When Toyota revived the Supra nameplate, the model was supposed to not only bring back the 1990s magic that defined older generations of the Supra, but also spearhead Toyota’s new GR lineup which promised to bring affordable performance and track capability to buyers. While the GR Corolla and the GR86 have certainly delivered the goods when it comes to sales and building a loyal following of customers, the Supra has proven to be a notable exception to the rule with the model struggling with sliding sales. This slide caused Toyota to kill the four-cylinder model after a few years in production and increased the level of scrutiny in regards to the nameplate.
However, it appears the saga has taken a strange turn with sales data confirming that not only is the Supra still struggling with moribund sales, but that it was also outsold by the Lexus LC a V8-powered luxury coupe that has been in production longer than the current generation Supra.
LC walks the red carpet in monthly sales as Supra wilts
To put this into perspective, it’s important to look at the numbers with Toyota revealing that it managed to sell 132 Supras during the month of February which is a slight improvement from last year. The LC has also been a slow seller but unlike the Supra, the Lexus competes against more bespoke rivals and is one of the few GTs left in the game to offer a V8 for its customers (a hybrid-equipped V6 is also available.) But despite the high price tag suggesting it would sell less than the Toyota, Lexus actually managed to move more of them in February with the brand selling 184 copies of the LC (53 more than the Supra.)
The LC’s surprise sales performance paints a pretty grim picture for the Supra which has struggled to find buyers in recent years. Part of this is its wild exterior styling which has not aged well over the years and has proven to be a detracting element of the car. In addition to the unique looks, the coupe is also based on the BMW Z4 with the Toyota sharing its platform, engine, and interior components with the BMW. That model has also been a slow seller for the German brand and there have been rumors that both it and the Supra will be axed in 2026 which have perhaps helped put a damper on sales for both models.
Supra sales woes could prompt Toyota to course correct
The LC and the Supra are only small pieces in Toyota’s bigger sales puzzle with the niche models benefitting from the strong sales that Toyota has recorded in SUVs and CUVS. These models help keep the lights on for Toyota and in addition to being the volume sellers for the company, they also help fuel efforts to make projects like the Supra, GR86, Lexus LC, and other performance models.
However, the Supra is supposed to be Toyota’s halo model with the coupe tasked with getting buyers into the showroom especially those who might not buy a Supra outright but will instead go for a more practical offering like the Toyota Sienna or even the RAV4. It will be interesting to see how Toyota chooses to move forward on the Supra especially if the company chooses to axe it to free up funds and production for models that will help it expand further into EVs and hybrids.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.