Toyota GR Supra

Meaden has finally had his first go in a Supra. Here are his thoughts

‘There’s plenty of torque and an appetite for revs that encourages you to hold on to gears’

I’D NEVER BEEN ANYWHERE NEAR A Supra prior to borrowing the evo Fast Fleeter, but I do recall the grumbling and general whataboutery that centred upon its shared underpinnings with the BMW Z4 when it was launched. It probably helps that I’ve not driven a Z4 either, but I can honestly say that for the whole time I spent with the Supra the Bavarian DNA didn’t bother me in the slightest.

For starters I love the way the Supra looks. The shape is bold and individual in a way that’s unmistakably Japanese. I suspect it also helps that the nameplate means something to me, but isn’t so dear to my heart that I feel the BMW bits are a betrayal. I’m simply pleased to see another powerful rear-drive coupe being made.

The interior clearly owes a lot to BMW, but that’s no bad thing. It looks good, works well and feels decent quality, which is important given the near-£60k price point. The Supra sounds very BMW, too, but given that sound is coming from a smooth and characterful 335bhp turbocharged straight-six I struggle to see that as a bad thing.

One thing I never got comfortable with was the lack of visibility when reversing – it’s a long time since I’ve been in a car that hides its extremities so completely and proves so tricky to reverse with any confidence. Fortunately, though you’re slung low and a long way back in the car, forward visibility is much better and you can place the Supra with accuracy and confidence.

The performance is immediately impressive, with plenty of low and mid-range torque and an appetite for revs that encourages you to hold on to gears. Traction is strong on smooth roads, but if you uncork it on stretches with a few bumps you hear those telltale rev spikes and feel the traction and stability control momentarily catch the car.

The damping can feel a bit lumpy and the steering response is perhaps a fraction too sharp, though I think this sensation is amplified by sitting so far back from the front axle. Still, there’s something pleasingly simple about the way the Supra does what it does, and the demands it places on you to get the best from it.

Given the attention the Yaris is attracting, some might regard the Supra as the ‘wrong‘ GR. You certainly won’t see many of them on the road, but this too is part of the appeal of what is a thoroughly enjoyable and individual car.

Date acquired March 2020 Total mileage 11,612 Mileage this month 301 Costs this month £0 mpg this month 27.1