Toyota Enthusiasts: Hope Springs Eternal as Toyota Trademarks Supra Name
After suffering through a dismal period of criticism and despair in the wake of Throttlegate, Toyota enthusiasts can once again breathe easy in the hopes that their beloved automaker may once again be endeavoring to produce something resembling a driver’s car. After repeatedly scrapping and resurrecting the supposed Supra project (something the brand had done with both the Lexus LF-A and Toyota FT-86 projects), Toyota recently went out and trademarked the Supra name; a trademark they’d let expire in 2006.
With just three years to make use of it, the acquisition goes hand in hand with President Akio Toyoda’s proclamation that he would like to “see the next Supra tested in the near future.” Whether or not that name will earn a place on a possible high-performance version of the FT-HS/FT-86 chassis (think Celica and Celica Supra) or if it will resurrect itself as a model all its own remains to be seen.