1993 Toyota Supra – Auction Car of the Week

For years, the poor Mk3 Toyota Supra has been overlooked, and that’s criminal, really. In the right spec, the Mk3, or A70 to give it its internal designation, was a thing to be reckoned with. Take the car we have here, for example. Three-litre straight-six, five-speed manual transmission and of course, that all important turbocharger. This one, thanks to some tweaks, kicks out around 270bhp, making it quite the riot to drive. If you want a big, comfortable, fast, exciting retro sports car, this has to be it, surely? Sure, for years the market has fawned over the Mk4, but the Mk4 doesn’t have pop-up headlights. This does. So this is better.

Of course, we’re not just putting this Toyota Supra in front of your eyes because it has pop-up lights (though that is a pretty big reason), we’re also suggesting you chuck in a bid because it’s utterly excellent. The turbo, manual transmission cars are thin on the ground these days, which makes this very special. But that’s not all. It’s been exceptionally well looked after, it’s been lightly modified (we’ll get to that later) and it has even been a magazine feature car in the past. It has lived quite the life.

To look at, the only thing that’s different is the set of Wolfrace two-tone alloys it sits on. You could source a set of stock wheels though, should you wish. Other than that, it’s a Toyota Supra as Toyota envisioned. The gloss red paint gleams, the panel gaps all look to be excellent indicating it’s never got intimate with a bus stop or a tree, the bumpers are excellent, the rear spoiler stands proud and there seems to be no rust to be concerned by. Nice. There is some fade on the bonnet (single stage red paint for you) and some small chips, but its a driver, so that’s to be expected.

Inside, it’s largely original, though there are some slight tweaks like the control unit for the HKS boost controller, the Sunpro boost gauge and the Mishimoto shifter. There’s a fire extinguisher, a killer retro Sony head unit (with MiniDisc!) and swathes of inviting black leather, good condition carpets, cruise control, electric windows and more. It’s a really rather splendid place to be, it has to be said.

And then finally we have the mechanical bits of this 1993 Toyota Supra. Under that long nose, you’ll find the 2,954cc 24-valve straight-six engine, backed up by a slick five-speed manual transmission. There’s a brace of red silicon hoses, the head gasket has been upgraded to a Felpro item, as has the water pump. The studs are now ARP, there are platinum-tipped NGK plugs, new high tension leads, uprated engine mounts and much more. It’s clear this Toyota Supra has been very well loved indeed. The result is a healthy 270bhp according to the seller, which is more than enough to make this car come alive.

This 1993 Toyota Supra is one of the last Mk3s, it’s been looked after incredibly well, it looks fantastic and we have every confidence that it will be a riot to drive. The Mk3 Supra is a rare car today, and that rarity is amplified in the case of the turbo model with the manual transmission. If you have had one of these on your dream list, this is the one that will best satisfy it. Trust us. Plus, you know, pop-up headlights.