The only transmission option is the ZF 8-speed automatic, which while being a fantastic transmission and shifting extremely quickly and precisely, leaves a lot of the fun on the factory floor. This is one of the few cars where I actually enjoyed using the paddle shifters but only as compared to just leaving it in Drive. A manual transmission would have added a lot to the experience even though acceleration would likely have suffered (It feels weird to write that after decades of always having the manual be the better performer).
Even with this smaller engine option the car will spring to 60mph in just around five seconds, about a second slower than with the large turbo-6. In reality that’s likely quick enough for most, but where it’s most impressive is in the mid-range, if the engine is even remotely on the boil in one of the middle gears it just leaps forward and keeps going.
Tire noise is almost ever-present, and at high speeds there is a bit of wind noise too, but for such a small car it isn’t bad at all. What the car does though is make the speed seem less than it actually is, usually I can sense when I’m going around 70-75mph, in this car that same sense had me actually travelling at well into the 90s. Similarly, what I figured was around 35-40mph would often turn out to be more like 50-60mph. Not the car to own near a police station and a good reason to get the gray rather than the red or yellow…If nothing else it speaks to the confident and capable chassis along with the comfort aspect for it to be able to give those impressions. It is not hard work to drive this car fast.
It does cruise nicely though, freeway trips are easy, the ride, while firm, is far to the good side of punishing, likely helped by the 18″ wheels on this one, and munching the miles would not be a hardship at all. Though cargo space is not overly large, for one or two this is absolutely an option to travel quite some distances.
The biggest issue with the automatic-only though is really the options it leaves. If in Drive and not Sport mode it just upshifts constantly and you’re always seemingly loafing along at 1,300rpm or so in every gear with a boring engine note. Drive and Sport mode though leaves the default one or two gears higher than you really need if driving normally without the intent to just boot it constantly and it pops and fizzes when downshifting itself to every traffic light which is a little much in town if you’re at least moderately self-aware.
Manual mode in non-Sport is just not exciting, and in Sport mode you feel self-conscious downshifting sequentially to every light. And you of course have to upshift manually but then the paddles are too small to reach consistently when rounding a corner such as at an intersection or a roundabout and using the shifter instead can catch you out as it’s an alien movement if not using it consistently. On top of that the shifts are so quick that it is impossible to modulate them for smoothness, so every manual upshift introduces a bit of a lurch. Fine when on it, not so fine when tootling along in traffic. All solved via a decent but sadly non-existent manual option.
But get the opportunity on an open road or better yet a curvy open road and it’s magical enough to be able to forgive that. Mostly forgive it, anyway. Those same somewhat loud-ish on normal road tires come alive (and are excellent Michelin Pilot Super Sports in 255/40-18 in front and 275/40-18 in the rear). At that point you don’t hear them anymore over the engine as you let it rev to redline before tapping the paddle shifter to bang off another upshift (yes the car will let you just bang the needle off the rev-limiter, and won’t force the shift which is excellent, but also embarrassing if you screw things up when not alone. That means that it’ll also let you manually hold a/any gear as long as you want, very good).
The car grips for miles and seems to handle every corner with aplomb unless heavy acceleration is called for during the corner, then, especially at lower speeds, the rear of the car does get twitchy with more play than might perhaps be prudent without a nearby track at which to really explore the limits. The rear tires could easily use another 20mm of width for the available torque.
The smaller engined car also leaves about 220 pounds of weight behind which makes turn-in very quick and precise even though there isn’t much feel as to what exactly is going on underfoot. Still, weighing just under 3,200 pounds it’s no absolute light-weight but as light as it needs to be to still be very fun on the right roads and better than the alternative.
Braking too is excellent, while the smaller engined car also leaves the multi-piston setup behind, for road use it isn’t missed. The brakes are large, strong, and always on duty while likely needing less money to maintain and/or replace. And, as a bonus, surely some with the bigger engine option will upgrade their brakes further, leaving their original setup available to be picked up by an astute owner that really wants/needs it.
As with many higher performance cars, an opportunity to really uncork it on a track would be a tremendous boon to a user/owner and pay dividends on the street. While the larger engine is quite a bit more powerful, another 127 horses worth to be exact, it’s not necessarily something that can be taken much advantage of on the street, more useful is likely the lighter weight that pays dividends in the handling arena, although the limited-slip diff is also held back when opting for this model. Note also that the casual observer will have no idea you saved a bunch of money as there are no badges to denote the displacement, it’s not that easy to notice the 1″ smaller wheels and unpainted brake calipers at a quick glance as you pass by…
It was a quick week with the Supra, and I only managed to enjoy it for 228 miles (low for me). Some of that was around town but a lot was in the mountains and canyons around here with only a quick freeway dash to be able to report on that aspect of it. Rated at 25mpg City and 32 Highway with a 28mpg Average, I came in at 23.8mpg.
That’s though in no way reflective of a regular use case, I was not easy on this car, the rated numbers do seem entirely achievable. The BMW 430i I referred to earlier with the same engine returned almost 28mpg for me, and that was heavier with AWD so no reason to think this can’t do as well.
The 2021 Toyota GR Supra 2.0 starts at $42,990 plus the mandatory $995 destination fee. That’s $8,000 lower than the 3.0 starts at. And $7,000 less than the BMW Z4 with the same engine and less standard equipment. Frankly for the performance it’s a bit of a bargain.
Included in that base price that I haven’t discussed above are six-lens auto-leveling LED headlights, LED taillights, Automatic High Beams, Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Alert, Lane Departure Warning with Steering Assist, and an Electronic Parking Brake. Mirrors auto-fold when locked and are heated, and the Center Display is 8.8″ across with a four speaker audio system.
Options consisted of a Carpet Cargo Mat for $80 and Wheel Locks for $65. And a huge one, the Safety and Technology Package at $3,485 that includes Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (Full Range), Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Parking Sensors with Emergency Braking. Also included is the Display becoming touch-enabled and including Navigation, the audio upgrade to the 12 Speaker 500W JBL Audio System with Amplifier, Touchpad Rotary Control, Wireless Apple CarPlay Compatibility, Speed Limit Info, and various Connected Concierge Functions including a Stolen Vehicle Recovery function for a four-year initial term.
With all of that the total amounts to $47,815 which seems quite reasonable in return for the capability. I tried to option out an equivalent BMW Z4 and ended up right around $60,000 as closely equipped as I could make it out to be. I don’t know if the soft top and the fancy badge is worth an extra 20%, not to me it isn’t but to each their own.
It’s hard to look down the road and predict the future, thus uncertain if the Supra will see another iteration down the road, this one certainly took its time coming to fruition and then ended up as the product of an unlikely relationship. The end result is I think worthy of the name although the form it took is another step in the more sporting direction it had been heading which ultimately is perhaps into a shrinking market. Still, at least the temptation was resisted to create an electric SUV wearing a Supra badge so there’s that.
Who’d have thought though, supposedly staid Toyota coming back to market with an actual sports car that can in theory be afforded by many regular Joes or Johannes’ and doing so in a creative way that adds to the portfolio of two makers without being at all obvious clones of each other and also unlikely to cannibalize each other. Using a third party to manufacture reduces the risk even more and doesn’t tie up any existing production capacity. A win-win-win-win for all three plus the consumer as well.
Thank you very much to Toyota for letting us sample their new Supra along with a full tank of fuel!
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“The styling is perhaps a little out there, it’s certainly no shrinking violet and makes a statement.”
Certainly a DIPLOMATIC way of putting it! Or one might say it is simply a tortured set of surfaces trying to hang together; just one retired designer’s opinion of the visuals.
I must admit this is one vehicle that a achromatic, non-descript, boring gray is a fine choice of paint. Your pictures are excellent and certainly define the formS on the vehicle!!………. DFO
You said it all! A current designer’s opinion….
Why so damn ugly? That rear spoiler looks like a fat lip. And why is Toyota incapable of doing a sporty car by itself?
Development costs vs (expected) global sales numbers, I assume. They’re certainly not incapable, given their latest, superior hot hatch.
“And why is Toyota incapable of doing a sporty car by itself?”
They’ll build one when you and me and enough other people buy one so they can turn a profit after the development costs.
For the past 8 years they’ve been offering RWD F-Sport and full-fledged V8 F Lexus models as well.
I find it a little puzzling that Toyota would go halfsies with another company to build this car. It would seem to go against much of the ethos of “traditional” Toyota in ceding control for much of the car’s content. For a company that has been as obsessive about quality as Toyota, relying on someone else to keep your customers happy seems odd. Not to mention at the dealerships where this car is sure to be a bit of a bastard in the service bays.
But then they must have figured that the value of having a car in this niche for a relatively low cost is worth it. Also, it would be interesting to do a side-by-side test of cars with both powerplant options.
I cannot say that this one appeals to me, but then cars in this segment have not appealed to me in a very long time (if ever). So whatever my opinions might be, they are not the ones Toyota should be paying attention to. So it will be interesting to see how this car goes over with its intended market.
I had the same thought – Why would Toyota, with its reputation for long-term reliability, which is much harder to accomplish than initial quality, partner with a company whose initial quality has improved but whose long-term reliability is much less certain? About the only argument for this car (and granted its a big one) is that buying the Supra will save a lot of dosh over the essentially identical Bavarian.
I wonder though how many Toyota fans will be willing to roll the dice on a rebadged BMW. On the other hand, will BMW shoppers think that the Toyota version dilutes the brand with respect to this model? It could be a win-win or a lose-lose, I suppose.
Postscript –
According to goodcarbadcar.net, Toyota has moved about 4500 Supra’s in 2021 in the US, as opposed to a bit less than 900 BMW Z4’s sold, FWIW.
Toyota has been offering rebadged PSA vans since 2013. These days, compact and mid-size cargo vans (both models are also available as MPV).
Car-wise, the Auris, Avensis and Verso were offered with a 1.6 liter BMW turbodiesel.
I know that none of them were/are sold in North America, but it’s still the same Toyota company.
I find it a little puzzling that Toyota would go halfsies with another company to build this car. It would seem to go against much of the ethos of “traditional” Toyota in ceding control for much of the car’s content.
They dd the same thing with Subaru with the GT86/BRZ.
It’s what it takes to make a profit on a low volume model. and Toyota does like to make a profit on all of their lines.
Fair point, but I think that Subaru is a fair bit closer to Toyota in reliability these days, as compared to BMW. I know Subi’s had head gasket issues at one point but I think that is pretty far in the rearview.
Whoops – According to JD Power, I’m wrong! For 2021, oyota beats BMW, but BMW beats Subaru!
The real issue is that unlike say 10 or 20 years ago, essentially all the major car makers have a very high level of reliability. It’s just not an issue with something like this.
The absolute difference between the “best” and “worst” makers from a reliability standpoint is likely far smaller than it has been historically.
Someone spending $50k or whatever on a fairly niche sports car is perhaps a little more tolerant of a few extra dealer visits spread over a few years, it’s a different mindset, it’s also probably not their only car. The buyer of a Supra is unlikely to be the same buyer that has a Corolla Hybrid and a Tacoma in the garage and perhaps is more of an “enthusiast” to begin with, part and parcel of that seems to be being more in tune with the machine as a whole rather than just a transportation pod. Those keeping it for a long time likely understand that and those just looking for the latest shiny thing won’t be in it long enough to care or worry about it.
And lastly, unlike that Corolla or Tacoma the owner is far less likely to be racking up a couple of hundred thousand miles on it in a decade, if ever. No, this likely won’t be as tolerant of neglect as those have historically been, but perhaps doesn’t need to be. A sports car purchase is usually far more about the passion of the drive and all that jazz than someone crunching spreadsheets and tallying CR dots to determine the best commuter car. I doubt many people in the upper midwest worried about rust issues on older Mazdas when they selected a Miata over a Mercury Capri.
This car could in theory have been marketed as a Lexus too, the quality and finish are certainly there. But they already got their fancy sportscar a few years ago, the uber-expensive LF-A and it doesn’t really fit the brand, while the Supra name carries a lot of equity that would be lost as a Lexus. It is a bit of an outlier, granted, but better any Supra than no Supra at all and nobody should be complaining about the performance, having two engines is just icing on the Strudel.
I reckon that’s spot-on. For Toyota, the numbers sold are rounding-error level. In ten years time when this Toyota is behaving in the atrocious manner of a ten-year old BMW, it’ll be in the hands of hope-over-experience enthusiasts who’ll know the deal. Bad as the car will assuredly be, it won’t hurt Toyota brand equity a zot.
Great review and pictures, as usual. I haven’t checked yet if I can afford one, but I’ll stick to my oldie, for the time being anyway.
The latest edition looks like a modern interpretation of a TVR. Not a bad thing, IMO.
Yes, that’s it, TVR!
But that IS a bad thing, IMO – and actually, the TVR looks considerably better anyway – but at least TVR had the excuse of having no money and working in shoddy fibreglass!
I’d rather find a mint condition, low mileage 1998 Supra (if even possible today).
Oh, it’s possible. It’ll just cost you between $75,000 and $200,000 for a turbo model, depending on how minty you want you mint it to be:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-toyota-supra-28/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-toyota-supra-38/
Toyota looks and BMW guts, that seems like a less than stellar combo. Not being
in the target market (ie someone who cares in the slightest about either going fast or
impressing anyone) what do I know?
BMW has long been good at taking its standard kit and technology and massaging them into a different personality, for another brand. It’s done that with Land Rover (specifically the 2003-2005 “L322” Range Rover), MINI, Rolls-Royce, and now Toyota.
The funniest thing about the Supra seems to be the mix of F-era and G-era BMW switchgear and components. The steering-wheel and climate-control button packs are clearly previous-era. Meanwhile, the favorites buttons and the light control panel are current. I’m not sure if this was because Toyota balked at the costs for some of the newer stuff, or was a deliberate effort on BMW’s part to keep the car’s feeling separate. Some identity pieces, like the infotainment bezel surround, gear selector, and instrument panel, were resculpted specifically for the Toyota.
Notably, the Supra uses iDrive 6, instead of iDrive 7, which the Bimmer family is currently on. And despite BMW implementing their latest two-note chime suite on iDrive 5, the Supra’s version of iDrive 6 uses the old 2002-2016 “gong” chimes.
Another excellent review about a car I’d otherwise not be as informed about, in terms of how it feels and goes.
Although I understand the move away from manuals, you’ve made a very compelling case for one here.
As to its styling, the F&F crowd will be challenged to modify this one to their liking; it’s already been done.
Thank you! I kept thinking back to my old 911, having the manual in that made such a difference to the entire experience. While it wasn’t necessarily always fun in traffic or the commute, that isn’t the reason for having that car (or this one), and when the opportunity to use it to its fullest came up it was a godsend. I can stomp on the pedal in any car, but to actually “control” it, well, the involvement is a big part of it, to me at least.
Never underestimate the F&F crowd! That duckbill spoiler leaves lots of room for something far larger atop it…and there’s lots of sheetmetal for more vents!
I could live with the styling, I could live with the scrunchy rear 3/4 visibility, I could live with the infamous windows-down buffeting, but the manual kills it for me*. More than in the 3 Series, more than in a compact pickup, more than in a Honda Accord, this is the type of car where a manual is most complementary to the car’s character and ostensible mission.
*Actually, the price does. It’s out of my range. So my opinion really doesn’t matter.
Like the C8 Vette and GT350R, the “automatic transmission” just drives you nuts at times.
Just like automatic headlights!
Thank you for the objective review, Jim!
Unnecessary overwrought styling. The interior looks okay. Reliability of a BMW. Why bother? Might as well get the genuine BMW. Yes, it’s more expensive but at least it doesn’t look like it fell from the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Plus BMW is a roadster.
I’m glad you pointed out the F1 car connection, as it does help to make some sense of what they’ve tried to do. I’m sure too that those who’ll fork out for it get it, and Toyota rarely put a foot wrong in judging a market.
Doesn’t make it any more competent as a sheer piece of design, mind. There are fibreglass kits better than this. Oddly enough, what it reminds me of is a design on the way to a design, like the Ghandini Jag of the other day: whatever idea is driving it is as yet immature.
At least the 86 still has a manual and saves you a lot of money over the Supra. Sure, different targets and such…but unless you’re out to impress people with your wallet, wouldn’t the manual 86 be more fun to play around with?
The 2.0-litre is due to arrive in South Africa very soon, and I can’t wait to try one out for size when it lands. I loved the lower-output 3.0 when I reviewed it in 2019, but couldn’t help but wonder if the lighter 4-cylinder version would have been even better to drive.
https://www.autotrader.co.za/cars/reviews/toyota/gr-supra/toyota-gr-supra-3.0t-review/6060
I have not driven one but seen a few out and about now. They stuck me as physically smaller than I thought they’d be. The styling is interesting and distinctive. Maybe not a classical beauty.
The automatic only would be a deal killer for me (not that I am in the market) but I am glad it exists.
Fantastic article and photos by the way.
Thanks! Yeah, the size thing is true, before I ever saw one in real life I figured them to be at least 10% larger than they really are…