Toyota is crushing SEMA 2024 with concept after concept dripping with cool, from topless off-roaders to a GR86 with the GR Corolla’s turbo three-cylinder. Now, it’s unveiled something extra special in the form of the Suprabird Tribute to honor a NASCAR legend. Keen NASCAR lovers may have already made the association, but the Suprabird Tribute is an homage to Richard ‘The King’ Petty, Toyota’s newest ambassador and a NASCAR Legend with a career spanning 35 years and including 200 wins and seven championships, and his “Petty Blue” Superbird. The Superbird may have been the furthest thing from GR Supra, but that hasn’t stopped Toyota from going all out, with the project driven by Toyota Ambassador, NASCAR Analyst, and self-proclaimed Supra fanatic, Rutledge Wood.
A Car From Wood’s Private Collection
The base car used for the Suprabird Tribute came from Rutledge Wood’s own collection, and while Wood is no stranger to building SEMA Supras with 750 horsepower, this time, the GR Supra 3.0 Premium retained the mostly-stock BMW B58 engine producing 382 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque. But instead of just giving it a paint job and calling it a day, Wood modified the GR Supra with a cold air intake and a cat-back exhaust system.
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To tighten up the handling beyond the Supra’s already impressive stock performance, the Suprabird rides on coilover suspension with a lowered ride height, while custom three-piece wheels measuring 19 inches in diameter are found at each corner, finished in a shade of bright blue and wearing performance tires.
“I wanted to welcome Petty to the Toyota Gazoo Racing Family, celebrate his affiliation with Legacy Motor Club, and pay homage to the 75th Anniversary of the Petty Family in Racing. The vision was to recreate the aesthetic of the iconic Superbird in the form of a modern-day GR Supra, and thus the Suprabird was born!”
– Rutledge Wood, Toyota Ambassador and NASCAR Analyst
A Superbird Body Kit And An Unmistakable Paint Color
Of course, no tribute to The King’s Superbird would be complete without a Petty Blue paint job, but the body needed work beforehand. To this end, Wood installed a body kit “evoking the classic look of the original Superbird” before finishing it in Petty Blue with the iconic #43 hand-painted on the doors and roof.
The body kit isn’t wild but leans into JDM tuner culture wonderfully while also paying homage to its NASCAR inspiration. Finished in Petty Blue and with the cartoon-style number 43 on the sides, it looks like something you’d see in the Cars film franchise, which should come as no surprise since The King and his original Superbird racer was honored with a character in the film; the Strip ‘The King’ Weathers character was a Superbird finished in Dinoco Blue with the number 43, and had a Petty-matching seven titles to his name.
But back to the Suprabird Tribute, which sports the following body modifications:
- Widebody overfenders
- Carbon fiber front spoiler with body-color front splitter
- Streethunter Designs rear wing
- HRE C106 Forged three-piece alloy wheels finished in deep blue
- Petty Blue paintwork with handpainted #43
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A Suprabird Tribute You Can Own
Toyota is now highly active in motorsport, including NASCAR, and has become a true-blue enthusiast brand with multiple performance models and more to come, all derived from motorsport activities. You can now finally lust over a Toyota model, which is something we never would have said 15 years ago.
Part of that lust factor includes appealing to gearheads of all ages, and the Suprabird tribute is sure to do just that. Not only will it be on display at SEMA 2024 from 5-8 November in Las Vegas, but the Suprabird Tribute will be immortalized by Hot Wheels as a die-cast collectible car. As Toyota puts it, “The Suprabird is more than a tribute; it’s a celebration of the past, present, and future of racing.”
“Twenty years ago, there were skeptics who questioned whether a car like this, or even the entire GR lineup, would ever come into being. Today, Toyota not only plays a significant role in NASCAR, but is also honored to be associated with the most legendary name in the sport. The Suprabird represents the incredible journey of both Richard Petty and Toyota.”
– Mike Tripp, Group Vice President, Toyota Division Marketing, Toyota Motor North America
