First Drive: Toyota Supra - What's in a name?

By Lawrence Minnie

Why does the mere mention of the Supra name evoke such emotion in people? We went on the local launch of the latest incarnation of Toyota's legendary sports car to find out why this new car has caused such a stir.

A Supra as sweet as any other 

Toyota's sports car recipe is a simple one, Take an inline six-cylinder engine, put it into a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive chassis with 50:50 weight distribution and make it handle and you have an icon on your hands.

The Toyota Supra nameplate has come a long way since its first inception back in the late 70's. Its mystique has grown over time culminating in the legendary MKIV Supra of the late 90's early 2000's. Yes that one, the one that we never got here in SA.

I am probably going to upset a few people by saying this but the 4th Gen Supra was actually not that good. It was overweight, had sloppy suspension and handled like a cruise ship, throw in the fact that the famous 2JZ GTE engine had been severely de-tuned to meet regulations and it was not a very good sports car. Sure the styling was on point and it looked the part but that would be no help when you were wanting to take on the likes of Porsche and BMW.

Some say, that the Supra's legendary status is actually all thanks to the aftermarket tuning world. They saw the potential in the 4 and once they had gotten done with it, it became a fire breathing supercar eater. Small engine modifications produced incredible power from the engine, handling was greatly improved by fettling the suspension and taking out some of the bulky interior, changed the weight distribution and had a major effect on the driving dynamics.

So that explains why the Supra has such a special place in peoples hearts and minds and probably why the arrival of the new 5th Gen Supra has sparked so much controversy.

My kingdom for a sports car

Ever since we first saw the first leaked images of the FT-01 concept that would eventually become the A90, we were enthralled, A new Supra! Praise be to the automotive gods! Only then to find out that Toyota would be building it on a BMW platform. OH NO's!! How can it be a Supra if those pesky Germans have had a say in the matter? A Supra has to be 100% Japanese for it to actually be a Supra!

Well folks, it may be hard to accept but everything that the Supra has become is actually our fault.

People want sports car's but they don't buy them, they want manual transmissions, but then don't buy them, they want big engines and more power, but then don't buy them. Couch-drivers and keyboard-warriors bemoan the fact that car makers don't make cool, affordable sports cars anymore and then one does, they don't go out and buy it! This leaves the manufacturer seriously out of pocket and having to explain to the board why the company is now bankrupt.

It costs an insane amount of money to build a car from scratch, the research and development costs alone can balloon into billions.

What is an auto manufacturer to do? Well, you work together with someone else to make a product that suits both of your target audiences.

In this case, it was BMW, who had also been toying around with the idea of a new Z4, so the engineers all got together in a room and had a brain storing party, they all decided what they were going to use, left and the didn't speak to each other for 5 years.

The end result of this entire exercise was the new BMW Z4 and off course the new Toyota Supra, two sports cars for the R&D cost of one.

Now I have had the pleasure of driving both and I am here to tell you why, even though they share A LOT of parts and systems, they are completely different cars.

A BMW by any other name 

The MK V or A90 Supra, uses the same platform as the BMW Z4. This means that a whole bunch of BMW stuff has found its way into the Supra as well, besides the obvious chassis, engine, transmission and suspension there is also switchgear, screens and buttons.

This lends the Supra and air of familiarity. It does look and has the same touch as a BMW but that is pretty much where it ends. Toyota engineers may have raided the BMW parts bin but have managed, incredibly so to make this all theirs.

Once you press the start button and the all too familiar BMW exhaust note hits you, the car settles down and the traces of BMW begin to fade.

This is where I begin to talk about the feel of the drive, driving by the seat of your pants, so to speak.

Pulling away and climbing through the gears there is sure-footedness that is hard to describe. The car seems planted and stuck too the road. When pushing into a long sweeping bend you never feel as if the rear end may break loose. This inspires a great deal of confidence and one can quite easily conduct a nondescript conversation while travelling at speeds that would see you go straight to jail.

The Supra is quick, make no bones about it. This is thanks to the BMW made B58 turbocharged, inline 6 cylinder engine mated to the 8 speed ZF transmission. You have a very torquey 250kW and 500Nm at your disposal that propels the Supra at a very brisk pace but it never feels out of control.

Piloting the Z4 required all of your concentration as even at a slower pace you still get the distinct impression that if you stopped paying attention things could go very wrong.

Where the Z4 felt twitchy and nervous even at lower speeds on twisty roads, the Supra felt stable and assured.

What sports cars are made off

On the outside, the Supra is slick and stylish it what can only be described as seductive. A sweeping side profile leading into the stylised bonnet, the double-bubble roof sloping back into that sexy rear end swoop ensure that Supra does not go unnoticed. Propriety 19-inch wheels, 6 lens led headlights and an F1 inspired brake light round off some of the exterior touches.

Even though there is a lot of BMW DNA in the interior, Toyota has basically touched and reconfigured everything to make it their own. The beautiful red on black leather and Alcantara seats are supportive yet comfortable, the red leather also travels along the centre console, door card and dash to create a "pod" for the driver, a stylistic nod to the previous generations fighter pilot cockpit feel.

Toyota has also integrated much of their own technology into the Supra, systems such as their Safety Sense driver assistance package play a huge role in making this feel like a Toyota.

Another factor that I find hugely appealing is the fact that Toyota, much like in the past, has left the door open for aftermarket tuning.

There is so much scope for upgrading and customising this new Supra. They have made provision for this in small things like the " fake" vents all over the bodywork that do in fact lend themselves to a future aerodynamic and or cooling function later down the road.

There will be Gazoo Racing aftermarket accessories available down the line that will enable you to make your Supra as unique as you are.

All of this is very apparent in the model line up and pricing.

Toyota is acutely aware of who is going to buy the Supra and why. That is why they have released a Track version purely for people who are going to forego their warranty, fettle the car and go racing as soon as they can. The Track version has had many of the luxury items removed and is a bare-bones model ready to be put to task.

The others are basically just paint options depending on the look you want.

Pricing

Toyota GR Supra Track version                   -       R 953 000

Toyota GR Supra (Prominent Red)              -       R 1 072 300

Toyota GR Supra (All Metallic colours)        -       R 1 082 300

Toyota GR Supra (Storm matte Grey)          -       R 1 092 300

Verdict

In short, the MKV is absolutely a worthy successor to the Supra nameplate. Yes, it shares a lot with a BMW but Toyota has done plenty of its own tuning to make it perform and, most importantly, drive like a Toyota sports car should. 

It is actually unfair to ask it to compete with the Z4 as in actual fact it doesn't even stray into that segment. The A90 Supra is set to take on the likes of the BMW M2 and Porsche Cayman, as these German brands have always been in their crosshairs. It is well priced to do just that and the styling and final drive rivals some of the best I've driven.

I do hope that the Toyota finds the success that it so richly deserves with the new Supra so that we may continue to see the Supra name on future vehicles.