Supra has returned, and it announced to us in style at the Yas Marina Circuit. For a car that took its form and fire at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, easy on the tongue as ‘the green hell, ’ there was no better place in the UAE to present its new avatar.
THE SPECS: 3.0L, 6-CYL, IN-LINE TWIN-SCROLL TURBOCHARGED, 8-SPEED AUTO, REAR WHEEL DRIVE, 255/35R19 (FR) and 275/35R19 (RR) WHEELS / EURO 4 EMISSION
THE DIMENSIONS: L 4,379 x W 1,854 x H 1,292 / WHEELBASE: 2470 mm / Gross Weight: 1815 kg
THE PERFORMANCE: 335 hp @ 5000 – 6500 rpm / 500 Nm @ 1600 – 4500 rpm / 0 – 100 kmph in 4.3 sec / Top speed 250 kmph
THE PRICE: AED 233,000
The Supra is back after 17 long years. The story started back in 1978, and by 1993, it was in its fourth generation and well on its way to being a car culture icon before all ended prematurely as the Supra, after teasing its huge fan following as a movie star in Fast and Furious, took a bow and retracted its wheels into oblivion. The all-new fifth generation has been launched as the 2020 Toyota GR Supra – GR stands for Gazoo Racing, the racing arm of Toyota.
Just standing there in red, it was easy to see how it had once embodied beauty of motor sport and the thrill of heart-pounding performance. The car is designed to take one’s breath away on the highway and the track with a top speed of 250 kmph and a 0 – 100 kmph timing of 4.3 seconds. On the Yas Marina tracks, the car embodied everything the 86 aspired to be – amply powerful, ably responsive and gracefully aggressive. In all fairness, the 86 of course is responsive and graceful in its own way.
Let us hear from the Chief engineer, what was it supposed to feel like. “The all-new GR Supra really reacts the way you want and feels good to drive. I can definitely say that the acceleration delivered by the GR Supra’s straight-six turbocharged engine feels truly exhilarating!” Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada continues: “It’s not about numbers, it’s about the sense of becoming one with the car… We aimed to ensure that the car properly hugs the road surface and delivers excellent stability, offering supreme driving confidence regardless of road surface conditions.”
For a quick flashback, the 1993 Toyota Supra came with two engine options – a 3.0-liter, inline-six, good for 220 horsepower and a twin turbocharged version with a six-speed manual transmission, good for 320-horsepower. The new 2020 Toyota Supra stays true to the predecessor’s front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The new engine is a longitudinally-mounted 3.0 L in-line turbocharged six-cylinder engine, delivering 335 horsepower and a full 500 Nm of torque to the rear wheels. With ample traction, the tyres are mounted on lightweight, forged aluminium 19-inch wheels.
In the new 2020 GR Supra, Toyota set out to create a sports car that provides a pure driving experience, with a high focus on safety and ease of use. The rich experience of Toyota’s in-house racing department, Gazoo Racing (GR), competing at the Nurburgring since 2007, contributed to its first global model.
With an eight-speed transmission and instant shifts from the sports-orientated calibration, drivers can switch between the steering-mounted paddle shifts on the racetrack and settle for the ease of the automatic while on a cruise.
Watch the Yas Marina Circuit launch video in the window or click here to watch on Drivemeonline channel.
Await the real road review soon.
A peek from the past
The new Supra is a beautiful car. The bits and remnants from earlier models could spilt opinions but the Toyota’s classic 2000GT ‘James Bond’ car, the fourth gen Supra and the Toyota 86 seem to visually present there in varying degrees. Compact, taut proportions make the body appear wrapped over the large wheels, with minimal overhangs front and rear so as not to visually weigh down the car. A long bonnet and a cab-back driving position from the past Supras and even the 2000 GT is also present, as is the sloping bonnet and curvaceous fenders converging into the signature headlamps.
The cockpit has ample space and the leather seats are quite snug and sporty. They keep your body in place in corners, which is a good thing because there is no strap or grip to hold on to. The 8.8-inch full-colour display is easily at reach.
Creature comforts and expressions of passion both mark the cabin. A multifunctional three-spoke sports steering wheel, normal and sport driving modes and sports pedals celebrate the passion while comfort is marked by dual-zone air-conditioning, a 12-speaker JBL sound system, push start button, and a head-up display for the driver to see important information ahead of him or her. In the exterior as well, the 2020 GR Supra feature a dual sports exhaust, adaptive LED lights, smart keyless entry and body-coloured details as standard.
Safety and assistance
Unlike the Toyota 86, rather unlike most Toyotas, the Supra comes equipped with front, side, curtain and driver’s knee airbags, as well as driver assistance technologies that make driving easier and safer. Tech includes adaptive cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring, blind-spot warning, lane change assist, traffic sign recognition, a rear-view camera and more. This is where the Supra is a far cry from the Toyota 86, which is a fine, sporty example but it left one too many things to be wished for.
Eight new, exciting colours including the newly developed Matte Storm Gray Metallic, a matte finish with a hint of blue. Interiors: Newly developed Ignition Red or classic Black colour schemes, which is offset with Carbon Ornament.
This Toyota is a BMW
This is no grapevine whisper. There is so much of the German marque in the Supra that it simply cannot be hidden away or ignored. Right from the trapezoid central screen and the fonts on the screen or the buttons; from the metallic door handles to the console buttons, and even the 3.0L inline 6 (or the 2.0L turbo engine where it is available)… there is a great bit of BMW in the interiors of Supra. One place where it seems to be well hidden is the steering built around the Toyota emblem. The chassis and the ZF 8 speed transmission are yet another shared asset. However, what is interesting is that both brands have assured that their respective car will drive with its specific characteristics and won’t be a mere clone of the other. To begin marking the differences, the Z4 is a convertible while the Supra is a coupe.
The price
At AED 233,000 for the 3.0L Supra, the price is the first reassurance that comes across as right about this car. To know what I mean, sit in a new BMW Z4 cabin and then ask the price. You will love the Supra more than ever!
