A whole year has passed since I first found myself in the drivers seat of the thrilling new Toyota Supra. At the time, the auto community was abuzz with anticipation and excitement over the resurrection of this late 80’s, early 90’s Japanese superstar. Controversy swirled around Toyota handing control of its development over to German luxury titan, BMW. Purists were understandably aghast. Everyone else, myself included, quietly waited to experience the finished product for themselves, careful to withhold judgement.
My time with the Toyota Supra proved beyond a doubt that the collaboration with BMW was a stroke of genius. Sharing the same platform as the Z4 convertible, the Supra uses the highly impressive B58 engine. A 3.0L inline 6 twin turbo, matted to a lightning-quick 8-speed automatic. Say what you want about BMW, but they’ve mastered the art of creating the long-nosed, short-deck sports coupe. The platform helps the new Toyota Supra feel more agile and light-footed than it ever was 20 plus years ago.
So early into its development cycle, you wouldn’t expect big changes the very next year. Yet, here we are, and there’s plenty of compelling developments with the Supra to entice a strong ‘round two’ of buyers. Most noticeable is the availability of an inline-four turbocharged engine for entry level models. Power is still routed to the rear wheels through the same impressive 8-speed automatic transmission. If you still choose the inline-6 twin turbo power plant though, which you should, you’ll notice power seems to be up. That’s because it is. By quite a bit in fact. 382 hp in 2021, up from a mere 335 hp last year. Why you ask? Why not!
Power continues to come on extremely smooth and strong, with the turbocharged whip-lash effect we secretly crave. In short, the Supra remains an absolute blast to drive hard. We do wish it had a 6-speed manual option.The ingress and egress are tricky to maneuver around as you get in and out of the tight fitting interior. Blind spots remain a bit of a problem as well. Lastly, a convertible variation would be a most welcome addition. A move that might be made in the future, as most who’ve experienced the Supra firsthand have no doubt thought to themselves that it’d be great as a convertible. If that’s how you really want it, and simply can’t wait, you’ll have to settle for the BMW Z4 for now. Hardly settling, I know.
The new year introduces surprisingly big changes for the still new Toyota Supra. Way more power, and an entry-level engine option for those not looking to turn every stop-light moment into a ‘Fast and Furious’ cut-scene. The interior remains well-appointed and polished. It still handles itself with surgical precision around the corners. These changes keep the Supra fixed in our sights as one of the most exciting cars available for under 60K at the moment. A reputation, it would seem, that they won’t be letting go of any time soon.
Price as tested: $57,185.00
