Marc UrbanoAutomobile and Driver
Introduction
We aren’t placing the brand new Toyota Supra although a 40,000-mile long-term take a look at to discover how we really feel about it. We already know that it is fairly good and that we prefer it lots. To see how deep our respect for this killer two-seater goes, simply comply with the editorial breadcrumbs that we have dropped over the previous yr or so.
We heaped reward on the Supra the primary time we drove it. We thought it was sizzling sufficient to pit in opposition to the BMW M2, Ford Mustang Shelby GT350, and Porsche 718 Cayman in a comparability take a look at—after which in opposition to a BMW Z4 roadster in one other shootout. It was so fast in our testing that we strapped it to a chassis dyno to confirm its horsepower ranking, which turned out to be greater than Toyota claimed. We pushed it to the restrict in our 2019 Lightning Lap monitor occasion, the place it impressed. After which we gave it a 10Greatest award, the very best honor we are able to bestow on a brand new car. Now we’re filling within the lacking a part of the image: how this sensible sports activities automotive holds as much as the every day grind.
There is a motive for our heightened curiosity in regards to the Supra’s long-term dependability. Toyotas have a fame for being inconceivable to kill, however this isn’t your common Toyota. It is a combined breed—half BMW, half Toyota. Toyota leveraged BMW on the Supra venture, borrowing what it may from the Z4, a lot to the dismay of dedicated fanboys of previous-generation Supras, who needed the brand new one to once more be pure Toyota.
Every time two corporations with two completely different engineering cultures try and combine their parts and applied sciences, the door opens to potential glitches. Would this joint-venture automotive begin exhibiting points someplace down the figurative and literal highway? That is what we’ll discover out.
Mechanically, the Supra is extra BMW than Toyota. Okay, possibly it is all BMW. Its turbocharged B58 3.0-liter inline-six, ZF eight-speed automated transmission, electronically managed limited-slip differential, steering rack, and suspension parts are from BMW—the identical primary items employed within the Z4 M40i. For 2020, Supras are fitted with a 335-hp model of the B58 inline-six, whereas the Z4 M40i launched with 382 horsepower. For 2021, Supras will get that higher-output engine tune as nicely.
Contained in the Supra’s tomb-dark cabin, you will discover extra BMW gear, together with the German firm’s digital shifter, infotainment controls, and audio switches. Toyota was answerable for the Supra’s exterior and inside design, the engineering of its physique shell, and the way its trip and dealing with was tuned. However the greatest distinction between the 2 automobiles is that the Supra is a hatchback and the Z4 solely comes as a convertible.
Our Downshift Blue Supra is the mid-grade GR (Gazoo Racing) 3.Zero Premium mannequin. Due to a full serving to of normal consolation and comfort options, it is as a lot a grand tourer as it’s a sports activities automotive. Its goodies embrace heated, 14-way power-adjustable seats lined in black leather-based; a head-up show; an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation; automated local weather management; and a 12-speaker JBL audio system. Pre-collision automated braking with pedestrian detection and lane-keeping help are commonplace. To that we added only one main choice: the Driver Help package deal, which brings adaptive cruise management, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert with emergency braking. A carpeted rear cargo mat and wheel locks introduced the $54,945 base worth to $56,285.
When our automotive arrived in mid-February, we tried to suit it with a set of winter tires. It was just about inconceivable to discover a single supply that might present a matched set of high-performance winters within the Supra’s measurement—255/35R-19 in entrance, 275/35R-19 on the rear. Enter Pirelli, who graciously pulled collectively a particular set of Sottozero Serie II’s for us within the appropriate sizes. “These are probably the most performance-oriented, street-legal winter tires obtainable,” Pirelli claims. Certainly, the fronts are designed for the Lamborghini Aventador, whereas the rears are meant for the Aston Martin DB9. Who drives their Lambo or Aston within the snow? We need to meet these individuals. We finally discovered that, between Tire Rack and Summit Racing, you may piece collectively the same set for $1350.
As soon as arrange with the right footwear for foul midwestern winter climate, we eased the Supra by way of its 1200-mile break-in interval, throughout which period engine revs are alleged to be stored under 4500 rpm and the car under 100 mph—each surprisingly arduous to do in a automotive this swift. With its manufacturing facility Michelin Pilot Tremendous Sport summer season tires reinstalled for its preliminary outing on the take a look at monitor, we as soon as once more witnessed efficiency that places the Supra within the firm of some critical high-performance equipment.
Our 3388-pound take a look at automotive rocketed to 60 mph in simply 3.7 seconds and thru the quarter mile in 12.2 seconds at 113 mph. It circulated the skidpad at 1.05 g and stopped from 70 mph in 148 toes. Technical editor David Beard reported that it orbited the 300-foot skidpad with its rear finish sliding as a lot as any automotive he is ever examined. We skilled the identical tail-happy tendency in our earlier assessments, throughout flat-out laps at Virginia Worldwide Raceway (VIR), and on our favourite on-ramps on the winter tires. It is a part of what makes the Supra really feel thrilling and on edge when pushed arduous. However as print director Eric Tingwall stated of his laps within the automotive round VIR, “It may be a bit a lot.” Toyota revised the Supra’s suspension tuning for 2021, and we look ahead to seeing if these modifications make its rear finish much less liable to stepping out.
That exact habits is one thing you will solely see when pushing the Supra to its limits. In regular driving, it is candy, encouraging, and enjoyable. It rides nicely sufficient to be a long-distance cruiser. It is agile sufficient to be enjoyable anytime the highway squirms. It is quick sufficient to make you chuckle each time you nail the throttle. The BMW six-cylinder sounds incredible. And its weird-science styling garners loads of consideration. Briefly, the Supra makes you are feeling good. Now we’ll see if its upkeep necessities and day-to-day livability break that spell or improve it.
Months in Fleet: 1 month Present Mileage: 1,798 miles
Common Gasoline Economic system: 23 mpg
Gasoline Tank Dimension: 13.7 gal Noticed Gasoline Vary: 310 miles
Service: $0 Regular Put on: $0 Restore: $0
Harm and Destruction: $0
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