5 Key Highlights of The Toyota Supra
Built to enthrall fervent motorheads, the Supra is Toyota’s vision of what an ultra-high-performance sports car should feel. Everything about this vehicle, from its aerodynamic design, minimalistic interiors, and powerful engines, is geared for peak performance and driving dynamics. Toyota also provides a host of safety and convenience features to go with the rocket-like speed and responsive handling of the Supra. Here are the five main talking points about this sports car:
Exteriors and Interiors
The Supra’s exterior has several flashy design elements, such as the distinctive lens-covered pair of headlamps, massive air vents, tall beltline, large rear spoiler, and long wheelbase, giving it an unmissable road presence. As stated earlier, nearly every design element improves the aerodynamics of the Toyota Supra in motion.
The interior design is simplistic, with most of the controls and knobs meant to be easy to operate. In this high-quality cabin, the dashboard and other components enhance the Toyota Supra’s driving experience. The car’s ergonomics are spot-on, too, with big and easy-to-read buttons, the uncluttered 8,000-rpm tachometer and 180-mph speedometer, and the slick gear shifter all placed within close reach of the driver.
The Toyota Supra has sufficient headroom (37.5 inches in the front row, 32.9 inches in the rear row), shoulder room (54.2 inches, 43.8 inches), and hip room (56.7 inches, 42.5 inches) for all passengers. The rear seat passengers have less legroom (23.8 inches) than those in the front row (44 inches). With all seats in place, the boot capacity is a respectable 10.1 cubic feet.
Performance
The Toyota Supra comes with two powertrain options. The first one is a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline-six engine that makes 225 hp of power and 220 lb-ft of torque, while the second one is a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine that makes 320 hp and 315 lb-ft. These engines are mated to a five-speed manual and six-speed manual gearbox, both of which send power to the rear wheels.
With its impressive power-to-weight ratio, the Toyota Supra offers stunning straight-line acceleration. While the non-turbocharged version offers smooth power and cruising ability, the other engine, with its turbochargers working sequentially and progressively, helps the Toyota Supra cross 0-60 mph in approximately five seconds.
Regarding fuel economy, the naturally aspirated engine returns 17 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on highways, bringing its combined efficiency to 19 mpg. With an 18.5-gallon fuel tank, this engine achieves a range of 314.5 miles in the city and 407 miles on highways. The turbocharged engine returns 15 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on highways, bringing its combined efficiency to 18 mpg. The range of this engine is 277.5 miles in the city and 407 miles on highways.
Handling
As expected from a high-performance car, the ride quality is stiff and somewhat unforgiving on rough tarmac. Although passengers will feel potholes and bumps on the road, the vibrations are not felt on the steering wheel. This quality aids the car’s handling. Over smooth roads, the Supra provides a stable ride quality.
The car’s grippy rubber tires, tight double wishbone suspension, and hyper-responsive steering system make it an agile and dynamic handler, even at high speeds around tight corners. The car’s thick anti-roll bars ensure that the body stays lean keeps the understeer at a minimum on twisty roads.
Safety
The Supra has safety features such as an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), dual airbags, and side-impact beams to protect passengers during a collision.
Variants
The original Toyota Supra has two distinct variants: a Base Liftback and a Turbo Liftback.
The most striking aspect of the Supra is its day-to-day usability. Unlike most other high-performance vehicles, this car scores well on the practicality front. But, more importantly, the Supra does not disappoint with rapid acceleration and driving pleasure despite its ease of ownership.