There’s been no shortage of rumors concerning a new Toyota Supra, which will likely remain the case until such a car is finally launched. The latest claim is that a concept previewing a new Supra will be unveiled by Toyota at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show in January. The information comes via Autoblog, which cites some “well-placed members” of the Toyota team.

Toyota itself has dropped a number of hints regarding the need for a new sports car to fill the gap the Supra left after it bowed out of U.S. showrooms in the late 1990s. The last we heard, the automaker’s incoming chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada said he wanted a Supra-like sports car in Toyota’s lineup.

Toyota was close to launching a successor to the MkIV Supra late last decade. It was at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show that the automaker unveiled the FT-HS hybrid sports car concept, which featured a hybrid drivetrain with more than 400 horsepower. Then the financial crisis hit and plans for a production version were put on hold.

With Acura confirmed to launch a new hybrid NSX in 2015 and Nissan set to go hybrid with its next GT-R, the time is right for Toyota to join the fray with its own hybrid sports car. Hopefully we'll see a concept previewing such a car in Detroit in just a few weeks.

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