The new entry-level variant of the Toyota GR Toyota Supra, powered by a 254bhp four-cylinder engine, has gone on sale in the UK a year after its European-market introduction.
Priced from £45,995 - a saving of £7000 over the 3.0-litre car - the new Supra 2.0 is available to order now ahead of customer deliveries beginning later this month. Its arrival follows the recent departure of the GT86 - itself a 2.0-litre four-cylinder-powered, rear-driven sports coupé - but that car's successor, the GR86, is still set to be sold in the UK.
Like the 3.0-litre straight six already offered in the Supra, the new turbocharged 2.0-litre motor is taken from BMW’s sports car engine line-up. It sends 255bhp and 295lb ft to the rear wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox.
Despite the 80bhp power deficit compared with the 3.0-litre model, the 2.0-litre Supra’s 0-62mph time is just 0.8sec slower, at 5.2sec, and matches its 155mph electronically limited top speed. So equipped, the Supra is capable of 38.7mpg on the WLTP combined cycle and emits 167g/km of CO2.
Toyota says the new engine is more compact and 100kg lighter than the 3.0-litre unit, so it can be mounted further towards the middle of the car for 50/50 weight distribution. This, it is claimed, “improves the car’s inertia characteristics and chassis balance for even sharper handling.”
Tetsuya Tada, the Supra’s chief engineer, said: “To achieve agile steering and stable cornering, we worked very hard to reduce the new car’s weight, while aiming for a 50/50 weight balance. This presented us with huge challenges, but we did not want to compromise on our targets.”
From launch, the new model is equipped as standard with 18in alloy wheels, Alcantara-trimmed sports seats, an 8.8in infotainment display and a range of safety functions including pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking. To mark the model's arrival, 45 units will be available in limited-edition Fuji Speedway trim, priced from £47,395 and painted in a livery inspired by the firm's Gazoo Racing team colours.
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With these lines it needs to be big enough to pull it off.
One drove past me just this afternoon. It looked absolutely sensational.
A 1997 Gen 4 3SGTE (also a 2.0L Turbo) produced 256bhp, 24 years later we have gained a whopping 2bhp.
Granted it's a bit more torque, slightly lighter and fuel efficient, but it would have been nice to see what Toyota could have developed as a 3SGTE successor instead of plonking-in a BMW unit.
New engine will be way cleaner plus a 2.0 can kick out 300 plus these days. It is a marketing thing, any more power it will be quicker than the straight six.
Yeah, fair enough - Needs to be quicker than the next GT86, but slower than the 3L.
Should be some good aftermarket tuning potential with that lighter engine.
Slighty slower, lighter and 7k less, might be all the better for it. toyota getting exciting again, at last.