Te s te r s’
notes
Spec advice
Jobs for
the facelift
ROAD TEST
14 AUGUST 2019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 35
ROAD
TEST
RIVALS
RICHARD
LANE
The Supra
feels a touch
over-tyred for the road.
The rear Michelins are
275mm wide – 10mm
more than you get on the
oversteering marvel that
is the M2 Competition.
SIMON DAVIS
Toyota is to be
commended
for resisting the
temptation to fit
a typically fat-rimmed
BMW steering wheel.
Compared with that in
the Z4, the Supra’s feels
tiny by comparison.
Chattier, too.
ll the hype and 1990s nostalgia that came with the protracted development of
the GR Supra leaves us yearning to write that it is thoroughly deserving of its
revered cult nameplate and that it is the defining Japanese performance car of its
era. But while it’s very good, it’s not quite that good. Not yet, perhaps.
Make no mistake, the fifth-generation Supra has plenty of strength and dynamic
reserve, and plenty of likeability too. Not only has it got muscular, characterful straight-
l i ne per for ma nce, but it a lso successf u l ly put s it s sha red plat for m a rch itec t u re to use to
carve out a dynamic identity mostly of its own. And it looks fantastic. But the car’s cabin
leaves too much room to wonder exactly how much truly distinctive Supra DNA really
has been invested here, while to drive it is to be impressed at first but left ultimately with
the nagging feeling that it could, and should, have been better still.
Perhaps we’ll be treated, in years to come, to a Supra with a manual gearbox and an
engine to truly rise above the mid-engined alternatives, with even sharper handling and
with less compromise made for the benefit of touring comfort. For now, we recognise a
fine response to a tough brief – but there’s clear room for improvement.
The head-up display
and wireless charge pad
are among the more
attractive draws of
the Supra Pro. We’d be
inclined to fork out the
required £1300 premium.
Go for one of the more
vibrant paint options, too.
z A manual gearbox
already exists for this
engine – please fit it. The
ZF auto is fine for cruising
but delivers too little
engagement elsewhere.
z Engineer that last
vestige of detachment
out of the steering feel
and brake pedal.
z Do more to give the
cabin less of a borrowed-
from-BMW ambience.
Price
Power, torque
0-62mph, top speed
CO 2 , economy
1 2 3 45
A
Fast, usable and has plenty going for it but leaves us wanting more
AAAAC
VERDICT
Verdicts
on every
new car,
p82