[RM Motorsports]

The Japanese giant is looking at importing the sportscar under the homologation-free category.

Toyota in India may be know as a company that’s all head and no heart, and that, to some extent, may be true, what with its practical Innova and rugged Fortuner ruling the roost. This, however, could all change this festive season, with the Japanese giant seeming all set to inject some youthful energy and excitement into its range.

Part of the planned migration from a highly dependable but workman- like brand, to one that has the potential to enthuse and excite, Toyota’s move involves showcasing some of its finest cars, designs and technologies in a phased manner. As a first step, it has decided to leverage the 2,500 import car rule. The plan is simple: import a bunch of much wanted and superbly designed cars and drop them into showrooms, and then hopefully onto our roads.

The car most likely to be imported first into India is the new Toyota Supra, or the A90. Officially known as the Gazoo Racing or GR Supra, it is a car that comes from Toyota’s very successful racing car division – the one that builds its world championship rally cars, 24 hour Le Mans sports prototypes, and even the GR-Four, a 272hp rally replica of the Yaris hatch.

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...luation-416316

[GTO]

As much as I love the Supra, I'll tell Toyota = please don't bother. Toyota prices its CBU car exorbitantly, even by CBU standards. The Landcruiser Prado is a prime example - it sold for an eye-watering ~1.2 crores on the road (thread link). If Toyota brings the Supra here, they will probably price it higher than the Ferrari 488 GTB & Lamborghini Huracan.

My suggestion = bring 1 demo piece here, let us media drive it and then ship it back to Japan .

[headbanger]

Isn't it ironic and equally baffling that Toyota is bringing in Supra to showcase their brand while the same Toyota has a roadmap of selling rebadged Marutis in India in the near future. As mentioned on the other thread, when was the last time Toyota brought a mainstream car prior to flopped Yaris in India?

[Nithesh_M]

I think it will be the inline 4 version and not the V6. Will compete with the Z4 i think in terms of pricing

[Researcher]

Originally Posted by GTO

Toyota prices its CBU car exorbitantly, even by CBU standards.

I think this is applicable to all Toyota cars in India.

Originally Posted by GTO

My suggestion = bring 1 demo piece here, let us media drive it and then ship it back to Japan.

Yes! Or at least invite our reviewers to Japan to review it there!

Originally Posted by headbanger

Isn't it ironic and equally baffling that Toyota is bringing in Supra to showcase their brand while the same Toyota has a roadmap of selling rebadged Marutis in India in the near future. As mentioned on the other thread, when was the last time Toyota brought a mainstream car prior to flopped Yaris in India?

Technically the Mark V Supra is a rebadged BMW Z4 with changes to the skin. The engine and gearbox are all BMW. So the rebadging trend is international too.

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

I think it will be the inline 4 version and not the V6. Will compete with the Z4 i think in terms of pricing

There is no V6 if I remember correctly, but an inline 6.

[M00M]

What's the point of bringing a car and then over pricing it ? The problem with Toyota is that it can overcharge Indians for its brand name. It's not Rolls Royce. Vellfire is good but over priced, expecting supra to be overpriced is also natural as that's how Toyota India thinks. Just sad that they don't wish to sell good products to us for a appropriate price. No wonder we lap up Koreans.

[KiloAlpha]

It is a given that Toyota will "overprice" this car if and when launched as a CBU. BMW (and the other German brands) usually find a way to launch a CBU at a price that is somewhat close to market expectations. Not Toyota!

Launching the 4-cylinder version will be an unmitigated disaster, IMHO. I mean, compared to the Hurricane Katrina-esque disaster that the 6-cylinder car will be (at Toyota CBU pricing levels), the 4-cylinder will be a biblical mega-flood. The target audience for this car is going to be very clued-in about the Supra brand and what it represents. Plus, everyone has access to all manner of media reports that have panned the very idea of a 4-cylinder Supra. So, owning one will not be the ego-massage that these buyers will be hoping for.

Toyota might find buyers for a 40-lakh GT86. I mean, if Skoda Octavia vRS has a queue of enthusiast buyers, surely Toyota can shift a few hundred of these? I wonder why they won't do it ... On second thoughts, maybe I shouldn't wonder at all. Toyota is like that only!

[DicKy]

Overpriced or not.

Atleast USE the 2500 homologation free units per year.

At best would be a halo car. Still, I mean if countries that have way harsher import duties and poorer roads than us can have them, why not us.

Toyota can use the Supra as a halo car, but for real 'injection' of youthfulness in the brand, they should bring the 86 to India and price it around 40-45 lakhs, or the 2020 Yaris GR for 20-25 lakhs.

The resultant image boost would do wonders, though they should sustain it by proper Toyota models, TRD models and continue importing other sporty models here.

They won't bring the Century, Crown, Mark X as they may overlap with Lexus, they can't bring off-roaders as except for Fortuner/Hilux, most others are waiting for a generational change.
Won't bring the small kei cars as they can't do volumes.

So best option. Bring these sports models.

Well, they could also try to bring the cheaper electrified, hybrid or EV models to test the waters and see if markets accept them.
I mean, the only excuse for them is the support these models need in service and parts, which is not a problem for them. Have seen Toyota service centres servicing models that were imported way before Toyota set shop in India

[Mi10]

This is one news that is best left as a 'Rumor'. Even as a Halo product, i don't see it bringing in people to buy an Yaris or a Corolla or worse, a Glanza !

Prime reason is that this enthusiast side of Toyota unfortunately was never projected in India. Even their TRD editions available here are really watered down to stickers and Spoilers.

On one side your are rebadging Tin cans and on other hand bring in a Supra as a CBU ! Really ?