One of the reasons why the fourth-generation Toyota Supra became such a legend was how popular it proved in the aftermarket world. Knowing this, Toyota has designed the all-new Supra to be ready for modifications straight out of the factory.
Motor Trend reports that chief engineer Tetsuya Tata and his team went to the trouble of creating the new Supra so it can be made faster and handle even better with minimal effort.
At the front, for example, the team behind the Japanese sports car loaded the fascia with air intakes large enough to ensure modified examples get enough air if tuning companies want to turn up the boost. Toyota then simply blocked off the excess intakes with black plastic which the standard car doesn’t need. All tuners need to do is fit different grille inserts free of this plastic to increase the amount of air the car can suck in.
Elsewhere, Toyota incorporated air ducts near the front wheel arches to extract air which is being sucked in from the front. These air ducts are blocked off from the factory but they can be simply popped out and replaced with functional ones. The company’s engineers also designed small air intakes directly below the headlights.
The intakes aren’t needed for the stock car but once again, they can be easily swapped out for functional ones and just like that, cool air will flow over the front brakes. It is a similar story for the rear brakes where Toyota intentionally incorporated a faux intake in the doors which can be replaced with a functional one.
The Japanese carmaker also considered the additional cooling which may be needed by the limited-slip differential when tuning companies start to increase power of the sports car. As such, they made sure to leave room for a heat-exchanger and plumbing lines. They even went to the trouble of installing a mounting location for these parts.
At the rear, the Supra’s decklid incorporates reinforcements under the composite skin which means a wing can be easily fitted with its forces transferred safely through the bodywork. It even features pre-tapped holes in the strut towers and radiator supports so strut-tower bracing can be easily fitted.
And to think some enthusiasts are still yet to be won over by the new Supra…