We’ve known it’s been coming for years now, and we’ve seen prototypes running around for what feels like ages — heck, we drove one last October — but the 2020 Toyota Supra has finally made its official debut at the 2019 Detroit auto show.
Though we got a good sense of the Supra’s literal and figurative contours during that prototype drive (be sure to read our driving impressions here), our first clear look at the car confirms what we suspected: This is shaping up to be a balanced sports tourer that has a visual character wholly unlike that of its platform-mate, the BMW Z4. How successfully it sets itself apart from the BMW on the road or on a closed circuit, however, remains to be seen.
One thing seems to be clear: This is not exactly a modern take on the wild, over-boosted Supra at the center of so many tuner fantasies. There are the obvious things, like the switch from a 2+2 configuration to the pure two-seat layout, and the deletion of the big hoop spoiler on the tail (a far more subtle integrated spoiler takes its place).
Our first impression is that it feels like a fairly mature car; Toyota is billing this car as a premium GT set up for occasional track use. The automaker notes that this is the first global model developed by Toyota Gazoo Racing, which put its stamp on the car throughout the entire development process (and also put a small GR badge on the rear of the car, just below its lightweight composite liftback).
Yet it’s no secret that the Supra shares its bones — and mechanical features like its electronically controlled rear differential — with the upcoming BMW Z4. The powertrain is fundamentally the same in both cars as well, but we expect there to be differences in output, with the Z4 likely getting the edge in power. Until we can try the two out, preferably back to back, we can only speculate as to whether the Gazoo Racing team has succeeded at creating something with a distinctive feel.
In this application, the car’s BMW-sourced 3.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharger-equipped straight-six produces 335 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque. It’s paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission with a launch-control function; there are paddle shifters on the wheel, but that’s as manual as shifting gets. 0-60 mph takes a stated 4.1 seconds, and top speed is limited to 155 mph.
What’s interesting about the new Supra’s specifications is how closely they echo those of the Mark IV Supra, aka the A80 — you know, the one immortalized in “The Fast and the Furious” and currently (and improbably) commanding six-figure prices at auction.
Both are powered by a 3.0-liter inline-six, though gone is the hallowed Toyota 2JZ-GTE. The 2020 Supra is 172.5 inches long on a 97.2-inch wheelbase, with a width of 73 inches and an overall height of 50.9 inches; weight is a stated 3,397 pounds. The A80 was 177.8 inches on a 100.4-inch wheelbase, with a wide of 71.3 inches and a height of 49.8 inches; weight for turbocharged Mark IV Supras was 3,485 pounds. So in an era of model bloat, the 2020 Supra is a little shorter, only a bit wider, and substantially lighter than its immediate predecessor — and it’s packing more power (though, granted, not that much more power) than the 320-hp, 315 lb-ft car that came before it.
But even if it lines up fairly well with its predecessor on paper, it’s going to be a challenge for the new car to live up to its place in the car world’s collective consciousness — especially since so much of the Supra’s legend was penned by the aftermarket. Part of the Mark IV Supra’s appeal was that its 2JZ motor could handle hilarious amounts of boost (and other abuse) before blowing up; ridiculous power was just a big turbo and a tune away. It’s doubtful that this thing will be anywhere near as tunable, but we’d be happy to be proved wrong on that front. Maybe leave the airbrushed graphics and the underglow lights out of it this time around, though.
Visually, the Supra is a clear descendent of the FT-1 concept that (fittingly enough) debuted at the Detroit auto show in 2014, right down to the production car’s coat of red paint. Surprisingly few of the concept car’s design cues were lost in the jump to production — including that cool double-bubble roof — at least on the outside. The FT-1 was, like the Supras of yore, a 2+2; this car, again, is not. Your author overheard a lot of comparisons to the Porsche Cayman while on the stand, but after checking it out in person, we’re not seeing it; it’s curvy, with well-defined rear haunches, but you’re not going to confuse this for anything else on the road.
In addition to the renaissance red 2.0 and phantom matte gray exterior paints seen here, the Supra will be offered in nitro yellow, downshift blue, tungsten silver, absolute zero white, nocturnal black and turbulence gray.
Unlike the exterior, the interior looks like it came straight out of Munich. From the dash design to the infotainment interface to all the switchgear to the gear selector, everything a cursory inspection reveals seems like it’s shared with the Z4 save for the seat covers and the logo on the steering wheel. When it comes to relatively niche-market enthusiast-oriented cars, this may well be the new norm, especially given the new wave of automaker cooperation; we’re reminded about the distinctly Mazda-like feel of the Fiat 124 Spider interior here.
We expect (and hope) to see a range of variants in the years ahead, but the Supra will initially be available in 3.0 and 3.0 premium trim grades. The former gets Alcantara seats and a 6.5-inch interior display, while the latter gets heated leather seats, plus an 8.8-inch display 12-speaker JBL audio system, navigation and more. The 3.0 starts at $50,920, while the 3.0 Premium $54,920 (both prices include a $930 delivery, processing and handling fee). Adding navigation to the 3.0 trim costs $2,460, while the driver assist package — which includes adaptive cruise control, a blind-spot monitor and more — is an extra $1,195 for all trims.
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