First video of the Toyota Supra hints at electricification

The pictures revealed a toned down design of the Toyota FT-1 concept previewed at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, which was a good thing. Now, YouTube account SupraMKV.com released the first video of the BMW and Toyota's sports car testing outside of the BMW M Test Center at the Nurburgring.

This is the first time we've heard the vehicle's engine. And we're not sure how to feel about it. The sound slots somewhere between okay and good, but is definitely reminiscent of a six-cylinder unit. It reminds us of a Nissan GT-R, without Godzilla's raspiness, which makes sense as the vehicle is rumored to get a twin-turbo V6 from Lexus.

The other interesting thing about the clip is that the sports car emits a whirring sound that strikes us as an electric motor. We do expect the vehicle to use some sort of electrification, which will likely come from Toyota's parts bin, and that could be what's whirring around in the video.

The sports car, which is being built in collaboration with BMW and Toyota, will spawn a Z5 for the German automaker and a Supra for Toyota, but the Japanese automaker has not confirmed the Supra moniker. The sports car was first announced in 2012 and rumors surrounding the vehicle can be traced back to 2009. The Supra is expected to arrive as a 2019 model year with a powertrain lineup that will include four- and six-cylinder engines with power going to the rear wheels.

Automakers are finding that it's better to partner on low-volume models, instead of struggling to fund the project independently – just like Mazda and Fiat with the 124 Spider and MX-5 Miata.