Production of the previous generation of the Toyota Supra ended in 2002 and a follow-up generation did not appear till the launch of the GR Supra in 2019. Enthusiasts were naturally sad when Toyota had announced that Supra production would end, with no indication of whether it could be resumed.
All the units that were still on the road and still in good running condition were obviously cared for, with aftersales support continuing from Toyota dealers. Though it is not known how long Toyota continued to produce replacements parts for the earlier Supra models, some companies will do so for up to 10 years after last production of a model.
Well, it has been 17 years since the Supra (the A80 generation) was last produced so the carmaker would unlikely be making replacement parts. There would be other companies which may make certain parts but these would not be the same as Toyota Genuine Parts which have assured quality.
Replacement parts for past two generations
Now Toyota has announced that it will reproduce replacement parts for the Supra A70 generation (produced between 1986 and 1983) as well as the A80 generation (1993 – 2002). The parts will be produced as a GR Heritage Parts Project and will be sold in Japan and selected overseas markets. Perhaps the GR Garage which is located at some Toyota dealerships in Malaysia will also offer (or at least take orders) for such parts.
At this time, the list of parts available are as follow: A70 Supra – propeller shaft, door handle, fuel sender gauge, weather strip, front emblem
A80 Supra – headlamps, door handle, brake booster
Headlamps and propeller shafts are among the parts planned for reproduction.
Toyota wants to hear from you too
Retail sales were original scheduled to start in 2020 but Toyota says this may be postponed to 2021 due to manufacturing reasons. In the meantime, the carmaker also invites requests and suggestions for parts to be reproduced. A page on the Toyota GAZOO Racing website has a form to submit the requests (click here to go to the page).
Total production numbers for the two Supra generations are hard to come by but in as far as sales in North America were concerned, over 100,000 units of the A79 generation and around 12,000 units of the A80 generation were sold. The smaller number for the A80 Supra reflected the diminished interest in sportscars, especially coupes, during the 1990s as SUV popularity grew. This trend also influenced other carmakers to cease sportscar production as the numbers became economically unviable.
When ‘Toyota’ is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind will be the motorcar. This is the product that the company has been making since the 1930s and is a global leader in the auto industry. However, motor vehicles are not Toyota’s only business (in fact, textile looms feature in its earliest history) and apart from many other types of products, Toyota has been involved in the housing business since the mid-1970s.
Initially, the company produced prefabricated houses that could be easily constructed using a variety of different building techniques. It then expanded its business to include condominiums and rental housing. Today, the Toyota Housing Corporation is a successful subsidiary of the world’s No. 1 automaker. Employing lean manufacturing concepts and strategies from The Toyota Production System, the construction techniques meet high quality and efficiency standards.
Toyota has been offering prefabricated houses since the mid-1970s. These are two of many designs that customers can choose from.
From offering individual houses, Toyota now plans to make a giant leap to the next level as it has revealed plans to build a prototype “city” of the future. Announced at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, the Woven City, as it is called, will be located on a 175-acre site at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan. The ground-breaking for the site is planned for early 2021.
Envisioned as a ‘living laboratory’, the Woven City will serve as a home to full-time residents and researchers who will be able to test and develop technologies such as autonomy, robotics, personal mobility, smart homes and artificial intelligence in a real-world environment.
“Building a complete city from the ground up, even on a small scale like this, is a unique opportunity to develop future technologies, including a digital operating system for the city’s infrastructure. With people, buildings and vehicles all connected and communicating with each other through data and sensors, we will be able to test connected AI technology… in both the virtual and the physical realms… maximizing its potential,” said Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corporation.
Toyota will extend an open invitation to collaborate with other commercial and academic partners and invite interested scientists and researchers from around the world to come work on their own projects in this one-of-a-kind, real-world incubator.
“We welcome all those inspired to improve the way we live in the future, to take advantage of this unique research ecosystem and join us in our quest to create an ever-better way of life and mobility for all,” said the Toyota President.
For the design of Woven City, Toyota has commissioned the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and his team at BIG have designed many high-profile projects such as 2 World Trade Centre in New York and Lego House in Denmark. The firm was also responsible for the design of Google’s Mountain View and London headquarters.
“A swarm of different technologies are beginning to radically change how we inhabit and navigate our cities. Connected, autonomous, emission-free and shared mobility solutions are bound to unleash a world of opportunities for new forms of urban life. With the breadth of technologies and industries that we have been able to access and collaborate with from the Toyota ecosystem of companies, we believe we have a unique opportunity to explore new forms of urbanity with the Woven City that could pave new paths for other cities to explore,” said Ingels.
Design of the city
The masterplan of the city includes the designations for street usage into 3 types: for faster vehicles only; for a mix of lower speed, personal mobility and pedestrians; and for a park-like promenade for pedestrians only. These 3 street types weave together to form an organic grid pattern to help accelerate the testing of autonomy.
The city is planned to be fully sustainable, with buildings made mostly of wood to minimize the carbon footprint, using traditional Japanese wood joinery, combined with robotic production methods. The rooftops will be covered in photo-voltaic panels to generate solar power in addition to power generated by hydrogen fuel cells. Toyota plans to weave in the outdoors throughout the city, with native vegetation and hydroponics.
Residences will be equipped with the latest in human support technologies, such as in-home robotics to assist with daily living. The homes will use sensor-based AI to check occupants’ health, take care of basic needs and enhance daily life, creating an opportunity to deploy connected technology with integrity and trust, securely and positively.
To move residents through the city, only fully-autonomous, zero-emission vehicles will be allowed on the main thoroughfares. In and throughout Woven City, autonomous Toyota e-Palettes will be used for transportation and deliveries, as well as for changeable mobile retail.
Both neighbourhood parks and a large central park for recreation, as well as a central plaza for social gatherings, are designed to bring the community together. Toyota believes that encouraging human connection will be an equally important aspect of this experience.
Toyota plans to populate Woven City with Toyota Motor Corporation employees and their families, retired couples, retailers, visiting scientists, and industry partners. The plan is for 2,000 people to start, adding more as the project evolves.
In 2012, Toyota also created the ‘Ecoful Town’ in Toyota City as a test project for a Low Carbon Society System.
Looks like the folks from Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival’s Toyota Vios Challenge are still pumped up with racing passion as they will be taking part in the Sepang 1000km Endurance Race (S1K) this weekend at the glorious Sepang International Circuit. (more…)
The recent Toyota Outrun fun run event organised by UMW Toyota Motor saw over 3,000 people taking part at Bandar Rimbayu, Kota Kemuning, Selangor yesterday morning. The charity event successfully raised a total of RM151,100 collected from the participants’ registration fees were donated to the Paralympic Council of Malaysia. (more…)
Since 2001, UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd. (UMWT) and the Malaysian Ministry of Education have been jointly organizing the Toyota Eco Youth (TEY) Programme to educate Malaysian youth on the importance of conserving the environment and also inspire them to act responsibly towards the environment, ensuring a sustainable future.
The programme, one of UMWT’s annual Corporate Social Responsibility activities, aims to cultivate environmental awareness and instill good environmental habit in young Malaysians as they are the future caretaker of the environment.
“Our corporate social responsibility is to help educate and instill love and care for the environment in the nation’s youth.”
Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor
In its 19th edition this year, TEY carries the theme ‘Be the Superhero to Save the World’. It incorporates elements from the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, a global initiative by Toyota Motor Corporation which aimed at going beyond zero environmental impact.
“Our business is not just confined to make ever better products that are safe and environmentally friendly. We also see it as our corporate social responsibility to help educate and instill love and care for the environment in the nation’s youth. One of the initiatives is the Toyota Eco Youth programme which have been running since 2001,” said Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor.
This year, 12 secondary schools from around Malaysia participated in the programme which began in August this year. Students and teachers from the schools attended a 3-day ‘boot to learn Toyota’s 8-Step Problem-Solving Methodology. This is an approach practiced by UMWT employees to solve various types of problems, including those involving the environment.
Each school received a RM2,000 grant to kick off their project. Drawing on what they had learnt, they had to go through a market validation phase where their ideas – in the form of a product or service – were implemented and tested with the community of choice, impacting the beneficiaries.
In the final phase, each team made their final presentation and pitched their ideas to a panel of judges comprising representatives from UMWT, the Ministry of Education and myHarapan. After reviewing each presentation carefully, the best submissions by 4 schools were announced with SMK Tamparuli from Sabah picked as the Champion.
For their impressive efforts, they received prizes ranging from RM10, 000 for the Champion; RM7, 000 for second prize; RM5, 000 for third prize and RM3, 000 for the fourth prize. There was also a consolation prize of RM1, 000 as well as other prizes of RM500 each for the best video presentation and best-supporting teacher.
To date, UMWT has spent almost RM7 million on the TEY programme which has seen participation of 258 schools and 2,000 students. Commenting on the achievement of the TEY, Mr. Ravindran said it is clear that continuation of the programme can help in environment-related issues that affect not just today’s generation but also those in the future.
“We will certainly continue to run the TEY annually and as we gain feedback and experience each year, the programme will evolve accordingly so that it addresses appropriate issues,” he said.
Visit www.toyota.com.my to read more about UMW Toyota Motor’s other CSR activities.
Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) has announced their plans to start sales on the pumped-up Toyota GR Supra GT4, a race machine for interested customer teams beginning March 2020 in Europe. This 430hp A90 Supra is will also go up for sale in Japan and other Asian countries next October for the ultimate racing nirvana. (more…)
The SEMA Show 2019 (Specialty Equipment Market Association) is just around the corner and loads things are expected to blow things out of the water with some amazing vehicles. One particular ‘concept’ that’s everyone has been raving about for the past couple of days is the Toyota GR Supra 3000GT Concept. (more…)
After its pioneering role in mass producing hybrid vehicles in the late 1990s and then taking on a leadership position in the segment, it looks like Toyota plans to do the same for battery electric vehicles or BEVs. With hybrids, Toyota successfully brought the more environment-friendly powertrain into the mainstream, enabling volumes to become larger. This, in turn, allowed economies of scale to kick in and lower production and technology costs, making hybrids more affordable.
At the Tokyo Motor Show this month, the carmaker will display a new, production-ready ultra-compact BEV which it plans to start selling in Japan late next year. The ultra-compact 2-seater is specifically designed to meet the daily mobility needs of customers who make regular short-distance trips, such as the elderly, newly licenced drivers or businesspeople visiting local customers.
The next-generation mobility solution is designed to provide short-distance mobility while limiting impact on the environment. It has a range of approximately 100 kms on a single charge, can reache a maximum speed of 60 km/h and features an extremely tight turning radius.
Development chief Akihiro Yanaka said the BEV, which is less than 2.5 metres long and 1.3 metres wide, can be considered a mobility solution that can support Japan’s ageing society and provide freedom of movement to people at all stages of life.
There will also be a variant for business although it is currently in concept stage and plans for sale have not been announced.
New business model to popularise BEVs
Toyota is also pairing its planned launch next year with a new business model that aims to promote the wider adoption of BEVS in general. This includes examining every step of the battery pack’s life, from manufacture through sale, resale or re-use, and recycling to maximise its value.
In the near term, Toyota will focus on expanded leasing initiatives designed to recapture used batteries for evaluation and re-use as appropriate in pre-owned vehicles, as service parts, or even in non-automobile applications. Toyota is also developing peripheral services for BEVs such as recharging stations and insurance.
The first of BEV models from Toyota which will appear in Japanese cities from next year,
An all-new Toyota Yaris has just had its world premiere today but before you call up the Toyota salesman to cancel your order, you should know that the new model won’t be available in Malaysia or even the neighbouring countries. It is a new model for Japan and Europe and the platform is different from the one sold in Malaysia. The different designs also take into account regional preferences more specifically. Although manufacturers would be happy if customers in every market around the world have same tastes and ‘one size can fit all’, so to speak, the reality is that there needs to be some differentiation if a model is to be well accepted.
The new Yaris for Europe and Japan is a different version from the one launched in Malaysia (below) earlier this year and will not be available in this country.
The Yaris for the Malaysian market (assembled at UMW Toyota Motor’s own plant in Selangor) is of a fairly new design so it is quite current whereas the other Yaris has had its own model cycle and it’s time for a full model change to the fourth generation. The first deliveries will start in Japan from mid-February 2020 and progressively launched in other markets. The new car will continue to be made at Toyota’s global production hub in France.
TNGA and new powertrains
The new Yaris, like the latest Corolla, uses Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA), specifically the GA-B platform. The new platform provides both superior handling stability and a high-quality ride by shedding 50 kgs in vehicle weight compared to the conventional model, increasing torsional rigidity by at least 30%, and lowering the centre of gravity by 15 mm.
1.5-litre Dynamic Force Engine with Hybrid System
It also sees the first use of the new 3-cylinder, 4th generation hybrid system with the Dynamic Force engine, particularly important for the European market. In addition to pursuing Toyota’s ongoing goal of developing the world’s highest level of fuel efficiency for a hybrid vehicle, the new Yaris is offered with E-Four (electric four-wheel drive system), a first for a Toyota compact car.
Besides the newly developed a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder Dynamic Force Engine, there is also an enhanced 1.0-litre 3-cylinder engine available for certain markets. Both engines use a CVT, with the bigger one being a Direct Shift-CVT unit with a launch gear adapted to the new engine.
More advanced safety features
Continuing the quest to bring accidents down, Toyota has equipped the Yaris with new advanced features such as an advanced parking support system (a first for a Toyota vehicle) and the latest Toyota Safety Sense which has been expanded to detect oncoming cars when turning right at an intersection and pedestrians crossing the street when turning right or left.
The sensing system in the car has been expanded to prevent accidents at intersections by detecting oncoming cars when turning right and pedestrians crossing the street when turning right or left (adopted by Toyota for the first time).
In addition to Advanced Driver Assist Systems, the new Yaris has been developed to achieve best occupant protection in the forthcoming stricter European standards for 2020. For instance, to better protect occupant in case of side impact, the new car will be the first model in the compact segment to introduce a centre airbag. The additional airbag is located between the two front seats and can help reduce injuries to the front occupants during side impacts.
“This marks the 20th year since the first Yaris debuted, so we wanted to build a new-generation compact car that goes far beyond customers’ preconceptions about class by building on the strengths of the Yaris as a compact car while revamping the platform, powertrain, and all other components. Compact cars are driven by many people, so offering a pleasurable drive was a priority, but it also prompted us to use the Yaris as the starting point of cars with the world’s highest level of fuel efficiency and secure safety technology,” said Chief Engineer Yasunori Suezawa who led the team that developed the new Yaris.
Intelligent interior packaging
Compact cars require intelligent packaging to maximise space and occupants will find the clutter-free interior offers a spacious and comfortable atmosphere. The thin cross-section of the instrument panel gives an impression of width which, together with the small diameter of the steering wheel, makes the cabin feel more spacious and sporty.
Various features are adopted to express the quality of a higher class interior, including hood-less dual digital TFT meters (adopted by Toyota for the first time) and a soft instrument panel, as well as a wider console and increased storage space.
Also being offered on a Toyota model for the first time are Turn Tilt Seats (shown above). A mechanism in the front seats makes it easy for the driver and front passenger enter and exit the car by rotating the seat and tilting it. This facilitates entering and exiting the vehicle by passengers wearing a skirt or kimono and supports those with back pain or low muscle strength.
While it won’t be sold in ASEAN markets (unless Toyota decides to unify the two versions), perhaps some of its new features may eventually be adopted in the Yaris sold in the region. This is the usual process where certain new features appear in the more advanced markets that can accept the initial higher cost, and then as the production costs drop with rising volumes, they can be offered in price-sensitive markets like Malaysia.
Fans of the Japanese kei-cars will be familiar with the Daihatsu Copen, a compact model like a miniaturised roadster. Like the Suzuki Cappuccino, it was mainly for the Japanese domestic market although there were exports. The original Copen was on sale from 2002 to 2012 and then there was a lapse of 2 years before the second generation appeared in 2014. There was a rumour that, some years back, Perodua had asked Daihatsu to consider selling it in Malaysia but it was probably not feasible from the volume point of view (especially if it was a CBU import subjected to high taxes).
Daihatsu Copen
First ‘GR’ developed sportscar
The second generation continues to be on sale but now Toyota has adopted the model and got TOYOTA GAZOO Racing to further develop it. It is the first sportscar that is ‘GR’ developed, drawing on the knowledge and experience gained through TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s motor sports activities.
The move is probably with strong ‘guidance’ from Toyota President, Akio Toyoda, who must like the little 2-seater convertible sportscar. Ever since becoming President, he has been trying hard to rekindle the passion for cars among the younger generation. So a car like the Copen GR Sport, as the model will be known, might attract interest, especially with a pricetag that starts (in Japan) from 2,380,000 yen (around RM92,000).
Enhanced driving dynamics
Toyota does not make minivehicles, leaving that segment to Daihatsu, so it has nothing like the Copen GR Sport in its line-up. But more importantly, its driving dynamics have been enhanced by Toyota GAZOO Racing so it would be even more appealing and satisfying to the enthusiast driver.
Specifically, development has focused on body rigidity and suspension tuning. Optimal body rigidity balance has been achieved by adding the front brace and changing the shape of the centre brace. The suspension spring rate was optimized for the body rigidity, requiring time and effort and in combination with a dedicated shock absorber, a smooth ride with supple movement, and the feeling of the tyres gripping the ground was pursued. The BBS forged-aluminium wheels are exclusively designed for the Copen GR Sport.
In addition, the electric power steering is specially tuned for the Copen GR Sport, taking into account its size and weight (980 kgs). The aim of the engineers has been ‘ to offer the pleasure of being able to use the engine power to the max because it is a minivehicle, and the superior comfort of controlling the vehicle at will, which is like a lightweight sportscar in everyday life’.
The engine is the same type as in the Daihatsu Copen, a 660 cc 3-cylinder long-stroke unit powering the front wheels. With turbocharging and an intercooler, the power output is 64 ps/92 Nm and customers can choose to have a 5-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed CVT.
Design prioritizes functionality
The front face uses the ‘Functional MATRIX’ grille, which is the GR icon, with horizontal and vertical elements key to the design. A large opening lower grille contributes to improved cooling performance and an under-spoiler-shaped front bumper contributes to improved driving performance while emphasizing the low centre of gravity and wide and low styling. Aerodynamic performance was improved by rectifying the air by extending the bumper side and setting the front bumper air outlet.
The interior (only available in black) features special Recaro seats and dedicated self-lighting triple meters. A special piano black-toned decorative centre cluster creates a sophisticated atmosphere. In addition, the powered Active Top roof is standard equipment so every owner can enjoy topless motoring.
As a GR model, the Copen GR Sport will obviously be at Toyota dealerships in Japan with the GR Garage, a retail feature intended to create a regular ‘hangout’ for sportscar enthusiasts and car fans. Outside Japan, the only country that currently has such a concept is Malaysia, so it is possible that we will see the Copen GR Sport alongside the new Supra.
