Toyota Supra - the first meeting with an experimental model // Evening day

The name Supra means many things, but only for those true car enthusiasts, those driving enthusiasts who were lucky enough to experience at least one of the five generations before they stopped production in 2002. All that remains of her is a name, a real sports legend, and this is exactly what the Japanese manufacturer is counting on, introducing the long-awaited successor. In fact, Toyota is counting on the brand to get a completely different reputation from buyers precisely because of Super (again). Thanks to the enthusiasm of the brand's first man, Aki Tojoda, a great sports car enthusiast and excellent driver, this brand is already adding fun, driving dynamics and emotion to an equation that has always included reliability, endurance and common sense. But enjoyment is only part of what the new Supra has to offer. And while we were listening to the hosts saying “we won't talk about it just yet”, we already experienced a lot of emotions when hanging out with the pre-production sample.

A car for real drivers

This time we took the roads around Madrid and the legendary, if somewhat forgotten Jarama circuit, which fell off the F1 calendar back in 1982. Forgotten, interesting and exciting - like the Supra. The perfect link to understand Toyota and what they did is they took a name from the ashes, partnered with BMW six years ago, and then built a top-notch driving car that established itself as Gazoo Racing. factory car while helping to get new experiences.

BMW in Porsche

The result was a parallel project with the BMW Z4. The Supra and Z4 share the same gearbox, much of the architecture and details under the skin are shared, and we also found a couple of German-derived parts in the cockpit, which was completely covered before the premiere. So what are the differences? Elsewhere. First on the trip. Admittedly, we haven't driven the new BMW yet, but we do have experience with vehicles that Toyota lists as direct competitors to the Supre - the BMW M2 and the Porsche Cayman GTS. The Supra is by no means glued to the road and sterile. Here it is closer to the M2 than the Cayman, but on the other hand, it is less aggressive than the BMW as it offers more precise and linear power. It always follows a given line and at the same time lends itself to any correction, as if it were following your fingers. With each move, this satisfaction only increases. The car is perfectly balanced, but what we like the most is that it is stable even when there are forces on it from all directions, such as when going from one corner to another, over bumps or when braking deep into a corner. The steering feel is solid, and its operation is neither too harsh nor too soft, so the car just reacts as needed. The fact that the center of gravity is lower than, for example, the Toyota GT86 does not remain only on paper, it is also observed in practice, the weight distribution is even in the ratio of 50:50. The numbers on paper can be felt in practice.

Harder than LFA

Unfortunately, we do not have a single official number for you, nor a single official information that we can trust you. They are all secrets. What is the weight of the car? They guarantee that it will be less than 1.500 kilograms, and according to unofficial data - 1.496. Acceleration? Reliably less than five seconds to 100 kilometers per hour. Torque? "We don't want to talk about it." Power? More than 300 "horses". BMW guarantees that their Z4 has 340 "horsepower" or 250 kilowatts of power (and a 375 "horsepower version" to boot), Toyota hides its numbers. But then again: it's more than clear that the Supra will also have a six-cylinder BMW engine under the hood, capable of producing almost the same amount of power and torque. This was the same car we drove, and another option would be a (also BMW) four-cylinder engine with about 260 "horsepower". Manual Transmission? Chief engineer Tekuji Tada did not rule it out outright, but at least at first it appeared that it was not available. So all Supres and all BMWs will have an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, of course with a fairly precise shift program and the possibility of manual control via levers on the steering wheel. Plus, the transmission is the only thing you'd like to be a little different - when, say, shifting before a corner, everything seems to take too long and is a bit softer than, say, a BMW M3.

Overall, this is a good indication of how much development has happened together while competitiveness continues to be maintained. For now, the BMW remains only a roadster and the Supra only a coupe. This needs to be emphasized as, without the use of carbon fiber and other expensive materials, it is still more durable in terms of bodywork than the costly and overly advanced Lexus LFA. It is clear that the convertible will never achieve such power, so it is logical to expect even sharper and more direct reactions from the car on the track than from its German counterpart.

Sound electronics

The suspension is electronically controlled, which means it can control the tilt and damping of the vehicle at any time. When you switch the car to sport mode, it lowers another seven millimeters. The drive is directed to the rear wheelset and is equipped with an electronically controlled limited slip differential. The torque between the wheels can be distributed completely evenly or only on one or the other wheel. After the first experience on the track, it also seems that the car will delight anyone who sees the Supro as a drift car.

Another small gripe: We don't like Toyota succumbing to the trend of artificially generated engine sounds, too. While the roar of the engine can be heard in the passenger compartment when shifting gears in a sporty manner, it is not outside. No one confirmed to us that the sound was reproduced through the speakers in the cabin, but this was not even necessary.

The first copies in the spring

Pre-sales began in October, when the Supra was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, and the first 900 cars to be delivered to customers in the spring will be available online. Price, specifications and performance - all this will be known in the near future. Therefore, Toyota says that anyone who orders a car can cancel the purchase, but there are not many of them, since anyone who has driven it 50 or 100 meters will fall in love with it in an instant.

Interview: Teuya Tada, Chief Engineer

"Numbers are one thing, feelings are another"

As the chief engineer in charge of the development of this vehicle, you've certainly looked for inspiration from past generations of Supre. In which?

I am especially attached to the A80 version. The chief engineer in charge of its development was my teacher and mentor, and he trained a whole generation of Toyota engineers.

Some time ago, the GT86 and BRZ were created as one and the same machine. Is it the same with the Supra and the BMW Z4 now?

The situation is not the same. Now two separate teams were working on different requirements and ideas. So we shared some technical elements and thus saved development costs by speeding up the appearance of both cars, but we don't know what they did with their car, and they don't know what we did with their car. This is a real Toyota in every sense.

Why do you say that numbers are one thing and feelings are another? At the moment we do not know any technical data.

This is a driving car. The feeling of impeccable handling and, as a result, calmness and ease both on the road and on the track cannot be expressed in numbers. Many manufacturers increase the capacity to have more capacity. But is the fun really only in the more power of the motor, or is it more fun from the flawless cornering?

Without a doubt, the Supra is far from a bad car, but the question still arises: is it ready for even more power or ready to become a real supercar?

Try our work and you will be convinced. There are even more surprises and progress ahead. Supra is ready for a lot.

For example, about auto racing?

Definitely! It was created in motorsport, and we will definitely work actively there.

Interview: Herwig Danens, Chief Test Driver

“Drive without limits”

During the development of the Supra, you drove thousands of miles. Where does a car have to prove itself before it can enter the market?

We have traveled to Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, traveled to the USA and, of course, tested in Japan. We have traveled the world and prepared Supro for all the conditions in which customers will test and use it. Obviously, most of the testing took place at the Nurburgring, as the Supra is also due to be completed on the race track.

Given that you are Toyota's primary test driver for the Supra, and BMW has its own man to develop the Z4, which one is faster?

(laughter) I don't know which of us is faster, but I know that our car is faster.

What's the secret to the Supra's speed?

There are many factors. I would highlight the so-called relationship between wheel width and wheelbase. In the case of the Supra, this ratio is less than 1,6, which means it is extremely agile. For the Porsche 911, this is exactly 1,6, for the Ferrari 488 it is 1,59, and for the GT86, which is considered to be maneuverable, it is 1,68.

How do you think customers should drive the Supro? What is her character, what kind of trip suits her best?

Let them drive her as they see fit, she is ready for anything. For fast, dynamic and harsh driving, for long and comfortable rides, it is also ready for great effort. Anyone can manage it without restrictions. This is Supra.

text: Mladen Alvirovich / Autobest · photo: Toyota