A Supra will continue in Toyota showrooms for at least another generation beyond the current car.
The two-door flagship still has a long-term future in the brand’s lineup, although the shape and powertrain is likely to change, as Toyota continues to push its GR performance models.
The unequivocal support for the GR Supra comes from Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations.
“There is no plan to discontinue the Supra brand in this car company. I know that,” Mr Hanley stated bluntly to CarExpert.
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Though BMW will reportedly terminate its Z4 in 2026, the GR Supra’s twin under the skin, any German decision won’t affect future planning at Toyota.
That’s despite the Supra currently being built alongside the Z4 by Magna Steyr in Austria.
“BMW is not Toyota. The notion that Supra is stopping is purely speculative,” Mr Hanley said.
“And, quite frankly, I have no expectation, sitting here today, that the Supra brand will disappear. At all.”
Toyota GEN3 GR Supra Supercar clay model
Mr Hanley was speaking during the Bathurst 1000 car race after revealing a life-sized clay model of the GR Supra that will compete in Supercars racing from 2026.
He admitted the race car could continue to compete beyond the lifespan of the current body shape, as General Motors is doing with the Chevrolet Camaro in Supercars, but firmly denied any threat to the road-going Supra.
“Quite frankly, I can tell you the car you saw today (the Supra unveiled at Bathurst) will be on this track for years. I know that,” he said.
He went on to emphasise the importance of the Supra in the GR lineup, which starts with the baby GR Yaris.
“The Supra nameplate goes back for years. There is a lot of legacy there. It is an incredibly important brand,” he said.
Mr Hanley believes racing the Supra will be good for Toyota, despite the brand ignoring Supercars for more than 20 years.
“If you get it right, people will start to gravitate to your brand and go ‘Wow, that’s a fun brand. They are doing well, they know what they’re doing’.”
Toyota has shown a number of sports car concepts in recent years, which Mr Hanley admits could possibly point to a change at some time for the Supra.
“It might change. It might morph, shape-wise,” he admitted.
Prius 
Crown Crossover
While Mr Hanley was pumping up the Supra he continued to deny any future for the latest Prius hybrid in Australia.
“We acknowledge it is a great looking car and getting lot of positive airplay. However, we’ve also got to look at our product portfolio and where that would fit,” Mr Hanley said.
“It’s not a case of whether it’s a good car. It’s a great car, it looks fantastic. But, however, we’ve elected to go with more SUVs and the CH-R.
“We believe our portfolio works better. Yes, Prius is a wonderful looking car, but in the pricing that we would have to bring it to market, it might struggle a bit to do the volumes we need to do.
“There are so many good cars in Toyota. The other great car is the Crown. You’ve got to pick the cars you believe will be right for the market. And I think that our product portfolio, as you see today, is pretty good.”
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