Japanese car maker Toyota has given fans of its iconic Supra sports car new cause for excitement this week, after it applied to trademark the car’s name in a number of countries.
Toyota has applied for the rights to the name ‘Toyota Supra’ in Europe, along with the rights to ‘Supra’ in New Zealand and the Philippines.
The terms were filed under Class 12, which the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) lists as ‘Automobiles and structural parts thereof.’
The FT-1 concept serves as a potential preview for Toyota’s next hero sports car
This isn’t the first time the Supra name has appeared in trademark documents, however, with the car maker also having renewed its claim to the iconic name with the US Patent and Trademark office in recent years.
While fans may see this latest news as a sign of things to come, it’s not necessarily a clear-cut confirmation of the sports cars imminent resurrection. Car makers often renew trademarks to avoid losing the rights to them, even if an actual car isn’t in the works.
Despite this, and the fact Toyota has been tight-lipped on the matter, rumours continue to grow.
Last month it was reported that a 2018 production schedule had been locked in for the car, with newspaper Kleine Zeitung claiming BMW and Toyota have contracted manufacturer Magna Steyr to produce their co-developed sports cars.
It has been reported BMW’s so-called 'Z5' will be built alongside the car many will see as the Supra’s spiritual successor, although recent reports of a reimagined 6 Series could also be associated with the company’s Toyota tie-up.
Many are still looking to the FT-1 concept for cues as to what a potential sports hero model could look like for Toyota.
Toyota’s collaboration with BMW on jointly-developed sports car architecture was confirmed in 2012, with a final decision expected late last year. Recent spy pictures of a BMW roadster could mean a decision has been made.
Meanwhile, Toyota sports car chief, Tetsuya Tada, remains open to adding new hero model to the range. Speaking withCarAdvice last month, Tada-San said that: “We’re putting all the effort into making it happen.”
-CARADVICE.COM.AU