Toyota has trademarked the Supra name with the European Union Intellectual Property Office, a solid signal that the Japanese automaker will revive the storied nameplate for a new sports car positioned above the 86 (which formerly was sold in the U.S. as the Scion FR-S).
Reports indicate that the reborn Toyota Supra will ride on a platform shared with a new BMW likely to be called Z5. A hybrid powertrain is likely to be the only on offer, but don't look for the Supra to be the Prius of sporty coupes. Instead, it will focus on high performance while reducing emissions in order to comply with increasingly stringent regulations in Europe. A non-hybrid powertrain is possible for some markets outside of Europe, however.
The BMW version is likely to be a convertible, but Toyota's plans are less certain. Toyota wanted to build a drop-top version of the 86, but its partner in that project, Subaru, vetoed the idea on the grounds that it wouldn't meet its internal safety standards.
Both BMW and Toyota have remained mum on the subject, but rumors suggest the two cars will be built alongside one another at Magna Steyr's assembly plant in Graz, Austria. The plant has built the Mercedes-Benz G-Class for decades, and now also is the source for the Mini Countryman and Paceman, built there under contract.
According to sleuths at SupraMKV, the filing with the E.U.'s Intellectual Property Office is for Class 12, or "Vehicles; apparatus for locomotion by land, air or water."
