Hallelujah!  It's been absent from dealer showrooms for more than a decade, but Toyota is supposedly ready to begin development on a fifth-generation Supra.

Toyota hasn't offered a sports-derived vehicle since the 2007 MR-2, as it stopped selling the Celica in 2006, and the Supra has been absent from the automaker's lineup since 1998. At last year's Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota revealed the FT-86 sports coupe -- a glimmer of hope, but the joint project with Subaru might be delayed until 2013, according to some reports.

But as of last Friday, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda announced that he had given engineers the go-ahead to begin development of an all-new, fifth-generation Supra. And according to a recent statement, the development process for the proposed Supra successor might be faster than that of a normal project, and Toyoda acknowledged the project's relative importance to the brand.

"Even if one president says that we want to have a Supra again, the whole company is not going to be responding to that request," Toyoda said.

Reports suggest that the next Supra may indeed be ready to launch in the 2013 or 2014 model year, which corresponds to the timeline of the proposed FT-86 coupe. If the production Supra is anything like the FT-HS concept of 2007, it will employ a 3.5-liter V-6 coupled with an electric motor. The concept car was said to make 400 horsepower and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds.

The Japanese automaker may be taking a slightly different route, if plans for a collaborative effort with Tesla push forward. Were Toyota to utilize Tesla's drivetrain in its next-generation Supra, the finished product could deliver performance figures close to that of the Silicon Valley automaker's roadster. Featuring several thousand lithium-ion cells, the Tesla Roadster's electric motor produces 288 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, rocketing the car from 0 to 60 in just 3.7 seconds. Although Toyota announced today that two prototype SUVs will be fitted with Tesla battery powertrain, there's still promise for an electrified supercar.

Would the Supra be successful with an electric powertrain? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Source: Autocar, Motor Trend (1,2)

Hallelujah!  It's been absent from dealer showrooms for over a decade, but Toyota is supposedly ready to begin development on a fifth-generation Supra.

Toyota hasn't offered a sports-derived vehicle since the 2007 MR-2, as it stopped selling the Celica in 2006, and the Supra has been absent from the automaker's lineup since 1998. At last year's Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota revealed the FT-86 sports coupe, a glimmer of hope, but the joint project with Subaru might be delayed until 2013, according to some reports.

But as of last Friday, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda announced that he had given engineers the go-ahead to begin development of an all-new, fifth-generation Supra. And according to a recent statement, the development process for the proposed Supra successor might be faster than that of a normal project, though Toyoda acknowledged the project's relative importance to the brand.

"Even if one president says that we want to have a Supra again, the whole company is not going to be responding to that request," Toyoda said.

Reports suggest that the next Supra may indeed be ready to launch in the 2013 or 2014 model year, which corresponds to the timeline of the proposed FT-86 coupe. If the production Supra is anything like the FT-HS concept of 2007, it will employ a 3.5-liter V-6 coupled with an electric motor. The concept car was said to make 400 horsepower and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under four seconds.

The Japanese automaker may be taking a slightly different route, if plans for a collaborative effort with Tesla push forward. Were Toyota to utilize Tesla's drivetrain in its next generation Supra, the finished product could deliver performance figures close to that of the Silicon Valley automaker's roadster. Featuring several thousand lithium-ion cells, the Tesla Roadster's electric motor produces 288 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, rocketing the car from 0 to 60 in just 3.7 seconds. Although Toyota announced today that two prototype SUVs will be fitted with Tesla battery powertrain, there's still promise for an electrified supercar.

Would the Supra be successful with an electric powertrain? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Source: Autocar, Motor Trend (1,2)

The electric-vehicle automaker known as Tesla has been on a roll as of late. After taking in $226 million through its initial public offering, Tesla has issued news of its lightly revised Roadster 2.5.

As we all know, the Tesla Roadster ushered the EV startup into the limelight, as the high-performance, high-dollar sports car set out to prove that all-electric vehicles need not be dull on the road. Based on the Lotus Elise, production of the current Roadster is pegged to run through December 2011. Tesla expects to fill orders for its current-gen Roadster until 2012. Then, the next-generation incarnation will take its place in dealer showrooms.

On paper, the Roadster 2.5 appears little different from its standard 2.0 counterpart. The front end adopts a new fascia with vents for a more aggressive look, and a redesigned diffuser joins a wider license plate holder on the 2.5's rear end. The forged, seven-spoke wheels will be available in silver and a new seat design will feature increased bolstering -- perfect for those who will be flogging their Roadster 2.5 at the track. A new front fender liner material will help decrease wind noise and what Tesla describes as new "power control hardware" will enable harder driving in hotter temperatures. In addition to these changes, an optional 7-inch touchscreen display with a rear-view camera can also be ordered.

"Although development of the Model S is our main focus, this shows that we still care a great deal about improving the Tesla Roadster," said Elon Musk, Tesla CEO. "These improvements are a direct result of customer feedback and come only a year after release of Roadster 2.0, showing an exceptionally rapid pace of innovation. Where feasible, we will also offer existing customers the ability to purchase the upgrades now available in version 2.5."

As detailed in Tesla's IPO filing, the EV automaker's future greatly hinges on the success of its next model, the Model S sedan. Profits have been bare, and Tesla needs a decent volume seller to continue funding operations and to help develop an even better Roadster and future battery-electric vehicles. Tesla is hoping that its highly publicized link-up with Toyota will help it to get the Model S into production by 2012.

Tesla has sold over 1200 Roadsters around the world and the Roadster 2.5 is currently available for order.

Source: Tesla

With the news of an initial public offering from General Motors, followed up by one from Tesla, are there signs that the economy is bouncing back?

Well, not quite yet.

Tesla, which has lost money hand over fist since inception, believes it can make an IPO of $178 million, up from a January estimate of $100 million. The automaker plans to sell just over 11 million shares, at $14 to $16 each, and will be bolstered by a $50 million investment from Toyota.

Currently, Tesla's earnings stand at $147.6 million, since 2003, contrasted against losses of more than $290 million. So far, the money comes from the sales of its one offering, the Tesla Roadster, though Tesla has teased a sedan, the Model S.

Tesla is also reportedly working on a sedan, in collaboration with Toyota, that will compete in the $50,000 range. We've already reported on the two brands working together, and are curious to see if Tesla can make good on the deal.

Source: Detroit News and Automotive News (Subscription required)