Toyota

GR Supra

Toyota’s legendary sports car, the Supra, may be in its fifth generation now, but for the first time it is on sale in Toyota Gazoo Racing specification. The two-seat GR Supra delivers precision handling and, as well as a mighty straight-six 3.0-litre version, there is a new 2.0-litre model available.

The good

Styling, handling and adrenaline rush

The bad

No-one ever lets you out in front of them!

Tech Specs

Price from

£46,010

Combined Fuel up to

38.6mpg

0-62 from

4.3 seconds

max speed up to

155mph (limited)

co2 from

167g/km

Test Drive

Toyota GR Supra 2.0 Pro (2021)

Driving enthusiasts the world over will fully appreciate that one of life’s simplest pleasures is getting behind the wheel of a two-seater sports car on a sunny day with a full tank of fuel and no particular place to go.

And in a day and age when car makers are looking to a cleaner future with vehicles powered by electricity and hybrid technology, the Toyota GR Supra totally bucks that trend and brings back that fun factor … and some.

The compact sports car costs £45,995 and is powered by a punchy 2.0-litre petrol engine delivering 254bhp and 400Nm of torque. That results in a 0-62mph sprint time of 5.2 seconds and maximum speed limited to 155mph. And according to official figures, under WLTP testing, the GR Supra can deliver a combined 38.7mpg with carbon emissions of 167g/km.

If you’re looking at the Supra and thinking it looks kind of familiar, then you wouldn’t be wrong. That’s because this car is the result of a joint venture between Toyota and BMW to help cut costs. Hence the striking resemblance to the Z4.

But Toyota has put its unique stamp on the car with its very own styling traits and, unlike the Z4 roadster, it is only available as a hard-top coupe.

When approached from any angle, the rear-wheel drive GR Supra is very easy on the eye with gorgeous streamlining and a muscular, athletic stance. There are LED daytime running lights, piano black door mirror housings, twin exhaust pipes with chrome finishers, 18-inch alloy wheels and red brake calipers with the Supra logo.

Move inside and the cabin is snug, but there is plenty of room for a couple of tall adults to sit comfortably enough. The black Alcantara sports seats can be heated and there are sporty aluminium pedals and scuff plates.

The main focal point is the 8.8-inch touchscreen display with DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB port to connect a smartphone for Apple CarPlay. There is the iDrive control system that will be familiar to any BMW fans to navigate the set-ups, but that’s not a bad thing as it always works really efficiently.

And when it comes to performance, the GR Supra is guaranteed to make you smile from ear to ear. Okay, so it’s not the quietest or most refined vehicle you will ever come across, but it delivers raw power and the acceleration is blisteringly quick as it fires through the eight-speed automatic gearbox.

There are steering wheel-mounted paddles for added driver engagement along with a Sport mode that sharpens up the dynamics even further, although you will experience more bumps and dips in this setting.

The GR Supra cruises effortlessly at motorway speeds but you can feel a tad vulnerable driving alongside huge juggernauts. However, this is a car that really comes into its own when it hits the country lanes.

The road-holding is nice and confident, although it does tend to lose a little traction if cornering too enthusiastically on poorer road surfaces, but it is fun to blast down quieter, twisting B roads.

It is also agile and easy to manoeuvre through busier town centres where it attracts attention wherever it passes. Like all coupe-styled models, the rearview visibility is not brilliant but there is a reversing camera with guidelines to help when parking.

The cabin is surprisingly well insulated against outside noise too, which means you don’t have to crank up the sound system to maximum levels to drown out the engine and road surface din or scream at your passenger to be heard.

As you would expect, storage levels are fairly compact with a boot capacity of 290 litres, although there is a glovebox, cup holders and a net on the passenger’s side of the main console to stash goodies.

Safety features on the GR Supra are comprehensive with a pre-collision system with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane departure alert, with steering control, road sign assist, sport braking system, automatic high beam, active sports differential, adaptive variable suspension and emergency brake light signal.

All in all, the Toyota GR Supra is the ultimate proof that there is still plenty of scope for enjoyment in our day-to-day driving while we are still allowed. So make the most of it sooner rather than later.