According to the Air Resources Board website, Toyota has plans to sell its new Supra with a 2.0-liter turbo inline-four engine alongside the also BMW-sourced turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six. Automobile Magazine made this discovery and the new turbo four has already been approved for sale in California, a state with stricter emissions standards than the EPA requires. Previously, we learned the four-pot option is coming to Japan but Toyota refused to comment on a potential North American arrival.
We've since reached out to Toyota seeking comment and will update you shortly if we hear anything. In the meantime, the unearthed Air Resources Board documents also reveal the eight-speed automatic will once again be the sole gearbox.
As for the single twin-scroll turbocharged 2.0-liter four itself, we've actually already sampled it in the new 2019 BMW Z4, where it produces up to 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. In Japan, Toyota is offering this engine with the aforementioned output and a toned-down 194 hp and 236 lb-ft. Which one (or both) the US will receive is still unknown, but hopefully, Toyota will fill in the blanks shortly.
One of the main reasons why a turbo-four Supra is necessary, especially in the US, is to increase its appeal. Assuming its price will drop to somewhere in the mid-to-high $40,000 range, the turbo four Supra will compete against the likes of the Volkswagen Golf R, Subaru WRX STI, and even a couple of V8-powered muscle cars in the form of the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.
Given that the six-cylinder Supra carries a $51,000 base price, a less expensive variant will surely increase sales. The 2020 Supra is already quite fuel efficient for a 335-hp sports car, returning an EPA-rated 24/31 mpg city/highway. The new turbo-four option will likely improve those figures. Less expensive, (probably) more fuel efficient, and still fun to drive (hopefully), the turbo-four Supra does not yet have an official release date but, heck, we're still waiting for Toyota to make an official announcement. That will hopefully come very soon.