2021 Toyota GR Supra: First impression

After a long absence and countless pleas from enthusiasts, the legendary Toyota Supra made a huge return last year, putting a two-seat sports model back in the marque's lineup. It is officially the GR Supra, where GR stands for Gazoo Racing. The sports car ticks all the checkboxes for fun, be it eager powertrain, grin-inducing exhaust, or crisp handling.

As many of us already know, the Supra was jointly developed with BMW Z4 as part of a sports car collaboration. However, Toyota gave its magic touch to the Supra and made it a strong rival against the world's best performance coupes.

Now one year after its debut, Toyota has raised the bar for the GR Supra with a six-cylinder model that leaps ahead with a power boost and retuned chassis. At the same time, the first-ever four-cylinder turbo version also joins the lineup in the United States. But here in Malaysia, the customers can only have the updated six-cylinder variant, which just made its way to the local market.

Here is our first impression of the 2021 Toyota GR Supra, have a look.

Toyota GR Supra Exterior

The GR Supra derives design inspiration from different Toyota cars, the most notable being the FT-1 Concept. It rides on a very short wheelbase that allows for precise handling. The exterior styling of the new GR Supra remains the same as before except the addition of Toyota Supra logo on the front red brake callipers and full matte grey finishing on staggered 19-inch wheels.

The Deep Blue Metallic exterior shade is no longer available. Still, the customers can choose from a palette of seven colours including Prominence Red, White Metallic, Lightning Yellow, Silver Metallic, Black Metallic, Ice Grey Metallic, and Matte Storm Grey Metallic.

Toyota GR Supra Interior

The Toyota Supra has one thing in common with its forerunners, i.e., a snug cockpit. The handsome interior is adorned in black leather upholstery, carbon fibre trim, and high-quality plastics. The dash-mounted 8.8-inch touchscreen display provides information for the audio, navigation, smartphone apps, and various functions like exhaust-note tuning and suspension settings. 

Other hi-tech goodies include eight-way power-adjustable seats with driver's side memory, dual-zone climate control, a head-up display, a reverse camera, and a 12-speaker JBL sound system. Well, all these are carried over from the outgoing model.

Toyota GR Supra Engine and performance

As we mentioned earlier, the main upgrades centre around the GR Supra's powertrain. The ongoing BMW's B58 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six unit now delivers 388 PS of power between 5,800 and 6,500 rpm, which means a 48 PS increase. However, the peak torque remains same at 500 Nm but has a wider band of 1,800 rpm - 5,000 rpm instead of the previous 1,600 rpm to 4,500 rpm. The 8-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters carries over for 2021.

Toyota claims that the new engine reduces the Supra 3.0 model's 0-100 kmph sprint time to 3.9 seconds, down from earlier 4.1. 

The increased output comes from using a new dual-branch exhaust manifold with six ports (instead of 2). Moreover, a new piston design reduces the engine's compression ratio from 11:1 to 10.2:1. Toyota also retuned the sportscar's chassis by adding lightweight aluminum braces that link the strut towers to the radiator support to enhance lateral rigidity.

Toyota GR Supra Safety

On this front, the new GR Supra equips a plethora of safety and driver assistance features. Seven airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, hill start assist and stability control continue to be standard fit. The driver assistance systems include:

• Forward collision warning with brake function
• Lane departure alert with steering assist
• Adaptive cruise control
• Adaptive high beam system
• Blind spot monitor 
• Rear cross traffic alert 
• Parking sensors with emergency braking function

Toyota GR Supra Price 

Priced from RM 611,880 (excluding insurance and SST exemption) - up by RM 21,000 - the new Toyota GR Supra is now available for booking from selected authorised Toyota GR Garage outlets. However, the sportscar is eligible for a 50% sales tax exemption until December 31, 2020, which brings down its price to RM 589,987. The price includes a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.

Summing up

Quick, capable, and fun-to-drive, Toyota GR Supra enjoys an iconic status among sports car fans. Out of the many Japanese cars that enjoyed a resurgence in their popularity in recent times, the GR Supra has been among the highest-profile.

Also read: 2020 Toyota RAV4: First impression