At long last, the Supra is here. One of the longest waits to see a production vehicle is over, and the covers were just pulled off at the Detroit Auto Show. And it doesn't disappoint in terms of power, style, and uniqueness. No more rumors, no more teasers. The 2-door fastback coupe is here with 335 horsepower, rear-wheel drive and some of the best styling we've seen in a sports car to date.
From tip to toe, the new Supra embodies the FT-1 concept incredibly well with its bulbous long hood, twin bubble roof, tapered multi-beam headlights, big intakes and front splitter, large haunches, and the dramatic rear deck spoiler that's big and bold. The fact that it's not muted or watered down makes it Toyota's best-looking car by a huge margin. CEO Akio Toyoda should be proud since he had direct influence here.
The view from the rear three quarters and from the back are just as good, if not better than the other views of this racy sports car. The taillights are simple bu well done with two inner slits and two outer rhomboid units. The twin round exhausts and the rear diffuser flank the multi-beam LED backup lights, all very nice touches that set this car apart from the herd.
Under the hood is an engine from none other than BMW (the new Z4) in the form of a 3.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged inline-six that churns out a significant 335 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque. It's mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, and there's also an active differential to manage torque between the two rear wheels. No word on whether or not there will be a manual transmission, unfortunately.
The car also gets a standard adaptive variable suspension developed by Toyota Gazoo Racing. The Supra gets struts in front and a multi-link setup in the rear, along with electric power steering, 19-inch wheels at all four corners and Brembos all around. It's clear that Toyota wants this to be a truly excellent car to drive based on the specs.
There are two driving modes, which seems a bit strange since most cars with selectable driving modes have four (Eco, Comfort, Normal, and Sport). The Supra has only Normal and Sport. Sport just amps things up with better throttle response, greater steering effort, quicker shifts, and boosts in suspension and exhaust note. Who needs Comfort and Eco with a car like this, anyway?
The interior, though not nearly as beautiful as the cabin of the BMW Z4 with which it shares a platform, is well-executed. The Supra comes standard with leather sport seats and steering wheel, keyless entry, dual climate control, automatic windshield wipers, auto-dimming mirrors, and power folding side mirrors
Like all new Toyotas, the Supra gets a great set of standard safety features that includes forward collision warning, auto emergency braking, lane departure warning with steering assist, road sign recognition, and automatic high beams. Optional features include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert and rear-end collision warning.
There will be two trim levels for the Supra, the 3.0 and the 3.0 Premium. The base car's interior gets a 6.5-inch display and rotary knob control, while the Premium's gets uprgraded to a bigger 8.8-inch touchscreen with navigation, Apple CarPlay, wireless phone charging dock, and a premium 12-speaker JBL audio system.
The base price isn't cheap at $50,920, while the Premium will set you back $54,920. There will be a special Launch Edition of 1,500 units, coming in at an even higher $56,180, but it will come with more features like red mirror caps, special matte black 19-inch wheels, carbon-fiber accents, and a special numbered plaque. All we know is we're glad to see the Supra return in such fine form. It may not be a wholly Japanese car, but it certainly has the makings of a superb sports car.
