Toyota builds on its sports car heritage with brand-new Supra

TOYOTA kicked off 2019 with the car that had been four long years in the making – the all-new Supra. The much-anticipated successor to the last Supra that arrived in 1993 had been the subject of years of rumours, teasers and online speculation, but we got our first look at the new model at January’s Detroit Motor Show.

Despite Toyota being one of the world’s biggest automotive manufacturers, the car was developed in conjunction with BMW and the new Z4. Both models share the same chassis, engine and hardware in order to keep costs down – sales of two-door sports cars are relatively small, so both companies had to find a suitable partner in order to make their respective projects viable.

The new Supra measures in at 4,379mm in length, 1,292mm in height and 1,854mm in width, making it longer, lower and wider than a Toyota GT86. The wheelbase is shorter, however, and the tyres are wider, which Toyota said was designed to give a sharper and more engaging driving experience. Toyota’s Gazoo Racing team also helped develop the Supra to ensure the model could deliver the best-possible performance on road and on track.

The shape and overall look of the new Supra are reminiscent of those of the 1993 car, but they’ve been modernised with slender LED headlamps and sharper, more aggressive bodywork. However, there are also some additional retro touches in the mix, such as the ‘double-bubble’ roof – a nod to the Toyota 2000GT from the sixties.

Inside, though, it’s a different story; the cabin design and overall architecture are virtually identical to those found in the BMW Z4. The same steering wheel, infotainment system and dashboard can also be seen in the Z4 roadster.

All Supras sold in Europe are powered by – you guessed it – a BMW-sourced turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder, which puts out 335bhp and 500Nm of torque. As standard it’s paired with an eight-speed ZF auto box that sends power to the rear wheels. Toyota says that makes it good for a 0-62mph time of 4.3 seconds and a 155mph top speed.

Under the skin, the Supra also features an active differential, which is operated by a dedicated control unit. This is able to monitor a variety of vehicle parameters from throttle input to chassis yaw rate, and then adjust the amount of torque between the rear wheels in order to maximise both traction and performance.