Toyota’s latest Supra isn’t without flaws, but it was well worth the time going into bed with BMW.
Many makers love to sell sports cars because they help build brand image and bring younger customers into showrooms. But the tough part is getting the numbers right.
That’s why Toyota had to turn to Subaru when it wanted a price-affordable coupe nearly 10 years back. The result was the 86/BRZ twins which are now fast-aging in their current generations.
So Toyota thought it was probably time to get another sports car into action to satisfy driving enthusiasts looking for, just like the 86, a rear-wheel drive coupe. Thanks to Toyota’s top boss being a car buff, the Supra has been revived after a 17-year gestation.
But, as said earlier, building a business case isn’t easy for racy cars selling in far smaller numbers than sedans or SUVs. But rather than cooperating with Subaru again, Toyota crossed over to Europe to flirt with BMW.
The Munich-based luxury carmaker couldn’t be a better partner because this particular German brand is greatly known for its straight-six engine – a key ingredient of every single generation of the Supra dynasty.
And because hardware is expensive to make, Toyota has also decided to take the gearbox and platform technology from BMW which, in this case, is underpinning the latest Z4.
Part of the agreement is that the Z4 will solely be a soft-top roadster and Supra a fixed-top coupe, both with only two seats.
And for some relevance, Toyota’s new coupe is called GR Supra in full with those initials standing for the brand’s Gazoo Racing motorsport programme.
But while they mostly share a common skeleton, Toyota has done a good job with the GR Supra’s sheet metal by making it look totally unrelated to the Z4 if you view both cars on the outside. Actually, the GR Supra looks like no other sports car around.
Early reviews around the world have criticised the GR Supra for looking quirky. But in the eyes of this writer, the GR Supra looks genuinely distinctive.
As well, there’s a whiff of the A80 predecessor from some angles which is to say that Toyota has actually made a good effort with the GR Supra’s design which includes wavy roof, spoiler integrated into the boot lid and surface slashes here and there.
The same could not be said for the interior. Sure, the GR Supra is marked out with different bucket seats, dashboard and instrument display, there’s still too many immediate evidence of BMW such as the steering wheel, gear lever, foot pedals, door handles, console switches and infotainment controller.
Cost surely was a hindrance, but it would have been nice if the customer doesn’t get to see these; bits from other upmarket Toyotas or Lexuses might work better.
The GR Supra is a strict two-seater featuring a liftback-style boot lid like in several other sports cars competing in the circa-five million baht price bracket of the Thai market. Possibly the most direct rival for the GR Supra is the Nissan 370Z, which is aging terribly in its current generation.
Due to its raked roofline, getting in and out of the GR Supra might be an issue for some people. Even if the boot cover opens widely, a full-size golf bag will only fit if it is placed longitudinally towards the centre console (there’s no partition). Surely, this is not how you would like to drive around.
Forget about 18 holes and the GR Supra is almost one of the best sports cars to drive in a gently varied class. If we’re talking about a front-engined and rear-drive genus, Toyota’s sibling of an already excellent German roadster is showing the way when it comes to the handling and ride balance.
The GR Supra and Z4 have very similar suspension settings, despite some testers insisting that the former has a softer setup. This is certainly a good thing then because we find the GR Supra to handle just as crisply as the Z4 around the Sugo racetrack in Sendai.
And out on the public roads of this Japanese prefecture, the GR Supra feels more refined thanks to it featuring a fixed-top roof. You can feel the firmly sprung suspension, but it hardly irritates and manages to iron out surface irregularities with enough compliance. Yes, the Supra has a more balanced chassis than in the Ford Mustang.
Speaking of that, the GR Supra tends to feel very delicate around corners thanks to a thinner steering rim nicked from the BMW 2 Series MPV; the Z4 has a chunkier M-specific variation which takes out some feel from the car’s handling.
In the usual fashion of most BMWs, the GR Supra has a 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution which can be felt when going hard into corners.
If it can’t beat one sports car in terms of driving precision and fun, it would probably be the mid-engined Porsche 718 Cayman, a benchmark for the GR Supra during its development led by a chief engineer who was also responsible for the similarly sized but less powerful and cheaper 86. But as a front-engined sports car for the real world, the GR Supra does things well.
Performance-wise, the GR Supra goes like in the Z4: fast in a straight line, sumptuously punchy in the mid-ranges and tuneful when the Sport mode is engaged (that also clearly beefs up other driving parameters like the dampers, steering and powertrain responsiveness).
The motor is no other than the B58-coded 3.0-litre single-turbo inline-six from BMW producing 340hp and 500Nm of torque.
The GR Supra doesn’t have the most powerful engine around, but it is suitably fitted with one that doesn’t feel underpowered at all. It’s only when you tackle the track seriously to note how the chassis can handle a little more of poke.
But this is good enough to make the four-pot 718 Cayman and Jaguar F-Type feel less fiery and soulless.
The GR Supra is only available as an automatic which isn’t a bad thing, although we’d still prefer a dual-clutch version rather than the lazier torque-converter variant it is being fitted with. It’s quite inevitable as the Z4 also gets the more laid-back variation.
Toyota has also borrowed the B48-designated 2.0-litre four-potter from BMW producing either 197hp or 258hp for use in this fifth-gen GR Supra.
There wasn't the chance to sample them, but it’s safe to say that they are for priced-led fashionistas. And because of their smaller performances, the four-cylinder Supras don’t get the beefier Brembo brakes fitted onto the six-pot version we’re driving.
Toyota Motor Thailand is only planning imports of the most powerful one in November after previewing the GR Supra at the Bangkok motor show last March. Pricing is yet to be finalised, as well as the allocation for the Thai market.
But executives hope to price it below the Z4 M40i and position the GR Supra as close as possible to the V8-powered Mustang, another sports car icon with an even longer heritage to boast.
Whatever the GR Supra’s price is going to turn out like, fans of this particular Toyota won’t come away disappointed for it is properly distinctive on the skin, fast in the real world and agile when it needs to be. Shame about the interior details that give away its origins too easily.
Arguably the bigger problem for Toyota is whether it can manage to satisfy the Supra’s fanbase because we hear that only a few will be available this year and a couple more in 2020. Demand in the US is said to be high and buyers there must be made happy first, according to marketers at Toyota.
Has Toyota produced a winning sports car here? Pricing aside, the GR Supra is among the best, if not the one, to drive. Better than the edgier Mustang and nearly as civilised as a C43 Coupe from Mercedes-AMG. And you can thank Toyota for partnering with BMW.
