It’s back. Toyota reintroduced the fifth-generation GR Supra Monday morning at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The unveiling ended years of anticipation and speculation among sports car enthusiasts around the world.
The 2020 Supra goes on sale this summer and will be available in two grades – 3.0 and 3.0 Premium, as well as a Launch Edition which will be based on the 3.0 Premium grade. Driving enthusiasts can look forward to an exhilarating blend of power, precision and agility thanks to a rear-wheel drive design that honors Toyota sports car heritage with its low center of gravity and optimal weight balance. There is a strong connection to Toyota’s 1967 2000 GT and 1993-2002 Supra in both design and mechanical configuration.
The colors will include bold Renaissance Red 2.0, Nitro Yellow and Downshift Blue. The available Phantom Matte Gray adds a sense of drama to the Supra’s tautly curved surfaces by combining a matte finish and a hint of blue to create a metal-like texture. In the new version of the famous Supra logotype, the “S” was inspired by a racetrack s-bend.
The 2020 Supra will be powered by a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine. The new Supra’s 3.0-liter twin-scroll turbo six will produce 335 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque and will be teamed with a quick-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Toyota projects 0-60 mph acceleration in 4.1 seconds, which makes this the quickest Toyota-branded production vehicle to date.
Toyota President and Master Driver Akio Toyoda tested the Supra on the Nürburgring and other racing venues to give his personal feedback as a Master Driver to ensure this new model would exceed the expectations of Supra fans across the globe.
Toyota offered a glimpse of the new Supra’s design theme in 2014 with the dramatic FT-1 concept car that emerged from Toyota’s Calty design center in California. Supra’s striking exterior design was inspired by the FT-1’s expressive form.
Optimization of the FT-1 design onto the efficient, high-performance packaging of Supra was achieved by condensing the forms, reducing unnecessary elements and further enhancing the dynamic and powerful character. It focuses on core Supra attributes, such as its inline six-cylinder engine and rear drive layout, while enhancing other features, such as stretching the hood to highlight the engine, creating a taut, but spacious two-seat cabin that helps accentuate an ultra-wide stance. The result is a look unique to Supra internally referred to as “Condensed Extreme.”
Toyota designed the 2020 Supra to be both an everyday sports car and an occasional track car. To that end, its sport seats, featuring integrated head restraints, were inspired by racing. The seats use a narrow main section combined with the shoulder bolsters to firmly hold the driver and passenger. The 3.0 Premium grade will feature heated, leather-trimmed seats, while the 3.0 will come with Alcantara power seats with memory.
The 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six that will produce 335 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque. The torque comes on strong from very low engine speeds, thanks to a combination of a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel injection and continuously variable timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts. Engine response is further enhanced thanks to the inline six’s variable intake valve lift system that adjusts intake valve timing and duration.
The 8-speed automatic transmission delivers quick up- and downshifts and features paddle shifters for manual control when desired. Short ratios for the lower gears and a Launch Control function enable powerful acceleration with maximum traction. Toyota estimates 0-60 mph acceleration in 4.1 seconds. Top track speed will be electronically limited to 155 mph.
The 2020 Supra will offer two driving modes, Normal and Sport. Sport Mode provides track-driving capability by reducing intervention of the traction and stability control functions as well as sharpening throttle response, increasing steering weight, improving transmission shift crispness, more aggressive active differential tuning and amplifying exhaust sound.
It will also have an active differential that uses an electric motor and multi-plate clutches to control lateral torque. The active differential precisely controls torque distribution between the rear wheels, with stepless variable locking from 0-100 percent. The differential can control torque distribution between the rear wheels when cornering under both acceleration and braking, enabling greater momentum through a corner. The active differential is also effective at ensuring neutral handling by reducing both understeer and oversteer.
Standard on all Supras is Adaptive Variable Suspension. Adaptive Variable Suspension system instantly adjusts damping force in response to driver input and road conditions. Two settings for the suspension are available – Normal and Sport.
Road and track development took place in France, Austria, Italy (including many winding roads through the Alps), Germany (including the Nürburgring track), Sweden (ice and snow road testing), the U.K., Japan, Australia, and the U.S. A global citizen, the new Supra will be assembled at Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria.
Standard active safety features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with steering assist, automatic high beam and road sign assist. Additional active safety and convenience features available are adaptive full speed cruise control, blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert and rear end collision warning.
Greg has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.