2021 Toyota Supra: A DriveWays Review…

by Frank A. Aukofer

Automobiles have personalities that they transfer to their owners/drivers. With the 2021 Toyota Supra, it is all about pure driving joy, and never mind the buckboard ride.

With enthusiasts breathing heavily, the fifth generation Supra materialized in 2020 after an absence from the U.S. market of 22 years. You could argue that it was as anxiously awaited among its fans as the first-ever mid-engine C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was to its disciples.

Unfortunately for Toyota, the two cars arrived for the same model year and the Corvette beat the Supra for the North American Car of the Year award, which is voted on by a jury of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada.

Nevertheless, the Supra remains one of the best driver-oriented cars you can find anywhere at a decent, somewhat affordable price. Moreover, it only gets better for 2021, with a stiffer chassis, more power and the addition of a lower-priced model with a four-cylinder turbo engine.

The four-banger is the 255-hp GR Supra 2.0, which has a starting price of $43,985, including the destination charge. Toyota says it can nail a 0-60 acceleration time of 5.0 seconds — no slouch in anybody’s book.

Tested for this review was the 2021 GR Supra 3.0, which gets a bump of 47 horsepower over the 2020 model, along with refined chassis tuning. Aluminum struts connect the shock absorber towers to the radiator supports for increased lateral rigidity. The dampers also have been newly tuned.

A note about the GR designation for Supra models. It stands for Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s international motorsports program. The Supra was the first model developed by the Gazoo Racing team.

It is no secret, however, that the Supra 3.0 gets its power and some engineering expertise from Germany’s Bavarian Motor Works. Its turbocharged in-line six-cylinder engine is the same motor that powers the BMW Z4 M40i. In the Supra’s installation, it makes 382 hp with 368 lb-ft of torque.

The grunt gets to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission with a manual-shift mode — also from a German manufacturer, ZF Friedrichshafen. It is the only transmission available so far, though many enthusiasts would climb the ramparts for the rumored manual gearbox.

Toyota says the 2021 setup enables 3.9-second runs to 60 mph. However, Car and Driver Magazine claims its track testers made it in 3.7 seconds with the 2020 six-cylinder model, likely enabled by the standard computerized launch control.

There’s no question that the 2021 Supra is a head-turner — more likely a neck cracker. The tester was done up in bright red with black accents, some of them faux air inlets. The graceful 10-spoke wheels beautifully alternated black and chrome, and the sweeping body curves and lines invited gawking.

Inside, the leather seats (there are two) had substantial bolsters to cocoon the driver and passenger in place for whatever rapid moves they might undertake. The sensuous styling dictated a roof that droops down over the side windows, which means you have to duck way down to get in and out else you bang your noggin. But it has the advantage of functioning as a side sun blocker. In fact, the sun visor does not even swing sideways.

From behind the steering wheel, the driving and handling joy is palpable, despite the engine and road noise that can drown out the audio system and the harsh ride. Almost like riding a powerful motorcycle, there’s a feeling of total control and near invincibility. While only a fool would test its limits on the public roads, the temptation is there.

The Supra is a hatchback, which actually enhances what would be meager trunk stash space. It’s 10 cubic feet, added to 51 cubic feet for the passengers. A removable cargo cover hides the contents.

As befits a sport/grand touring car with a bottom-line sticker of $56,720, the tested Supra was well equipped with standard and optional safety, performance and luxury equipment.

They included automatic pre-collision braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with steering assist, color head-up display, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, 8.8-inch touch screen, navigation, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, wireless smart phone charging and SXM satellite radio.

A frugal buyer could do without some of the optional equipment, and even forego the 3.0-six in favor of the lower-priced four-cylinder model. Either way, the Supra exudes excitement. If there’s any credence to it, maybe wait for the more entertaining stick shift.

Specifications

Model: 2021 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium two-door hatchback coupe.
Engine: 3.0-liter six-cylinder, turbocharged; 382 hp, 368 lb-ft torque.
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic with manual-shift mode and rear-wheel drive.
Overall length: 14 feet 5 inches.
EPA/SAE passenger/cargo volume: 51/10 cubic feet.
Weight: 3,390 pounds.
EPA city/highway/combined fuel consumption: 24/31/26 mpg.
Base price, including destination charge: $55.485.
Price as tested: $56,720.