Two years after Toyota renewed its trademark for the “Supra” name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Japanese automaker is doubling down on the trademark front by filing a similar application with the European Union Intellectual Property Office.
According to SupraMKV.com, Toyota filed the trademark on March 6, 2016 and this filing is the latest sign that the company is drawing closer to bringing back the famous nameplate on the sports car it’s developing as part of a partnership with BMW. The collaboration between the two auto giants began in earnest back in 2010 and while neither Toyota’s sports car nor BMW’s own version, reportedly to be called the Z5, have yet to be unveiled in public, previous reports have indicated that production for both models will begin in 2018. Independent vehicle manufacturer Magna Steyr will reportedly produce both models in Graz, Austria with a target of building 60,000 combined units annually. Should that timetable proceed as scheduled, an official unveiling - or two - could be in the cards for 2017.
If Toyota does bring back the Supra name for the sports car as many expect it to be, it would represent the fifth-generation model for the iconic nomenclature. The Japanese automaker last used the Supra name in 2002 when the fourth-generation model, codenamed the A80, was on its last legs.
As far as official details about the car are concerned, Toyota has done a good job at keeping them from getting disclosed to the public. There have been some rumors that the model’s platform will be shared with that of the BMW sports car. That said, the design for both cars will be different with the Toyota sports car expected to carry some styling influences from the Toyota FT-1 concept that was unveiled at the 2014 Detroit Motor Show. Likewise, both models are reportedly getting gas-powered engines from BMW and a hybrid powertrain from Toyota.
To be clear, none of these “reports” have been officially confirmed by Toyota or BMW, but that’s an issue for another time. What’s important is that Toyota’s trademark of the “Supra” name in Europe is the latest sign that the iconic nameplate will be dusted off after spending 14 years in the shelves.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
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