Toyota Supra 2018 spied testing on Nurburgring

Toyota has been sprung again testing its fifth-generation Supra, with the forthcoming sports car this time caught hot-lapping the infamous Nurburgring circuit in Germany.

Plenty of camouflage and fake body panels attempt to disguise the two-door coupe's final form, but features like its ducktail bootlid spoiler and twin exhaust pipes are clearly visible.

Furthermore, the appetising FT-1 concept from the 2014 Detroit motor show has obviously served as an inspiration for the production car, sharing a similar front-end and double-bubble roof design.

Nevertheless, the rear of the Supra blends elements from its fourth-gen model – including the tail-lights – with that of the show car.

BMW and Toyota are currently co-developing a new platform for their next sports car offerings, with a successor for the outgoing, second-gen Z4 – possibly to be called the Z5 roadster –and the Supra said to be spawned from the project.

The German brand is set to build the underpinnings for the two upcoming models, while the Z5 will exclusively employ BMW's own family of engines – which would include its turbo-petrol 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 3.0-litre in-line six units.

Alternatively, the Supra will have at least one Japanese-made drivetrain, which is expected to be a high-powered hybrid with all-wheel drive traction. 

However, the exact configuration and outputs of this set-up remain unknown, but a turbocharged V6 petrol engine paired with electric motors has been hinted at by Toyota Europe president and CEO Johan van Zyl.

Such a powerplant would set the Toyota sportscar firmly in the sights of the reborn Honda NSX and ubiquitous Nissan GT-R, which offer proper supercar performance.

There has been some speculation the Supra will be offered with multiple powertrains – including the aforementioned petrol-electric flagship – which opens the door for BMW to also supply units for the sports car's lower-spec variants. 

According to reports out of Austria, the Z5 and Supra pair will be manufactured in the country at Magna Steyr's Graz assembly plant – which officially starts its operations this year.

Toyota Australia submitted a trademark protection application for the Supra name in June last year, seemingly paving the way for the sports car to be sold locally.

Japanese magazine Best Car has claimed a near-production Toyota Supra concept will make its global debut at the Tokyo motor show in October, which means, following an absence of 28 years, an Australian Supra release is likely to occur sometime in 2018.

Is Toyota onto a winner with its fifth-gen Supra? Tell us what you think in the comments below.