The MKV Toyota Supra won’t be built in Japan but instead will be built in Austria.
Toyota confirmed just two weeks ago that the hype is real by announcing they’re ready to introduce a production version of their GR Supra Racing Concept but it’s already disappointing fans of the storied name in more ways than one. According to Automotive News in an unconfirmed rumor from who they’re referring to as “industry sources familiar with the matter” contract manufacturer Magna Steyr will be responsible with the manufacturing and assembly of the BMW/Toyota joint venture. To remind you just how awesome this Supra will look like at least, check out some of the GR Concept photos from Geneva below.
When Magna Steyr was queried whether the rumors were true, they too responded quite succinctly that,
“No announcement has been made by BMW or Toyota and we are therefore unable to comment.”
No one is surprised with that non-confirmation as it is par for the course for these types of rumors.
This latest rumor isn’t even new and is a rehash of an old rumor from a German newspaper from two years ago. It was from Kleine Zeitung that we heard this Austrian car manufacturer would be taking one of the first orders from a Japanese company.
It goes without saying but Magna Steyr is no slouch. They’ve partnered with over a dozen car manufacturers and produced some of the best cars the world has ever seen including the famed Mercedes-Benz G-Class, BMW 5-series, and the new Jaguar E-Pace.
Magna Steyr also produced a couple of other smaller cars including the Chrysler 300C, Mini Paceman, and Countryman, and the Sabb 9-3 convertible. Their resume lends to being flexible to different platforms, not just all-out performance.
Although it’s just a rumor, it’s a pretty good one. The Toyota Supra won’t be built in Japan but instead will be built by Germans (or Austrians, however you like to cut it.)
And when I said disappointments I was referring to the fact that there would be no manual option. Most likely, there’ll be a DCT instead. But you can forget about rowing your own gears.
Look for BMW to unveil their Z4 sometime in the middle of Summer and the Supra, shortly after.
