Supra Review

Dont know why but i think this review really sums up a number of things about the legend that is:

"I remember seeing the first advertisements for the Toyota Supra in the UK motoring press way back in 1993. To an impressionable young man, on the cusp of starting driving, the emotions I felt as my eyes followed the curves of the gorgeous JZA80 body must have been similar to how I would have felt if it had been 1961 and I had just laid eyes on the Jaguar E-type for the first time.

If we ignore the cultural impact and timelessness of the big Cat, there are similarities. Both share that runway sized bonnet and the rounded rump, both could crack 150mph and both had the power to attract as many members of the opposite sex as the owner could handle in one night.

The Supra was available in two flavours, the sensible 3.0 litre version and the barking twin-turbo model. Later in the range you could also purchase a targa roof version known as an ‘aero-top’ and in 1997 your Supra would have had a few cosmetic changes and some exterior badges stating ‘15th Anniversary Limited Edition’. The year after, the normally aspirated model gained a VVTi engine. Other than that, the fourth-generation Supra barely changed throughout its nine year history.

To not change a car for this amount of time is a testament to the excellent design of both the body and the chassis; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. As with the MR2 Turbo, the UK was flooded with Japanese imports, due to the cheaper price and higher specification. UK versions were easy to spot as they had an electronically adjustable front spoiler and a bonnet scoop on the turbo models.

Climbing into the Supra was an event in itself. The dashboard surrounded the driver, the seats hugged you in position and your hand fell naturally to the gear shift. Looking down the long bonnet before glancing in the rear-view mirror to be confronted by the outrageous rear wing ensured the driver was under no illusions about the Supra’s intentions. This car was made to look good and be driven very, very fast.

The 3.0 24 valve DOHC was a great car to drive, easy smooth and quick enough for most drivers. The engine was a real gem, so silky during acceleration it was easy to climb into triple figures before settling into a cruise, the engine seemingly only just coming on song. The rear wheel drive configuration allowed the drivers inner hooligan to indulge itself once on a while, but the weight of the car put pay to this unless you were very violent with the clutch.

The produced 220bhp is hardly feeble, but when compared to the 320bhp from the 3.0 twin-sequential turbo-charged monster it was a world apart. Oversteer was not hampered by the weight here! In less than 5 seconds you saw the sharp end of 60mph and the car continued on until it cracked the all-important 150mph barrier. Once both the turbos were spinning, the boost pinned you back into your seat with authority. Lag was not an issue, the car simply carried on until you ran out of road or more likely, nerve.

If I am honest, I found the twin-turbo a little intimidating around town. The Supra is a big car and it has a lot of power on tap, and I would do anything not to put a scratch on the body! Once on the open road, the car ate up long journeys like a good GT should. I never felt fatigued from driving the Supra and I would always arrive at my destination feeling fresh, no matter the distance involved. Of course, this was ultimately the Supra’s downfall for me; I simply didn’t do the mileage to justify such a car as this.

The usual downsides existed of course, massive fuel consumption of the twin-turbo, massive insurance costs and massive servicing bills. Essentially, as long as your wallet was massive, you could enjoy the massive performance of the Supra twin-turbo. Obviously, things were slightly cheaper with the non-turbo model, but I defy anyone who owns this car to say they have not wished on more than one occasion that they had plumped for the turbo instead.

Aside from the near supercar looks, the other thing that attracted the most comments about the car was the rear wing. I experienced both side to this, as the 3.0 did not have the spoiler and the twin-turbo did. It was either ‘why haven’t you got that spoiler’ or ‘that massive spoiler ruins a beautiful car’! I loved the wing personally, it finished off the look perfectly, but I did like the lines without it too.

In the UK today, a Supra can be picked up for silly money. A quick browse of the classifieds reveals non-turbo Supra’s from £4000 and twin-turbo’s from £7000 up. There is no denying that this is a lot of car, especially as it was 50K plus on release. However, this plentiful supply does mean that there is a fair share of dogs about and anyone looking for an un-modified car will have quite a job on their hands.

This is because the Supra lends itself to tuning rather well, with its engine good for massive bhp gains before anything needs to be changed inside. There is also a wealth of parts available from big, single turbo conversions, boost controllers and masses of induction and exhaust options. Tuning a Supra is simply a case of picking a bhp figure you want to achieve and getting out your wallet, as pretty much anything can be achieved.

In 2002 the Supra was discontinued due to poor sales. Although the new Celica and MR2 are attractive and capable sports cars, there is a large Supra shaped hole in Toyota’s current line up. Rumour has it there will be a new model along one day, but until then any keen driver and car fan should be thankful that a car as stunning and powerful as the Supra was made at all"

Who was the author of the review

Hmm, interesting write up but somewhat flawed factually.

It tries to sound like a review of the UK model yet talks about imports all the way through!??

Also, many J-Specs have the electronic front spoiler and some have the bonnet scoop as a retrofit item.

Cheers,

Brian.

Man, that makes me want to go out and buy one all over again...........

me too

Brings a tear to my eye

Good write-up. Not necesarrily a review of the driving experience, no mention of the handing, the brakes, the chassis, the sudden surge of power when the 2nd turbo kicks in.

Also agree with the Active Spoiler comment - my J-spec has one.

My neighbour saw the mechanism of the active spoiler and said that that alone was the reason why he would get a supra

Yeah i know its not entirely accurate but it was the wording and the way that he puts the supra accross which got me.

Who was the author of the review

Andy Boxall from Toyoland.com

...If I am honest, I found the twin-turbo a little intimidating around town. ..

If I am honest, I found the twin-turbo a little underwhelming around town.

In stock trim I find it underwhelming even out of town. It feels like a lazy 5L engine.

Obviously, things were slightly cheaper with the non-turbo model, but I defy anyone who owns this car to say they have not wished on more than one occasion that they had plumped for the turbo instead.

True!

The UK non-turbo model