned by Meisters of the Nürburgring). The report says a "significant gap in performance and price" and different suspension tunes are likely from bottom to top.

Last year, a leaked document made Supra watchers suspect three BMW-derived engines would serve the four-trim Supra range: the BMW 20i, 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder; the more powerful BMW 30i, 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder; and the BMW 40i, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder. Commenters suspected that only the two most powerful engines would come to the U.S.

The latest intel, however, says that all versions will come with an inline six-cylinder engine sending all its grunt to the back wheels. That would align with statements from Gazoo Racing president Shigeki Tomoyama, who said, "The new car has to appeal to the existing owners first. The old cars had a straight-six engine, twin turbos and rear-wheel drive; the new car must have the same philosophy." The known benchmarks for the Supra, the BMW M3 and M4, and Porsche 911, lend more credence to the idea of six-cylinder exclusivity.

All-wheel drive and a hybrid powertrain might appear down the road, but it looks like a manual transmission will not. We're in the dark on the weight - many seem hopeful that the hardtop-only coupe will come in under 3,300 pounds - but we've been promised 50/50 weight distribution. A thorough aftermarket parts program is already in the works. There'll be a lengthy span between reveal and retail purchases, though – Supra deliveries might not begin until 2019.

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