Could V8 + manual box - luxury items = Supra?
Photography by J.G. Pasterjak
In an alternate branch of our multiverse, the Lexus RC chassis, not the BMW G29, became the new Supra, and everyone in that parallel reality is pretty okay with it.
The sporty 2+2 platform–equipped in our test car with a V6 and AWD, but also available with a gnarly V8 and track-capable suspension–is kind of an under-the-radar choice, with Lexus only moving 2000 to 3000 of them a year. That is kind of a bummer, because it’s a competent, fun-to-drive, sporty personal luxury coupe that doesn’t seem like a thing that exists in large numbers anymore.
The chassis has been around for a decade now and its age is starting to show in a few spots, but overall, the RC is more of an enigma that really drives home the mystery of why people just don’t like cars like this anymore.
The Vasser Sullivan IMSA squad is having its most successful season ever with the GT3 variant of the RC, but those race wins and a championship lead don’t seem to be getting customers in RCs on Monday.
[What you may not know about the Lexus GT3 program in IMSA]
For now, it’s a cool throwback to a time when sporty personal luxury coupes like the BMW 6 Series were all the rage, and it carries the banner for that market segment with grace and skill. The trunk is also big enough to hold a medium-sized bird of prey.
Could V8 + manual box - luxury items = Supra?
David S. Wallens said:Could V8 + manual box - luxury items = Supra?
It could, but it wont...
In reply to stafford1500 :
How about if we expand the Supra lineup to include some kind of Supra 2+2 model? Supra+? CrewCab Supra?
In reply to David S. Wallens :
I think "Grand Supra" would line up with Toyota's current naming conventions, but Supra 2+2 works for me.
"Superpra"
Super-duper?
The RC350F or RCF (V8 version) made sense as a Supra replacement when we started the work to run them in the IMSA series, but then there is that whole badge engineering thing that was not quite what the Supra was destined for. Instead we got badge engineering from another manufacturer.
We have been running the same basic car since 2016.
Image obfuscated for all involved.
In reply to Colin Wood :
Supra Grande
Supra Prime?
Saw one in the wild yesterday, about the same color as my GR86. Mrs Frog confused the two. But side by side it is like 10% bigger in every dimension.
I wouldn't throw it out of the garage., even in yellow. With the right tires one could drive it in the snow, something I wouldn't advise with the GR86.
Displaying 1-10 of 27 commentsView all comments on the GRM forums
You'll need to log in to post.
