2020 Toyota GR Supra

Any new vehicle that wears the Supra badge has big shoes to fill. Fortunately, the all-new fifth-generation Supra doesn’t disappoint.

After 17 years cooling its turbos on ice and nearly a decade teasing its return, Toyota finally revived its ultimate street machine, the Supra. A legend in its own time, the Supra earned a reputation as one of the most respected street racers ever built. It also enjoyed icon-status as the hero car in the first installment of the “The Fast and the Furious” movie franchise starring the late Paul Walker. 

There’s been a clear progression of design language beginning with the earliest tease of the new Supra that starts with the 2007 FT-HS concept and runs through 2017’s FT-1 concept vehicle. The resulting vehicle is a mashup of both concepts plus the fourth-generation model. But the 2020 vehicle remains a two-seater short-wheelbase coupe with a powerful inline-six engine powering the rear wheels.

Purists are baffled, however, over the joint development of the current Supra by Toyota and rival BMW. In fact, many of the car’s underpinnings are identical to the German automaker’s Z4 Roadster. The cross-pollination is most evident in the Supra’s cabin. The badging might all say “Toyota,” but everything from the dashboard touchscreen to the center console has been shopped from the BMW parts bin. 

The cabin is a bit tight, but that makes sense. Like a jet fighter’s cockpit, the car’s cabin wraps around driver and passenger, immersing them in the driving experience.

When it comes to convenience features, the Supra has either a 6.5-inch display or an 8.8-inch touchpad infotainment interface. Given the snug nature of the cabin, the touchpad is within reach, but a handy control dial on the center console offers an alternative input source. A 10-speaker sound system is standard, but the Premium trim features a 500-watt 12-speaker JBL audio experience. It also has a Qi-compatible wireless charging pad with a thoughtful phone pocket.

Another useful storage opportunity to stow belongings is the 10.2 cubic foot space (about the size of a small duffle bag) behind the front seats.

Beneath the Supra’s hood is a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine that produces 335 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque, an ample amount of power for a car this size and weight (a mere 3,397 pounds). Power is routed to the rear wheels by way of an eight-speed automatic transmission. Toyota claims the Supra can rocket from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, though some are reporting even faster launch times.

Regardless, the car is wonderfully quick. A convenient “sport” button acts as a shortcut to drive mode settings, quickening the throttle response and transmission behavior while stiffening the steering and shocks. It all rides on a multi-link rear suspension and a double-joint MacPherson strut front setup.

Put it all together, and the new Supra is the street rocket everyone hoped it would be. The power delivery is fantastic. The rear-end feels light and active and the steering is sharp, allowing for rapid-fire adjustments through a succession of curves. Braking in the Supra is as quick as it needs to be to keep up with the action, so not a lot of time on the pedal is required to balance speed and weight distribution. On the track, the Supra puts its talents to good use, communicating its behavior predictably. While there are moments when the back end wants to slide out, it asks for a lot of permission before doing so.

Bottom line, it’s a sports car, and it feels like one even when not driven at speed.