Artist renders next-gen Toyota Supra concept

We know that the Toyota Sprinter Trueno (AE86) will be getting a spiritual successor in whatever vehicle comes out of the other end of the development of the FT-86 concept. However, although Toyota fanatics have been howling for a replacement for the Supra for much longer, Toyota hasn't openly committed to plans to revive its former halo car. That doesn't stop talented artists from taking their own cracks at designing the next Toyota Supra.

Speedhunters, an automotive lifestyle blog run by the guys behind EA's Need for Speed series of racing sims, is usually home to some pretty sweet car photography, but this time they've enlisted 3D artist and designer Andreas Fougner of EA Stockholm to try to visualize a next-gen Supra concept. The resulting car blends proportions of the last-generation Toyota Supra (Mark IV) with the current design cues from Toyota's FT-86 II and Scion FR-S concepts. The result is simply stunning.

The strong forward-canted, wedge-shaped profile terminates in an upturned spoiler that's integrated into the decklid. Students of car design will likely also notice a bit of Audi R8 and Nissan 370Z DNA in this Supra rendering, but that's a good thing. Of course, there's no news here about a potential power train, pricing, or plans to build--this is purely a design exercise by a third party.

If I must nitpick, one of the strongest of the design elements also stands out as the oddest to my eye. I'm talking about the wraparound C-pillar that creates an awkwardly large vent behind the door that defies function in what I assume is a front-engined, rear-driven vehicle.

Toyota has played with the idea of reviving the Supra before when it trotted out the FT-HS concept with its hybrid V-6 architecture at the 2007 Detroit auto show, but has been mostly silent on the matter as of late. When you consider that the FT-86 and Lexus LFA are proof that someone at Toyota is still interested in making fun cars, it wouldn't be surprising if somewhere in the deep recesses of Toyota engineering, the next Supra were cooking. We hope it looks like this.

Source: Bullfinch Visuals via Speedhunters