THE only correct way to make a great car greater, is to give it more power, which is exactly what Toyota have done with the latest update to its GR Supra GT. The performance sports car now comes with 285kW of it.
Toyota has managed to liberate an extra 35kW from the B58 motor, which originally produced 250kW in the 2020 model. This change brings the Supra in line with it’s Z4 M40i counterpart, which was updated to 285kW in March last year.
Not to take anything away from this significant update, not much else has changed with the Supra, save for two noticeable chassis braces in the engine bay, which weren’t in the 2020 GTS we tested a bit over a year ago.
Unfortunately, that means a few of the issues have been carried over too, including the infamous wind buffeting in the cabin when travelling at more than 70km/h with the windows down.
We like our fresh air, especially on nice sunny days where recirculating air conditioning just isn’t necessary. We want that wind running through our hair, but with the Supra, it just bounces around in the cabin making god-awful sounds.
There is an aftermarket solution to this issue, but you shouldn’t have to resort to having to buy parts to begin with, especially considering you’ve just dropped close to six figures on a new car.
Priced at $84,536 before on-road costs, the Supra GT sits in the same price bracket as cars such as the Audi A5 Cabriolet 40 TFSI S-Line ($85,400) or the Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce ($71,450).
The difference here though is its supercar traits, performance and unique styling that means it’s popular among fans of bigger Japanese players, like the Nissan GT-R ($193,800) or the Honda NSX ($420,000).
But the best way to understand the Supra and the way it drives is on the road, so we hit our secret testing space, which features a long and twisting road with lots of blind and sharp corners, hairpins and some decent straights.
We also undertook said test in the cool of night, to make the most of perfect temperatures and cool air. And aren’t we glad we did. The Supra performed spectacularly, holding bump riddled twisty roads at speed very well, even with all the assists off.
It’s a tail happy beast in those conditions, thanks to its short wheelbase and power to weight ratio, but nevertheless, it’s a car-load of endless fun until you realise how much petrol costs nowadays.
Power delivery is extremely good and the automatic 8-speed transmission was a wise choice by Toyota. The ride is firm, but still relatively comfortable regardless of the road surface conditions.
The interior is perfectly suited to someone no taller than 1.8-metres, with sporty leather seats which hold you in place, and invite you to enjoy the pureness of the driving experience. It gets a little claustrophobic if you’re any taller though, be warned.
But perhaps its biggest downside likes in the fact you sit so low in the cabin, and when paired with the downward slope of the rear hatch, the combination ensures visibility is impaired out the rear window.
Side mirror visibility is only marginally better, having been consumed by those super aggressive rear fender arches. Sure, that makes for some mean road presence, but doesn’t help when you’re reversing into a parking spot or changing lanes.
On the plus side, that wide wide rear end ensures 290-litres of boot space, which can also be accessed (with significant difficulty), via the seats. It’s plenty for a few bags and other goodies that aren’t excessively tall or large.
The centre console has two cup holders and a wireless phone charger with an annoying flap sitting over it, preventing larger smartphones from seating correctly. What’s also missing is Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The satellite navigation included in the 8.8-inch multimedia system makes up for the lack of new tech, as it works quite well. It has a real BMW feel about it though, as does most of the interior, thanks to the partnership with the German car maker.
You don’t have to worry about safety either, as the Supra GT comes with a healthy array of modern tech, including autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane keep and lane departure assists, and pedestrian and signage detection.
There’s yet to be an ANCAP safety rating assigned to the Supra range but we’re not worried about that. Plenty of performance cars have never been submitted for such testing.
Overall, the 2021 Toyota GR Supra GT is superb; a sports car in it’s own class, and a real head-turner. And once Toyota has fixed issues like the wind noise in the cabin, you can bet we’ll be walking into a dealership to hand over our money boxes.
Our 2021 Toyota GR Supra GT was supplied by Toyota Australia. To find out more, contact your local Toyota dealer. Pictures courtesy of J_Hui Design/Photography.
