Well, the new Supra is finally here, after a long and perilous trail of leaks, heresay, and predictions. So far, it’s caused a bit of a stir (understandably) in the online armchair enthusiast world for a lot of various reasons. Some people love it, some think it’s a stain on the name. So, I thought I’d clear up my thoughts on the new Supra by giving you all a list of things I like and dislike about Toyota’s new flagship coupe.
What I Like
The Overall Profile
One of what seems to be the many defining characteristics of the Supra lineage is the distinctive fastback coupe profile that dates back to the original Supra’s liftback design. I’m glad to see it has returned in some medium in the new Supra, and the way they’ve engineered it looks great. In fact, the whole profile in general looks great, where you can see some of the character lines and scoops really come into play in an artistic, athletic design theme. Top props to Toyota for this.
The Rear End
My enjoyment of the design also transfers to the rear of the car as well, where I like the muscular supercar styling cues that Toyota has used here. The F1-style third brake light a la F12 Berlinetta is a nice touch, along with the accenting vents that trail off the tail lights that actually fit into the overall design characteristics (looking at you, Camry). It’s a real nice look overall.
The Engine
Toyota’s choice of a BMW straight 6 has been controversial to say the least, as The Fast and the Furious fanboys everywhere hoped for some kind of new JZ engine to furiously masturbate over. But, I appreciate that they let BMW handle this department, as I strongly believe they make the best petrol straight 6s in the business at the moment. Power is just right in the sweet spot at 335 bhp for this car, and I bet it’ll be a cracker to drive.
The Interior
Another point of contention I’ve seen is that the interior seems very much like a BMW creation, but once again, I wonder if there’s anything really wrong with that. While BMW interiors of the present are not as good as they once were, if Toyota were tasked with creating this interior, It’d be a cheaper mess of plastics and rubberized materials. At least the BMW interior has some style and substance to it. You’re definitely getting a $40,000 car’s interior, and that’s what you really want out of this.
What I Dislike
The Front End
I’ve tried endlessly to find an angle at which the front of the new Supra looks good, but I just can’t succeed at that. It’s really weird. I see what Toyota was going for here, but it just seems lost and battered with strange design cues and elements. I don’t like that extra long bit that trails off the head lights, I don’t like the F1-style grille and nose. It just seems like a mess to me. It might look better in person, though, so we’ll see.
The Lack of a Manual
I usually really don’t care whether or not a car has a manual. With how automatics have progressed to produce overall quicker times and higher speeds, I for one welcome our new dual-clutch overlords. But, in a car of this caliber, I think a manual would be a fun treat to have. Something about the thrill of running this through a canyon while rowing the gears seems fairly dream-like to me, but alas. It’s not really a deal-breaker, it’s just slightly disappointing.
Honestly, 3/5 isn’t bad. The new Supra is definitely a defining moment in car history, as it sees yet another legendary nameplate like the GT-R and NSX meets the modern world. Some people may not like some of Toyota’s decisions, but I quite like what they’ve done. I can’t wait to drive one and gather my own opinions on one, and who knows, maybe one day, if it’s good enough and they depreciate enough, I’ll have one in my own driveway. But, until then, it gets a score of, “pretty good.”