2020 Supra leak suggests Toyota itself is to blame

The new 2020 Toyota Supra isn't due to make its official, out-of-camouflage debut until the Detroit Auto Show 2019 next month, but that hasn't stopped the clearest images of the coupe yet from leaking – and from a very unexpected source. The curvy two-door is the result of a collaboration between Toyota and BMW, though the automakers promise that the new Supra will be a different beast behind the wheel from the new Z4 it shares its architecture with.

Exactly how true that turns out to be will have to wait until we can actually drive the 2020 Supra to test. However it's clear from this latest set of images of the car that the stying is very different.

Oddly enough, we have Toyota itself to thank for these new images. Specifically, Toyota Germany, which for a brief period was sending out unmasked shots of the new Supra to those signing up to its mailing list. The mistake has been corrected, but of course the internet forgets nothing, and the images have been shared.

If you thought the rounded rump of the 2020 Supra was inspiring earlier this week, you're probably going to think positively about the car in its entirety. Certainly, the general opinion over at the SupraMKV forums where the glitch was first reported is good. These are most likely still renders, rather than a full photoshoot, but they're more than enough to see how the new car fits together.

While you can certainly see some of the Z4 in the car's proportions, the Supra does come into its own. The rear is much more sculpted than BMW's car, with the integrated ducktail spoiler neatly offset by the slicing vent lines that run down the rear of the fenders. At the front, there are clear signs of the Toyota FT-1 concept's influence in the lower splitter and spoiler. The clustered lights with their sweeping daytime running light strip are also pure FT-1.

It's the roofline that, we suspect, might divide opinion. The difference in angle between the profile of the side window versus the arch of the roof itself looks a little strange from the front three-quarters, with hints of Nissan GT-R. It works better from the rear, and the dividends are probably more headroom inside the Supra than you might expect.

What the leak isn't clearing up is just how much the 2020 Supra will cost. Previous chatter – shaped, it has to be said, by the price tag BMW's Z4 is expected to carry – has suggested Toyota could apply a premium to the Supra, something fans are hoping won't be the case. Toyota has long needed a serious sports car in its line-up, but giving it too premium a sticker might price it out of contention.

We'll know more about the car when it makes its official debut at the North American International Auto Show 2019 in mid-January. SlashGear will be there to bring you back all the details.