Toyota Chairman Wants A Supra, But Can't Make Any Promises
If only executive pronouncements were capable of swaying years of product planning and market inertia when it came to building exciting, low volume automobiles. Were that the case, then a recent statement by Takeshi Uchiyamada that he wants Toyota to build a sports car in the vein of the departed Toyota Supra would generate more of a stir amongst performance fanatics.
Unfortunately, as the soon-to-be chairman of Toyota pointed out he doesn't get to call these particular shots, despite his elevated status at the company. While he panned the idea that building a vehicle similar to the Scion FR-S as the brand's next step as 'futile,' he admitted that engineers ultimately have the last word on what shape a sports car will take.
Uchiyamada might seem an unlikely advocate for the production of a sports car given that he built his own reputation on the back of the Toyota Prius, a vehicle which he played an instrumental role in bringing to market. His statement echoes the sentiments of Akio Toyoda, president of the company and a fan of performance driving who has attempted to infuse the automaker's lineup with more interesting fare to sit in showrooms alongside its bread-and-butter sedans and SUVs.