AS GOOD AS NEW
TOYOTA GR SUPRA Want a reliable GT or a nimble sports car? Jack Warrick invites you to step this way
OUR TOP SPEC
s it a good idea to revive hallowed model names? Toyota certainly thought so in 2019, when it roused the Supra sports coupé after 20 years of dormancy. Mind you, this fifth iteration also wore the Gazoo Racing badge, being the first bespoke car produced for the global market by Toyota’s performance division. Somewhat controversially, the GR Supra was built in collaboration with BMW, being based on the fifthgeneration Z4 roadster. It’s also built at the same Magna Steyr factory in Austria as its German counterpart. It wasn’t just a Bimmer in disguise, though, because Toyota gave the car bespoke tuning.
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PRO Stepping up from the base trim brings additional equipment to liven up the a more conservative interior on both the 2.0 and the 254bhp and 295lb ft 3.0, including plusher seats but is 100kg lighter and an excellent sound so gives a still-quick system from JBL.
The first GR Supra model was powered by BMW’s ‘B58’ turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six, which makes 355bhp and 368lb ft of torque. As a result, it achieved a 0-62mph time of 4.3sec with the help of launch control. This was just enough to challenge the topof-the-class Porsche 718 Boxster GTS, which completed the sprint in 4.5sec. Every car received an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, also taken from the BMW parts bin, offering Normal or Sport driving modes. In 2021, the GR Supra gained the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine from the BMW 330i. This version delivers
0-62mph time of 5.2sec. The 3.0-litre engine is brilliantly engineered, with excellent throttle response and virtually no turbo lag. Meanwhile, the 2.0-litre engine improves the prospect of daily driving by offering up to 38.7mpg while being bubbly in character and allowing the chassis to be slightly more dynamic in corners. That’s not to say the 3.0-litre is in any way boring, mind you. How could it be with a rear that’s happy to indulge silliness? It’s just that
it’s set up to be more a GT than a feisty sports car. While some drivers will miss the involvement of a manual gearbox, the GR Supra’s automatic is supremely smooth – something that can also be said about the overall ride comfort. The GR Supra was launched with two specification levels. The entrylevel trim, simply named GR Supra 3.0, was equipped with 19in wheels, adaptive suspension, Brembo brakes and an active differential. Inside, you get heated Alcantara sports seats, an 8.8in touchscreen, sat-nav, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, keyless ignition and a rear-view camera. The 3.0 Pro accounts for most
BUYER BEWARE
Interior combines Toyota build quality with BMW hardware 70 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 16 MARCH 2022
REMEDIAL WORK Toyota issued a recall for cars built from April 2019 to June 2021 for an engine management software issue that could cause damage to the oil pump or vacuum pump. Cars produced from June 2019 to October 2019 were subject to a recall for a fuel tank that wasn’t welded properly. Helpfully, Toyota has an online tool for checking whether all the necessary recall work has been done on a car. You simply need to enter its registration.
V I B R AT I N G R O D S The steering tie rods on cars built from 13 March and 5 April 2019 can be damaged by vibration if they’ve been incorrectly configured. A recall was issued in late 2020 to fix the issue. T RY T O R E L A X Reliability is good, but once the original three-year warranty is over, you can get Toyota’s 12-month Relax warranty each year until the car is 10 years/100,000 miles old by having it serviced at a Toyota dealer.
