{"id":4252,"date":"2019-12-11T10:59:50","date_gmt":"2019-12-11T10:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=4252"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:22:19","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:22:19","slug":"toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Toyota GR Supra – Car & Classic Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are a lot of problems for the new, reborn Toyota Supra<\/a> to overcome. Firstly, there is a big, German elephant in the room. Yes, this car was co-developed with BMW<\/a>. So what? So some of the switches, some of the chassis and associated components and of course, the engine, comes from the BMW stable. Right, what\u2019s the problem? This is BMW and Toyota coming together to build a car. This is not your 3-year-old nephew and your 88-year-old nan coming together to build an Ikea wardrobe. BMW and Toyota know what they\u2019re doing, so when they join hands and skip off into the R&D department, that\u2019s a good thing. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Toyota,<\/p>\n

Sharing the project was also the only way for us to get a new Supra. A new, two-seater sports coupe would have been too much of a risk for Toyota. A new Z4 was also a risky move on BMW\u2019s part. The masses don\u2019t want sports cars, they want SUVs. By sharing the development, and thus the risk, both companies were able to realise their respective dream. So it\u2019s a good thing. People who say it\u2019s not a good thing, do so from behind a computer screen in their bedroom. They\u2019re probably 13. Ignore them. <\/span><\/p>\n

The other problem the Supra has is this:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Toyota,<\/p>\n

Okay, not this specific movie car, but most certainly the car it represents. You see, the original Supra was a fine and fast car, especially if bought in twin-turbo, manual transmission guise. But the thing is, nobody is talking about the original car, in original specification, in 2019. No, they look at the Supra of old and are instantly drawn to mental images of fast and, erm, furious, modified cars. The Supra became the poster child for the modified generation, and now we can\u2019t see past those modifications when trying to recollect the significance of the original factory car. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Toyota,<\/p>\n

So what does that mean? Well, it means that the announcement of the new Supra brought with it a subconscious expectation of it being a million bhp and as such, faster than the Space Shuttle. In reality, the most recent twin-turbo Supra prior to this one was 330hp. The new car is 340hp, so that\u2019s more. But it\u2019s not just a numbers game. The 3.0 straight-six from BMW breathes deeper, is quicker to respond and has almost no lag. The power delivery is smooth and ready, it doesn\u2019t arrive in one big dollop like the last model. <\/span><\/p>\n

If we judge the new Supra against a standard A80, it makes for a logical, considered and well-rounded evolution. BMW or no BMW. This is every bit what a new Supra should be. Okay, so some will moan that this car is only available with an eight-speed automatic, and while it\u2019s not the snappiest on the paddles, it\u2019s still a damn fine transmission. It takes the power and delivers it to terra firma with aplomb and without hesitance for the best part. And let\u2019s be realistic – a manual would be nice, but it\u2019s not commercially viable in today\u2019s market. That\u2019s just how it is. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Toyota,<\/p>\n

The new Supra excels in other departments, too. Just look at it. So what if the underpinnings are largely BMW? The body certainly isn\u2019t. It\u2019s a beguiling collection of muscular curves and brave angles that serve to make what is actually a very small car look far bigger and meaner than it is. It has the proper sports car proportions, too. That long bonnet followed by a short, squat cabin. It looks proper. The chrome\/polished wheels are a bit much for our tastes, but hey, what can you do? Fundamentally, the Supra looks NOTHING like the BMW Z4 to which it is so closely related. It looks, and we\u2019ll stand by this forever, better. <\/span><\/p>\n

Get into the Supra and you\u2019re in for a treat. Yes, there is BMW switchgear and BMW-derived on-screen menus and of cou\u2026 IT DOESN\u2019T MATTER. It\u2019s all pleasingly tactile yet solid and reassuring. The cabin feels snug and secure, the seats are comfortable, the driving position is hugely adjustable and for a small hard-top, visibility is decent. And on that note, the hard-top nature of the Supra is something we like. You feel more immersed, more connected to and more cocooned by the car. We like that. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Toyota,<\/p>\n

Out on the road, make no mistake, this sucker is fast. The 50\/50 weight distribution shows as you push the Supra into the bends. It turns in with a pleasing eagerness and it powers through the corners with plenty of grip. Get really brave and push it on and, in Sport mode, the traction control will let you slide out a bit. But not too much. The Supra makes you feel like a driving god, and that\u2019s what a car like this is all about. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Toyota,<\/p>\n

Speaking of the drive modes. In today\u2019s motoring landscape, it\u2019s not uncommon to get in a car only to find out you need a degree in computer science to set it up. That\u2019s not the case here. You have normal, or you have Sport. Sport tightens things up a bit, makes the exhaust a bit barkier, that kind of stuff. You can customise Sport by deactivating certain elements. That\u2019s your lot. And that\u2019s fine. This car is for driving, it\u2019s not for nerds who want to play with spring rates. Get in, drive it, smile. <\/span><\/p>\n

We went into our time with the Supra with open eyes and with a keenness to dismiss the prevailing negativity that has come from this being a joint project with BMW. As we said earlier, these two coming together is no bad thing. Furthermore, each brand has its own take on how the car looks, and the Supra looks how a Supra should, at least to us. And it\u2019s fast, it\u2019s furious, it\u2019s fun and\u2026 well, it\u2019s brilliant. It is also a perfect evolution of the model. 340hp? That\u2019s more than enough in a car so small. Don\u2019t be spoilt. 500hp would have made it a terrifying one-way ditch ticket. 340hp is enough. More than enough in fact. And going back to the notion of this being an evolution, let us not forget that the original Supra of \u201878<\/a> was a wheezy 2.0 straight-six, free of turbos. It wasn\u2019t always turbos and big power. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Toyota,<\/p>\n

The new Supra is a riot, frankly. And if you live your life one BMW comparison at a time, you\u2019re going to miss out. Ask any Supra owner, any <\/span>real<\/span><\/i> Supra owner and they\u2019ll tell you the BMW badges don\u2019t matter. One BMW badge or ten, a Supra\u2019s still a Supra.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are a lot of problems for the new, reborn Toyota Supra to overcome. Firstly, there is a big, German elephant in the room. Yes, this car was co-developed with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":4261,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[807],"tags":[15,45,1313,12,13,3197,1314,1311,14,16,139,1312,70,1310],"yoast_head":"\nToyota GR Supra - Car & Classic Review - Car & Classic Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We don\u2019t \u2018do\u2019 new cars here at Car & Classic. We are willing to make exceptions for cars that are surely going to be classics, like the new Toyota Supra.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Toyota GR Supra - Car & Classic Review - Car & Classic Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We don\u2019t \u2018do\u2019 new cars here at Car & Classic. We are willing to make exceptions for cars that are surely going to be classics, like the new Toyota Supra.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Car & Classic Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-12-11T10:59:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-12T09:22:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/DSC03439-1800x1013.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1013\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Car & Classic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Car & Classic\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Car & Classic\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/9faf82502e956d89ea59bb842c637f39\"},\"headline\":\"Toyota GR Supra – Car & Classic Review\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-12-11T10:59:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-12T09:22:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/\"},\"wordCount\":1156,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"automotive\",\"BMW\",\"BMW Z4\",\"carandclassic\",\"carandclassic.co.uk\",\"cars-toyota\",\"fast and furious\",\"GR Supra\",\"motoring\",\"retro car\",\"sports car\",\"Supra\",\"Toyota\",\"Toyota Supra\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Drives\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/\",\"name\":\"Toyota GR Supra - Car & Classic Review - Car & Classic Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-12-11T10:59:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-12T09:22:19+00:00\",\"description\":\"We don\u2019t \u2018do\u2019 new cars here at Car & Classic. We are willing to make exceptions for cars that are surely going to be classics, like the new Toyota Supra.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Toyota GR Supra – Car & Classic Review\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/\",\"name\":\"Car & Classic Magazine\",\"description\":\"The latest in the classic car world - articles, news, how to's, advice and more\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Car and Classic Limited\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Car-and-Classic-Square-Green-Background-Large.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Car-and-Classic-Square-Green-Background-Large.png\",\"width\":4262,\"height\":3881,\"caption\":\"Car and Classic Limited\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/9faf82502e956d89ea59bb842c637f39\",\"name\":\"Car & Classic\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df8ff943eb64ce998eeba2661f03a69a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df8ff943eb64ce998eeba2661f03a69a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Car & Classic\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/author\/car-and-classic\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Toyota GR Supra - Car & Classic Review - Car & Classic Magazine","description":"We don\u2019t \u2018do\u2019 new cars here at Car & Classic. We are willing to make exceptions for cars that are surely going to be classics, like the new Toyota Supra.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Toyota GR Supra - Car & Classic Review - Car & Classic Magazine","og_description":"We don\u2019t \u2018do\u2019 new cars here at Car & Classic. We are willing to make exceptions for cars that are surely going to be classics, like the new Toyota Supra.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/","og_site_name":"Car & Classic Magazine","article_published_time":"2019-12-11T10:59:50+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-09-12T09:22:19+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1800,"height":1013,"url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/12\/DSC03439-1800x1013.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Car & Classic","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Car & Classic","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/"},"author":{"name":"Car & Classic","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/9faf82502e956d89ea59bb842c637f39"},"headline":"Toyota GR Supra – Car & Classic Review","datePublished":"2019-12-11T10:59:50+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-12T09:22:19+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/"},"wordCount":1156,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization"},"keywords":["automotive","BMW","BMW Z4","carandclassic","carandclassic.co.uk","cars-toyota","fast and furious","GR Supra","motoring","retro car","sports car","Supra","Toyota","Toyota Supra"],"articleSection":["Drives"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/","name":"Toyota GR Supra - Car & Classic Review - Car & Classic Magazine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-12-11T10:59:50+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-12T09:22:19+00:00","description":"We don\u2019t \u2018do\u2019 new cars here at Car & Classic. We are willing to make exceptions for cars that are surely going to be classics, like the new Toyota Supra.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/toyota-gr-supra-car-classic-review\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Toyota GR Supra – Car & Classic Review"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/","name":"Car & Classic Magazine","description":"The latest in the classic car world - articles, news, how to's, advice and more","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization","name":"Car and Classic Limited","url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Car-and-Classic-Square-Green-Background-Large.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Car-and-Classic-Square-Green-Background-Large.png","width":4262,"height":3881,"caption":"Car and Classic Limited"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/9faf82502e956d89ea59bb842c637f39","name":"Car & Classic","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df8ff943eb64ce998eeba2661f03a69a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df8ff943eb64ce998eeba2661f03a69a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Car & Classic"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.carandclassic.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/author\/car-and-classic\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4252"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4252"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11503,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4252\/revisions\/11503"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}