What a difference 35kW makes! Or at least that’s why I think I enjoyed the MY21 GR Supra GTS so much more than the first time I drove one? Back in 2019 after driving the Supra I was left feeling a bit ‘meh’ about it. This time around though, I don’t know if it was the extra power, the sprinkling of Gazoo Racing pixie dust or the fact that I hadn’t driven a sports car in a while, but I liked this one a lot more.
The latest version of the Toyota Supra now boasts 285kW between 5,800-6,500 rpm and the same 500Nm of torque, which is now available between 1,800-5,000 rpm. The 3.0 litre, in-line six-cylinder petrol engine has a twin-scroll turbo charger paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox with drive going to the rear wheels. Toyota recommends using 95RON petrol and the official combined fuel consumption is 7.7L/100km and for my week I used 10.8L/100km.
Officially the Supra is now good for a 0-100km/h time of 4.1 seconds and the top speed is still limited to 250km/h. In the real world I can say that yes this Supra does feel faster and more exciting than the previous iteration. The engine quickly revs to 6,000rpm with a pleasing soundtrack and it will red line at 7,000rpm, so you need to upshift around the 6,500rpm mark. The gearbox will let you pull down aggressive until you reach third gear and then will only drop to second when the computer says so.
There are two drive modes to select from, Normal and Sport. Sport mode can be configured to your personal preference for damping, steering, engine and transmission and my preference would be Sport all round because even in Sport mode I found the ride was not too harsh for everyday driving.
When I was pushing the Supra through the corners, I felt that it really hooked in and hung on well giving me confidence to push harder. Warning, this only happens after the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres have warmed up because when they are cold the rear end steps out even in a straight line under hard acceleration. Once the tyres are warm though you will only encourage the back end to step out under aggressive cornering.
I can’t recall how loud the exhaust was on the previous Supra, but it now penetrates the cabin with a standard in-line six tune and there is only a little pop from the exhaust under aggressive downshifting in manual mode using the plastic steering-wheel mounted gear selectors. With the window down though you can hear the natural raspiness of the engine. It also sounds to me like there was not much sound deadening under the Supra either with stones flicking up under the car easily heard.
As soon as I sat down in the Supra cabin, I was greeted with the smell of quality leather. I admired the carbon fibre centre console and the metal ascent that stretched across the air vents and dash. The full digital dash flashes to life and the taco sits front and centre ready for the driver to bring the in-line six to life.
The front seats are both heated with power adjustment for height, recline, forward/back, 4-way lumbar support and side bolster support and two memory positions for the driver to store their ideal driving position. This is a sports car for the taller individual thanks to the bubbles in the roof and the seating position adjustment.
The steering wheel is a nice thickness as well and as this is a BMW underneath the Toyota badge the layout is the same as other BMW vehicles. This includes the voice control button being designated with a microphone rather than a masculine silhouette like that used on other Toyota models. The voice control system works well for making phone calls and setting a destination on the sat nav.
I like that the 8.8” colour touchscreen can still be accessed via the rotary controller as this means that you don’t get finger marks on the screen. While the 12-speaker JBL premium audio system works well for when you want to enjoy your music while driving.
Storage in the Supra is still very limited with only small door cubbies that are just large enough for a sunglasses case. There is a small open cubby behind the two centre console cup holders and at the front of the centre console is a cubby for your smart phone with wireless charging for compatible devices and wireless connection of Apple CarPlay only. The problem here is that it is difficult to get a large phone in and out of the slot. For non-wireless charging phones there is also one USB port and one 12V outlet here as well.
The boot is a good size though and would fit enough luggage for a weekend away or the weekly shop, but there is still no partition between the cabin and boot, which is great for listening to the base from your subwoofers, but not great if you brake hard and items come flying forward. The boot also still lacks an external boot release button meaning you need to open the boot from the key fob or the button in the cabin. The tyre repair kit is neatly packed in the side of the boot and there are four tie down points, hooks and a 12V outlet located in the boot.
Despite the fact that the Toyota Supra does not have an ANCAP safety rating it is still fitted with a number of active safety features. These include blind spot monitoring, front collision warning, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control. I even discovered by chance when my dog walked behind the Supra as I was reversing it out of the garage that it has automatic braking to prevent a rear collisions as well. The Supra has a standard rear view mirror with 3600 sensors, auto wipers, auto lights and auto high beam.
All new Toyotas sold come with a five years/unlimited kilometre warranty and Toyota will increase this under the Warranty Advantage Extended Engine and Driveline coverage to seven years, provided your vehicle is properly serviced and maintained per its Warranty and Service Book. Every new GR Supra comes with capped price servicing of $385 annually up to five years. This applies to standard scheduled logbook servicing (normal operating conditions) for five years/75,000kms (whichever occurs first) up to a maximum of five services.
I may have harshly judged the Supra the first time around, but I did say that it needed some more power. Toyota have delivered this and now I think the Supra is worthy of the name it shares with some very special previous Toyota sports cars.
Customers no longer need to reserve a Supra, however Toyota recommends interested buyers reach out to their preferred Dealer to discuss available stock. The starting price for the Supra GTS coupé is $97,003 plus on-road costs and the options available include Premium paint ($575), Matte paint ($2,500) and Alcantara seats ($2,500).
| Pros | Cons |
| The extra power | Limited storage in cabin |
| No longer need to reserve one to purchase | No partition between the cabin and boot |
| Warranty can be extended up to seven years | No ANCAP safety rating |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.