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something special. The steering displays that same kind of precision you
enjoy only in the very best sports cars. The Cayman GT4 type. And like the
Cayman, it comes only with a six-speed manual transmission. The Supra
comes only with an eight-speed automatic.
Gavin Green is rightly impressed by the Trophy’s throttle response, but
beyond that first reply to your right foot’s question there’s still a big wait for
the meat of the power to arrive. And when it does, bar the giant kick in the
back its 296bhp provides, it’s obvious the engine is only there to get you to
the next corner faster. It’s a pretty joyless thing, emitting an unchanging
vacuum-like noise as it piles on revs.
It’s all about the chassis with the Megane. The manually adjustable
Öhlins dampers won’t give bodyroll houseroom, and the Bridgestone
trackday rubber’s ludicrous front bite clings to the tarmac even in torrential
rain. The brakes possess the kind of firm pedal feel and complete resistance
to fade at road speeds that comes from being designed to bring a Nord-
schleife class record back to France. Interesting too that Renault chose not
to bother with the standard car’s rear-wheel steering. Going without saves
weight and makes for a purer, more predictable driving experience.
Against a car showing such pure dedication to the art of going fast, the
Supra can only feel slightly soft – and soft around the middle by a good
100kg. Driven in isolation it’s a great thing. The big six displays hardly any
turbo lag and delivers its 335bhp with the most delicious howl. It feels the
perfect amount of power for these roads. Muscular enough to overtake
four in a row but not so buff that you’re forever running out of space or
conscience and having to climb back out of the right pedal.
The mandatory eight-speed auto isn’t as incisive as the 911’s PDK, nor
the steering as feelsome as the McLaren’s. And if you’re really on it, you’ll
be wanting more damping force, too, which you can have if you press the
Sport button (provided you’ve remembered to configure the suspension
that way, and not just the throttle and gearbox).
You can imagine how a more extreme version might feel if Toyota sharp-
ened its claws, but even in this everyman form the Supra is a great sidekick.
The steering feels well defined around the straight-ahead, nicely weighted,
and the wheel’s pleasingly thin (though it looks awful). The cabin is tight
for bigger drivers, because the Supra is tiny. But there’s no doubt which car
you’d rather live with. I logged 11 hours in the Supra getting to and from
Wales on a mix of fast motorway and faster A-roads. I enjoyed every minute
and arrived in Wales sure it was in with a shout. But it wasn’t wise to under-
estimate the Megane and how much it wants to win. At all costs. ⊲
Sports Car Giant Test 2019
Rear doors give
access to a
strut brace and
net but the rear
seat’s AWOL
