Ever since the GR Supra debuted, I thought it was such a cool-looking car. It looks even better in person. That front end looks muscular and menacing. There is an intimidation factor in the front, but the silhouette looks like there are a few too-many design features with various creases and lines. This GR Supra had the Renaissance Red 2.0 paint along with 19-inch aluminum wheels and black mirrors. Looking at the rear, you can see the double-bubble design on the roof and the ducktail spoiler. For those Supra fans, Toyota used the old-school SUPRA badge along with a smaller GR badge.
So remember when I said that Toyota had some help? Well, their savior came from good ol’ BMW. Once you fall into the cabin, you’ll see the first bit of BMW-ness. It’s everywhere. The entire cabin is BMW. Is this bad? Absolutely not! It’s a clean design with a very small 8.8-inch touchscreen. The steering wheel has all of your safety controls with some meaty paddles for the automatic transmission. The gauges are digital, and this Premium trim had a great head-up display. The infotainment is from BMW but it’s older and I just used Apple CarPlay.
As a two-seat coupe, you’d think only people under six-foot can get in. Nope! I had someone that was 6’5”. He was slightly uncomfortable, but that double-bubble design helps because this is a tight cabin. The doors have an odd shape that I banged my head getting in a few times. I understand why Toyota put the cup holders behind the shifter and all the buttons, but it’s at a terrible spot. You will hit your arm on any beverage while you’re driving. Other than that, the cabin is laid out just like most BMWs.
This is a sports car, so let’s get to the good bits. First thing’s first, let’s bring back BMW and thank them. The 3.0-liter inline-6 and automatic come from BMW and these are some good bits. The engine produces 382-horsepower and 368 lb-ft. It may not seem like awe-inspiring power until you drive it. 0-60 MPH is 3.8 seconds but man it feels faster than that. Just do a quick jab of the throttle and it will lunge. I usually used the paddle shifters, but the transmission does a good job doing its own thing. When driving around neighborhoods and towns, it’s docile.
When you want to have fun, you press the Sport button. Don’t worry, Toyota made sure you knew which button was Sport since it’s massive. You want to drive in Sport. Here, the Supra pops and bangs. Everything tightens up and the engine becomes rowdier. I wouldn’t recommend leaving your house at 6:00 AM with the Supra in Sport mode. Unlike a few Sport modes, there’s quite a difference in every aspect of driving. I couldn’t launch the Supra, but I blame BMW.
I may not have launched the Supra, but I did swing it around some corners. Wow. I mean wow, this is one of the best-handling cars I’ve ever driven. Find some good corners in Sport and you’ll be smiling. I was smiling quite a bit when I was in the Supra. When driving at higher speeds, the car feels so planted you feel like you’re going 40 when you’re doing more than 40. The Supra has so much power that in any situation, you can just brute force accelerate away. When you look at the Supra, it doesn’t exactly say “subtle”, but I don’t think certain people know how quick this is.
There were a few negatives when driving. The door mirrors are small, and visibility is terrible. The steering should be lighter when trying to park, and there’s basically no space in the cabin. The infotainment system screen is tiny and has an even tinier Apple CarPlay display. Even with those negatives, positives for the Supra far outweigh them. Part of those positives was just daily driving. It passed every test I had from Chicago traffic to suburban traffic. This is a car that knows it’s fast and wants to go fast but can be docile. It almost feels like an affront to buy a Supra and not take it on the track.
Pricing for the Supra lineup is quite simple. This has the larger 3.0 inline-6 and is the Premium Trim. Some of the niceties you get over the standard 3.0 include wireless charging, a heads-up display, and heated seats. There’s only one option the Supra can have and this car did. It’s the $1,200 Drive Assist Package. This has radar cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and parking sensors. If you’re already shelling out $54,500, you may as well as add this option. All-in, this Supra came in at around $57,000.
If it was my money, I’d say go all-in with the car I had. There’s a mustard-looking paint called Nitro Yellow that looks great. The Supra is an outstanding vehicle. It handles so well and performs the duties of a sports car to a tee. This is a car that wants to make you smile and it will. Just remember that it’s really low and not easy to get in or out of. Toyota did an amazing job with the Supra and is the most anti-Toyota there is…because it’s mostly BMW.
Some Nerdalicious Stats
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