Ed’s letter

HAS THERE BEEN A MORE FRUSTRATING LAUNCH OF A NEW CAR THAN THE FIFTH-GEN SUPRA? IF YOU’VE BEEN HOPELESSLY CAUGHT UP IN THE HYPE OF TOYOTA’S REBORN HERO, LIKE I HAVE, IT’S LIKELY THAT THE FIRST STORY YOU’LL READ IN THIS MONTH’S MAG IS OUR INTERNATIONAL DRI

Be warned, however: further irritation may ensue. While we have indeed driven it (finally!), the review on p56 isn’t of the production-ready car, but a camouflaged testing mule still undergoing final engineering sign-off. This has me genuinely worried. Not because our early taste was underwhelming – Ryan Lewis’s review shows there’s plenty of goodness lurking beneath that bamboozling paintwork and felt-covered cabin – but because by the time it finally arrives next year, the risk is that the Supra could have successfully and spectacularly executed the automotive equivalent of jumping the shark.

We’ve seen this before, of course. Drawn-out and agonisingly protracted vehicle-reveal schedules are nothing new. But while manufacturers the departments who’ll argue everything is running according to plan, but as if in stark contrast, this month threw up an example of how to launch a car with zero forewarning. If you’re a subscriber, it’s the Martini-liveried stunner that graces your cover, and one that sent journalists, enthusiasts, racers and celebrities into a frenzy: Porsche’s reborn 935.

A modern day Moby Dick (read more on p14) might be about as relevant as protecting a nonexistent local industry by retaining the Luxury Car Tax, but there’s no denying the impact it made when it appeared, in full, on the German brand’s website and social channels. A feat achieved without a single ‘teaser image’.

Unlike the fantastical and unattainable Porsche, however, what the Supra has going for it is its accessibility. Sure, it will cost twice as much as an