Okay, so calling this the “unveiling” of the new Supra might not be exactly accurate. The fact is, we’ve had a pretty good idea of what the new Toyota Supra would look for years.

Photos of the original Toyota FT-1 concept surfaced in early 2014, and every auto enthusiast went nuts. Or at least every car-loving person I know did, including myself. It looked intensely beautiful with the perfect profile and an all-business look that wasn’t short on aesthetics.

As is usually the case, however, the concept was a bit too good to be true. Actual photos of the new Supra were “leaked” months ago, so it’s final appearance wasn’t exactly a dramatic reveal. In fact, I was hoping the actual car would look a bit more like the concept and a bit less like the leaked photos. No luck there.

Don’t get me wrong, the new A90 Supra looks pretty good, but it’s significantly different than the FT-1 Concept. The final rendition looks a bit shorter in length, is lacking some of the flowing lines of the concept, and has a super-short wheelbase in comparison… At least from the appearance in photos.

The new Supra looks more like a modified Toyota 86/Subuaru BRZ than the original concept…

Some say the Supra is exactly what the 86/FR-S/BRZ should’ve been from the beginning, but there’s a whole other debate there. I, for one, am glad there’s a lightweight, rear-wheel-drive car with a limited-slip differential that just happens to be affordable. The new Supra will likely be nearly double the price of an 86/BRZ, so there are two very different set of potential customers.

Pricing for the new Supra looks like it’ll be around $50,000 in base trim. So, while the looks might be similar to it’s younger 86 sibling, that’s where the similarities end. The new Supra will go back to its ’90s roots with a 3.0-litre inline six fortified with a single turbo to help put out 335 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque. Curb weight should be just shy of 3,400 lbs, so it’s no lightweight, but the power-to-weight should be pretty decent, thanks mostly to the torque.

Will it be fun to drive? I don’t doubt that for a second. With all the BMW underpinnings from the new Z4, it should be fantastic. Apparently, there was no “Save the Manuals” crew working behind the development, though. The only transmission available (for now?) will be an eight-speed automatic.

The interior looks like a nice place to spend some quality road-carving time, and it should. It appears to be the BMW Z4 interior with a Toyota-badged steering wheel.

Speaking of BMW… Big thanks to Jason Cammisa for pointing out the fact that, at least with the pre-production car he saw, Toyota is going to have another branding issue—as with the Subaru-labeled parts on the 86. Toyota didn’t even bother to take credit on the VIN badge in the door jam:

Here’s hoping the new Supra drives as great as the original FT-1 concept looked. Of course, if the new car’s engine takes as well to modifications as the previous generation… Good times ahead!

—Jonathan Lawson

What are your thoughts? Post your comments below.