New Toyota Supra 2.0 2021 test report

judgment

The 2.0-liter GR Supra has clear advantages, most notably its price, but it also feels more agile thanks to its weight loss. Of course, it’s not that fast, it doesn’t sound that good and it doesn’t run as smoothly as you get from a six-cylinder. But perhaps the biggest problem is that Toyota’s financing offers mean you can get the 3.0L model and all of its ancillary equipment for less per month on a PCP deal. Find out.

We had to be patient for the Toyota Supra to return. The idea for the reborn sports car was first tested in 2014 with the FT-1 concept, but it took five years for the production version to hit the market. Fortunately, the wait was worth it.

When it comes to updates, Toyota has been in no particular rush to roll them out. But what we have here is the GR Supra 2.0 Pro, a new entry-level version with a smaller engine, less power and less weight, but crucially also a lower price.

It has been available in Japan for over a year and arrived in Europe last summer, but has only now landed in the UK. Toyota GB hopes it will also help re-launch Supra sales – only 271 cars were sold here last year.

Visually, 2.0 Pro and 3.0 Pro are indistinguishable. This detailed origami-style body has both, and the only significant difference from the outside is the smaller 18-inch wheels you get on the 2.0 compared to 19-inch wheels on the 3.0.

The big changes are taking place under the hood; The result is the easy-revving 3.0-liter six-cylinder with 335 hp, in its place a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 254 hp. As with the larger engine, it is not a Toyota unit – it comes from BMW (the Supra was developed together with the BMW Z4). The engine is a proven one, however, as it can be found in models such as the BMW 330i.

Despite the lower output, the new engine has advantages, firstly a weight saving. The 2.0 Pro has lost 100 kg and reduced the curb weight to 1,395 kg – making it lighter than a Porsche 718 Cayman.

Perhaps the most important change is the price; The GR Supra 2.0 Pro starts at £ 45,995. That brings the cost on a par with the 718 Cayman, but it’s also a whopping £ 8,345 less than the 3.0-liter car – a 15 percent drop in price.

It definitely feels like a good deal to us behind the wheel. The engine ignites with a croaking exhaust noise that can be clearly heard from outside, but less so from the driver’s seat. Instead, exhaust noise is pumped into the cabin through the loudspeakers. This has been used successfully in a number of cars, but in the Supra it is obviously synthesized and gives the impression that it is trying too hard.

Transporting 1,395 kg, 254 hp and 400 Nm torque feel completely sufficient. The Supra 2.0 isn’t blazing fast – Toyota says 0-100 km / h takes 5.2 seconds – but you never want more power. From 2,500 rpm, the engine really gets going and pulls cleanly and gently up to 6,500 rpm, whereby the eight-speed car drives very efficiently through the gears.

A highlight is the steering of the Supra, which is supported by this weight loss and which really underlines the agility of the car. The wheel is fast and pointed to the touch, and gives a real sense of urgency and response when asked for quick changes of direction. It’s backed by great body control that strikes a good balance between holding the car around corners and traveling comfort. Sport mode sharpens the gas and tightens the chassis, but the compromise is a tighter ride.

The main area where you have to compromise is the level of standard equipment on the Supra 2.0. There are no carbon fiber details inside, no head-up display or premium stereo, while leather sports seats and wireless charging of the phone are absent.