What’s the spec?
The Supra is a good £20k pricier than Toyota’s other sports car, the GT-86, and it is 139mm longer, which you’d expect. But it’s wheelbase is actually 100mm shorter, and the Supra is purely a two-seater, not a two-plus-two like the GT86. There’s also nothing to separate your luggage from the front of the cabin. So while this is a pleasingly compact package, which bodes well for agile handling, in many ways the GT-86 is the more practical choice.
If you’re thinking you’d save the £20k and take the GT-86, remember the cheaper Toyota gets a four-cylinder engine where the Supra has a peach of a turbocharged BMW 3.0-litre straight six feeding 330bhp to the rear wheels. An eight-speed automatic with paddleshifts on the steering wheel is the only choice for now.
What’s it like inside?
If the exterior design shouts Japanese sports car, settling into the low-slung sports seat is initially disconcerting because BMW switchgear – air-con controls, infotainment, stalks – has been lifted wholesale. Yes, it feels strange, but it’s actually no bad thing because BMW infotainment is so superior to Toyota’s. And the Supra does at least get a bespoke digital instrument cluster, complete with central rev counter. It’s a big step up in quality compared with the GT-86.
The Supra is also far better equipped as standard than the slightly cheaper Z4 M40i, and comes in two grades: standard, or the Pro we’re testing, which gets leather, a head-up display and a 12-speaker JBL stereo for less than £1500. The highly limited A90 special edition is now sold out, but desirable used.
Whatever the spec, the driving position is excellent, and this feels a comfortable, purposeful place from which to give a sports car a work-out.
How does the new Toyota Supra drive?
It delivers a great blend of GT refinement with sports car excitement. Drive at a gentle pace and you’ll notice how comfortably the Supra rides, how luxuriously smooth and flexible its turbocharged engine and eight-speed auto feels, and – on the downsides – that the steering is perhaps a little sterile in feel and that the gear changes are softer than a Porsche PDK dual-clutch transmission.
But the Supra is also deeply impressive when driven much more enthusiastically. The engine seems significantly stronger than 330bhp (mere hot-hatch power these days) suggests, and complements its low-down flexibility with eager response and a muscular pull towards 7000rpm that delivers no shortage of excitement. Even the gear changes feel perfectly quick enough.
The chassis could certainly take more power, but the Supra is also very nicely balanced through sweeping curves, with accurate, quick and nicely weighted steering, strong front-end grip and a highly rear-biased feel. Wind the Supra up and it absolutely delivers the thrills worthy of the badge.
In a nutshell
The Toyota Supra might essentially be a BMW Z4 under the skin – and very obviously in the cockpit – but Toyota has put its own twist on these shared ingredients, and it’s actually the better choice for those wanting a high-performance fix. Most impressive is the way in which the Supra balances the long-distance refinement expected of a GT with the true excitement of a sports car when you up the pace over a favourite B-road. We’ll take ours in black please. View the entire range of Toyota cars for sale on finance with ChooseMyCar.
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If you’re looking for a more traditional sports cars Porsche 718 Cayman T is nicely positioned between the entry-level Cayman and the Cayman S. You also cannot rule out the Porsche 911 Careera 2S Cabriolet as an alternative if you’re looking for a soft-top sports car. With 444bhp you’ll do 0-62mph in an impressive 3.9 seconds.
If you’re interested in something a little more ‘extreme’, then the McLaren 600LT is McLarens most extreme sports series yet. Or there is the McLaren GT, McLaren’s first grand tourer, with a focus on luxury and comfort, this is a great car to drive.
The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante is the convertible version of their range-topping DBS, and with a lightweight carbon fibre body it can do a nifty 0-62mph in a benchmark of 3.6 seconds.
Specs
| Price | £54,000 |
|---|---|
| Drivetrain | 2998cc 24v straight-six turbo, eight-speed auto, rear-wheel drive Performance 330bhp @ 5000-6500rpm, 369lb ft @ 1600-4500rpm |
| 0-62mph | 4.3sec |
| Top Speed | 155mph (Limited) |
| Efficiency | 34mpg, 170g/km CO2 |
| Weight | 1495kg |
| Length/width/height | 4379/1854/1292mm |
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