LONG-TERMERS

Our Supra hits the track and squares up to a rival in the form of Audi’s TT RS. Which circa-£55k coupe would we choose? Place your bets

Our Toyota GR Supra has been squaring up to a German rival, two of our Porsche 911s have received upgrades, and both the Audi RS7 Sportback and Dacia Duster have departed

I’VE JUST SUCKERED A GOPRO TO the Supra’s nose. Deputy editor Adam Towler is in front of me in the equally yellow Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition that led our Driven section last month, and we’re ready to record some high-speed car-to-car video.

Adam exits the pitlane of Bedford Autodrome’s West Circuit and heads out onto the cold and lightly moist track in the Cup 2-shod front-wheel-drive hot hatchback. I’m close behind in the 335bhp rear-wheel-drive coupe, progressively putting my foot down in third gear when – snap! – the Toyota’s rear wheels are spinning and its back end has bolted sideways. And Towler? Well, he’s gone.

Aside from helping me to look a bit

foolish in front of my colleagues, the Supra has just reconfirmed to me that it may have something of a traction issue. I catch up with Adam (who charitably slows down to give me a fighting chance), but for the next three laps the Honda surges ahead out of every single bend. When we return to the pitlane, editor Gallagher looks unimpressed and jumps into the Toyota to find out if my excuses wash. Two laps later he’s back and considerably more sympathetic. Phew. It’s not just me then.

At this point I quickly surmise that the Audi TT RS we’ve brought along to compare with the Supra might make the better chase car. And indeed it does.

In our time with the GR Supra, regular keeper Ian Eveleigh has proclaimed a