0 10s130mph19.3s
120mph15.8s
110mph13.0s
30mph 40 50mph 60mph 70mph 80mph 90mph 100mph1.9s 2.5s 3.4s 4.4s 5.5s 6.9s 8.6s 10.7s
8.0m 21.4m 41.5m
30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-00 10m 20m 30m 40m0 10s130mph16.9s
120mph14.3s
110mph12.0s
30mph 40 50mph 60mph 70mph 80mph 90mph 100mph2.1s 2.7s 3.7s 4.6s 5.6s 6.9s 8.4s 10.0s
Start/finish
T1
T2
T3
T4
T5
T6
T7
Start/finish
T1
T2
T4
T3
T5
T6
T7
T8
30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-07.9 m 21.3m 41.9m
0 10m 20m 30m 40mTra ck n otes
ROAD TEST
14 AUGUST 2019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 33
athletic streak, and it certainly
comes across as a more dynamically
exciting machine than the Z4. Its
steering feels far quicker off centre
than the BMW’s, its front end much
mor e a d he si v e a nd d a r t i n g. T he r e ’s
a greater sense of composure about
it, too, particularly at the rear axle.
The BMW’s tail can skit about
under cornering or over off-camber
surfaces, whereas the Supra feels
more planted and secure with its
adaptive dampers set to Sport. Leave
them in Normal, however, and the
compliance of the Supra’s suspension
leaves a little more to chance.
COMFORT AND ISOLATION
AAAAC
The Supra’s abilities as a GT car
might come as something of an
unexpected bonus to a lot of owners,
while to others they’ll offer exactly
what a front-engined sports car
like this ought to deliver, and will
represent a fine reason not to buy a
mid-engined alternative. Despite its
underlying tautness and sporting
pretensions, there remains an
impressive sense of suppleness
and composure about the manner
in which it rides with its dampers
dialled down. The prospect of a
long-distance cross-country schlep
in the car needn’t give rise to any
anticipatory wincing, then, and
neither should that of everyday,
any-condition, year-round use.That said, particularly pock-
marked surfaces can still give rise to
momentary bouts of chassis noise.
H it t i n g br ok e n Ta r m a c at s p e e d of t e n
le a d s t o f a i rl y for c e f u l i nt r u sion s
making themselves felt in the cabin
but , on t he w hole , t h i s i s a sm a r t-
riding car. Smart enough, certainly,
that there’s licence to sacrifice some
of that pliancy in the pursuit of even
tighter body control by switching to
Sport mode when driving hard.
Cabin isolation isn’t especially
outstanding. The Supra’s 275-section
rear tyres are partly responsible,
as is the fact there’s no physical
barrier between cabin and boot.
The consequence is that the interior
turns into something of an echo
chamber once moving. At a 70mph
cruise, the Supra registered 72dB on
our sound gear. By comparison, the
A lpi ne A 110 r e t u r ne d 7 1d B, w h i le t he
718 Cayman S showed 68dB.
Elsewhere, plenty of adjustabilityin both the seats and steering make
for a comfortable driving position,
while the seat bolsters are more than
capable of holding you in place.
BUYING AND OWNING
AAAAC
The Supra line-up is straightforward.
There’s the Supra and the Supra Pro,
both of which use the same 3.0-litre
straight six and include adaptively
damped suspension, an active
limited-slip differential, adaptive
cruise control, dual-zone climate-
control and the 8.8in infotainment
display borrowed directly from
BMW. The Pro costs an additional
£1300 and adds leather seats, a
head-up display and wireless phone
charging, although both trim levels
bring an entirely acceptable level of
equipment to a £50,000 sports car.
The Supra is able to fulfil its GT-car
aspirations reasonably successfully.
Strong touring economy gives a
motorway range of around 450
m i le s , a nd t he r e ’s muc h mor e s t or a gepotential than in mid-engined rivals.
Some may find the cabin a little
claustrophobic, however. This is a
small car with high beltlines and
something of a pillbox view through
the windscreen. Equally, others will
like the sense of intimacy and focus.
Despite its relatively commonplace
badge, the Supra is forecast to hold
its value well – 53% after three years
and 36,000 miles is roughly the same
a s a n M 2 C omp e t it ion , i f shy of t he
61% r e t a i ne d b y t he A lpi ne A 110,
which should prove a far rarer sight. ◊
First thing to note is that this initial
iteration of the fourth-generation
Supra has not been developed
specifically with track days in mind.
In time, such a car is likely, but as it
stands the Supra’s brakes begin to
fade relatively early and the car’s
weight – and the pronounced manner
in which the car moves about its
low centre of gravity – is simply too
much and too often a feature of the
handling to make this a track natural.
In Sport mode the gearbox is prone
to abrupt downshifts (several rivals’
auto-blipping dual-clutch automatic
gearboxes massage these out), but
the car’s balance is good and its grip
level dependably high, while the
chassis makes for predictable slides
– and plenty of fun – when you breach
the limits of that grip. The Supra’s
traction and stability systems work
well to keep the car in shape in the
wet, and don’t activate in a manner
that’s overly severe when switched to
their halfway setting.
DRY CIRCUIT
Toyota GR Supra Pro
1min 12.7sec
Porsche Cayman GT4
1min 11.3sec
z Can be nosed into easily controllable
slides when accelerated into T7.
Heavy engine out front makes for a
commendable counterweight.
z Turn all traction systems off and the Supra will take
attitude quite suddenly if pushed too hard in the wet.
z Softer, road-biased suspension helps push the
long nose wide through T7, but the Supra is at least
amenable to a lift of the throttle.
z Good stability through the fast T4, which is taken flat out
before one of the big braking zones, in which the onset of
brake fade needs care after a few fast laps.
WET CIRCUIT
Toyota GR Supra Pro
1min 10.6sec
Porsche Cayman GT4
1min 19.5sec
ACCELERATION
Porsche Cayman GT4 (2015, 18deg C, dry)
Toyota GR Supra Pro (26deg C, dry)
BRAKING 60-0mph: 2.65sec