Toyota Supra 2.0
Drive modes done the right way
DRIVE MODES ARE A PART OF NEARLY all modern cars, we know that, but by and large the simpler they are, the better they tend to work. Our Supra is a perfect case in point. When you press the refreshingly big button marked ‘Sport’ near the gear selector, not
that many things change about the car, but the ones that do are all welcome – so long as you find yourself in the right circumstances.
I can’t really be arsed with systems that allow you to alter the nuances of a car’s damping in five different ways depending on what sort of road you’re driving on. I just want comfortable or controlled, aggressive or relaxed – although ideally I’d rather just have the dampers, steering, throttle and brakes all set up to be just right, without requiring any electronic adjustment whatsoever.
But we live in an age in which the perception of value appears to be based upon how many modes and menus there are available. Fortunately, the Supra doesn’t have too many. In default mode its damping is chilled to the point of maybe being a bit too soft, while its throttle and gearbox responses are similarly relaxed. Press the magic button, however, and the damping becomes notably stiffer, the control of the rear end much tighter. True, the ride quality deteriorates a touch but the throttle and gearbox responses both gain an extra snap, while the sound from the normally anodyne 2-litre engine gets more interesting, too. (It needs to.)
It’s a quantifiable transformation that takes place, the Supra feeling not like a different car but like a very different version of the same car, and I quite like that. So much so that, finally, I’m really beginning to gel with it on the dynamic front; I’m starting to enjoy driving it as well as looking at it.
I like that it does damn near 40mpg on longer runs, too, especially given the astonishing price of fuel right now. Things are looking up, as they say.
Date acquired December 2021 Total mileage 4840 Mileage this month 590 Costs this month £0 mpg this month 31.1