Toyota Supra 2019 Review - carsales.com.au (2024)

If you aren’t across the born-again Toyota Supraby now then get out from under that rock! It’s the tuner favourite reborn, but this time as a co-production between Toyota and BMW.

Toyota gets the Supra coupe, BMW gets the Z4 roadster. The core architecture is BMW-supplied and so is the 250kW/500Nm 3.0-litre engine and the ZF eight-speed auto that goes with it.

You can see plenty of BMW appointments and controls visible within the Supra’s cabin and the two cars are even built alongside each other at the Magna Steyr plant in Austria.

But Toyota has long insisted Supra is its own creation when it comes to drivetrain, electronic limited-slip diff, traction and stability control, suspension tuning and – of course – that striking exterior.

Seriously, could you get anything less Germanic? It’s not classically attractive, but it’s amazingly muscular and overt, bulges rippling out over the wheels and long aluminium bonnet sloping into a Prost-like proboscis.

There are complexities, folds and faux vents that would make European lovers of Bauhaus efficiency shudder, but who cares?

And the whole thing is so small. It’s just 4379mm long and rides on a shorter 2470mm wheelbase than its little brother, the Toyota 86, which is the previous product of legendary Supra chief engineer Tetsuya Tada.

He watched on at this week’s Australian media launch, which was based out of the wonderful Phillip Island MotoGP track, where the A60 Supra was first launched in Australia in 1983.

Tada wasn’t shy about sharing his views while he was there, including his disdain for the concept of a Supra hybrid.

So here we’re focussing on the upper-spec Toyota Supra GTS model, which is priced at $94,900 plus on-road costs. It’s been ordered by more than 80 per cent of buyers so far in Australia, leaving the cheaper $84,900 GT deep in the sales shade.

All-up, such are the global demand and supply constraints, no more than 300 Australian buyers will get their hands on Supras between now and next July.

If you can’t get hold of one of them, then there’s no shortage of potential rivals in this price range, from rumbling American V8s to high-strung European performers, including the wonderful BMW M2 Coupe. See the links at the bottom of the story.

By the way, if you’re wondering what the GR denotes that’s GAZOO Racing. Think of it as Toyota’s version of Ford Performance. It develops both road and racing cars and has plans for a phalanx of hot-rods including obvious targets like a Corolla hot hatch and less obvious ones, like a GR RAV4.

In Australia the GR brand has been promoted on the side of the Corollas rallied by various members of the Bates family. Supra kicks off the road car program.

We’ve gone through the pricing, equipment and options list here, but just to briefly reprise both grades receive Toyota Safety Sense driver assistance features, which includes adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assistance with cyclist detection, lane-departure alert and auto high-beam.

Traffic sign recognition is also fitted, along with blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring and seven airbags.

Supra GT models are equipped with Brembo brakes, LED lights front and rear, heated and folding wing mirrors, 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and ignition, heated and eight-way adjustable leather-accented seats, a self-dimming mirror and inductive phone charging.

The GTS adds head-up display, 19-inch alloy wheels and a premium JBL audio system with 12 speakers. The Supra is also available with a choice of two option packages: an Alcantara interior trim package or ‘Nurburg’ matte grey paint option at $2500 apiece.

Along with Monza Red, the matte grey has proved by far the most popular of the seven colours on offer in Australia.

There is no sign of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but we understand that oversight is being corrected as soon as possible. Let’s hope so, because my five-minute battle to pause a podcast, make a phonecall and then restart the podcast from where I left off was the stuff of nightmares.

There is no spare tyre – no shock that – or an ANCAP crash test rating. Again, no surprise.

The GR Supra is protected by Toyota’s five-year/unlimited-km warranty and capped-price servicing, which comes out at $380 every 12 months for five years.

The Toyota Supra launch drive program consisted of two distinct segments, both in the GTS; a couple of hot laps around Phillip Island and then a couple of hours on the wonderful roads in the mainland hinterland across the Sane Remo bridge. Don’t tell anyone, but they really are fantastic!

Before we get rolling, the first challenge is to get into the Supra. It really is easy to knock your head on the top of the door opening, especially with a helmet on.

Settle into the heavily bolstered driver’s seat and it’s clear Toyota has focussed its interior design work around the driver. Makes sense. There’s a single analogue dial for the tacho (6500rpm redline) taking up prime space in the instrument panel, with a digital speedo to its left.

The reach and rake adjustable steering wheel is dominated by a huge centre boss with Toyota logo. Down to the left there is a pronounced rest on the centre console for left-knee support when cornering.

Move to the centre stack and BMW takes over. The 8.8-inch touch-screen at the top of the dashboard and the graphics it contains; the favourites button underneath; the climate controls; the iDrive controller on the centre console, even the gearshift. All look straight from Munchen.

Unsurprisingly, there’s very little storage within the cabin, while the 290-litre space under the composite hatch will take a couple of soft bags and that’s about it.

The next challenge is actually seeing anything come from your left. Sat at a T-intersection, this car has the worst B-pillar blind spot I’ve ever experienced. Someone said the Nissan GT-R is worse. Elite company that’s for sure.

Anyway, no need to check left when tootling out of pitlane onto Phillip Island’s main straight. We’d been warned about a cold track and cold tyres beforehand, so it was a cautious opening tour. But the surface was dry, the sun was shining and the Michelin Pilot Super Sports quickly came up to temp.

This was more a high-speed cruise than a banzai qualifying run. The Supra took it all in its stride, hitting an indicated 230km/h down the front straight and happily rolling into turn one at 150km/h, yet also snaking through the closing tight-right MG just as comfortably. The GTS had the happy knack of feeling both stable and manoeuvrable.

Left to its own devices in sport mode, the automatic found the right gear at the right time almost every time. When the flappy paddles were engaged I almost immediately ran the engine into the red. Back to software control!

The roads of south-west Gippsland have exposed the shortcomings of many cars over the years. The Supra is not one of them, but they do show up its intriguing mix of philosophies.

That BMW engine is so smooth you sometimes don’t appreciate how fast you are going until you check the speedo. With peak torque kicking in from 1600rpm there’s no holes at the bottom. In sport mode there’s pleasing pops and crackles on the over-run, but it still didn’t feel as animated and aggro as expected beforehand.

It’s crazy to suggest something with a bit more harshness or vibration would be better than this turbine of an engine, but it might be bit more involving.

For the record, the official claim is 0-100km/h in 4.3 sec (not 4.4, as has been widely reported) with the aid of launch control. That feels achievable. A 7.7L/100km fuel consumption claim less so.

The chassis is the opposite experience of the engine. Don’t bother winding the adaptive dampers or electric-assist rack-and-pinion steering up to sport mode from normal unless you’re on a track. On a rough road the ride is pounding, while heaving the car around tight turns requires just too much effort.

The Toyota Supra GTS is still harsh in normal mode but liveable, while the steering is just about weighted right. You can mix and match so the drivetrain is in sport at the same time and that combo works the best.

Then you can appreciate how well this things steers and handles. It dives into corners beautifully, rotating flatly on its short axis just like Tada promised. Yet it’s also stable in a straight line at high-speed. It’s a lovely balance aided by the 50:50 weight distribution.

It’s easy to feel you’re riding in a 1950s speed boat, sitting way back in the cabin with that long, long bonnet disappearing into the distance. There’s plenty of road noise drumming through from the 275/35 rear tyres. It can be very loud in here, heading toward Porsche 911 LOUD.

It’s fantastic that Toyota has had the balls to deny its own conservatism and build the Supra, and even more impressive it’s been willing to enter into a joint-venture with a rival car manufacturer to make it happen.

One of the best things about the Supra is it has real depth to its driving character. Our track and road time suggested there was still much here to be unearthed and understood. It’s the sort of car that demands to be driven for the sake of it.

For the 300 people who will take delivery of Supras in Australia in the coming months that’s an enticing prospect.

It’s a really cool car -- certainly not perfect and certainly not for everyone, but deserving of every skerrick of attention it garners in these crowded automotive times. One of the highlights of 2019.

How much does the Toyota Supra GTS cost?
Price: $94,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 250kW/500Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.7L/100km
CO2: 177 g/km
Safety rating: N/A

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