‘Need for Speed’ calls Toyota ‘nerds’ for keeping Supra out of game

The Toyota Supra is one of the most hotly-anticipated sports cars of 2019, and the 86 (pictured) remains a fan favorite in spite of its age and its lack of a turbo, but neither car will be included in the “Need for Speed Heat” game scheduled to come out in November 2019. There are 13 available BMWs, 13 Nissans, a Polestar and even a 1975 Volvo 242 DL, but not a single Toyota.

Asked why on Twitter, Toyota’s British division responded “not there,” adding “you can find our cars in ‘GT Sport,’ which doesn’t promote illegal street racing.” The grimacing face emoji drove the point home. It didn’t take long for Need for Speed‘s official account to respond with “pfft nerds.” 

pfft nerds

— Need for Speed (@NeedforSpeed) August 20, 2019

Someone on Toyota’s British social media team must have gotten an earful, because the tweet was quickly deleted and replaced by a much more formal reply. Toyota explained most of the men and women in its social media team fell in love with cars by playing video games, and it wants to see as many of its nameplates star in as many titles as possible, but it’s not currently planning on granting licensing rights to anyone other than Gran Turismo Sport. The thread seemingly pins the blame on legal arrangements, not on a quest to fight the democratization of illegal street racing.

While the Supra and the 86 are sitting out the game, enthusiasts will have 120 cars at their fingertips when it launches, and the roster will grow when downloadable content becomes available. Toyota fans will have several consolation prizes to choose from, including a 2017 Acura NSX, a 2009 Honda S2000, a 2017 Infiniti Q60S, 1996 and 2015 variants of the Mazda MX-5 Miata and a Nissan 370Z.