The 2020 Toyota Supra... The return of a tarmac monster

This tarmac monster has made its comeback

 Toyota engineering has always been at the forefront of innovation. But sometimes the best decision can be to look backwards to find the future. A staple edition to the export Japanese performance car market for almost last 30 years has been the Toyota Supra. Outstanding engineering, contained within a futuristic construction, years ahead of its time.

1994 Toyota Supra SZ-R

   

Toyota had originally based the Supra on its early models of their Celica which had been an extremely profitable mid-market sports coupe for them. Their goal was to do what Toyota did best; revolutionise the performance car market. Though, when we think about this iconic car, we would normally picture its 4th generation (A80) over its earlier family models.

In 1994, Toyota radically moved away from its original design and produced a sleeker, meaner and faster performance vehicle which now had more in common with its cousin, the Soarer coupe. This was achieved by drastically modifying the original frame, suspension and drivetrain assemblies, which included the introduction of a twin turbocharger, aimed at increasing top end power, with no signs of lag.  In 2002 Toyota made the unpopular decision to shelve it's iconic design for the Supra. But who was to know that by the end of the following decade, they would be releasing a new generation of Supra's.

In January 2020, Toyota finally showcased its new pride and joy of performance racers; the Toyota Supra J29. Partnering with BMW, it boasts a whopping 285kw at the flywheel, overshadowing its older brother, the JZA70 which, when put out to pasture was burning up the tarmac at 206kW at the flywheel.

2020 Toyota Supra J29

What can we say... There was united celebration from fans of Japanese racers. Toyota had reinstated one of their truly iconic designs and seemingly gone to painstaking lengths to enhance its grunt. This is definitely one for the diehards, as  long as they're able to overlook Toyota's decision to move away from developing a new generation of the 2JZ engine, which had been so successful and instead use a BMW sourced platform and drive-train.

 But that's where the separation ends; Toyota has retained the familiar lines of the 4th Generation Supra and made them even more aggressive, reportedly taking a cues from Formula 1 racers.

2020 Toyota Supra J29

For those out there who are purist's at heart, you may be able to overcome the pairing of Japanese flair, with German grunt, but there have been some to disagree with the move away from experiencing the traditional feel of a racer. Personally, for this racer, I can't help but be left wondering how much more of an intense experience would it be driving the new Supra, if they hadn't have removed the conventional six-speed gear-shift, instead opting for an automatic eight-speed.

2020 Toyota Supra GR Racer

Another bug-bear some fans may experience with the new Supra is in its limited capacity for backyard after-market modifications, which (let's be honest) had been one of the truly exciting experiences of the older 2JZ, in addition to driving it. So unless you'll be spending your next few years navigating your way through an electrical engineering course, it's time to find a new friend with some valued skills in this area.

The Toyota Supra J29 is an awesome out of the box' performance street racer, with enough power to make most cynics smile, amazing handling and a lush leather interior. If that wasn't enough for you, it definitely has the same angry-sounding exhaust with crackles and pops to turn heads and make it known it’s a serious contender.

Toyota Supra 2020 interior

   For another indepth review of the 2020 Toyota Supra, click on the YouTube link below.

Toyota Supra 2020 in-depth review - tested on road, sideways on track

   
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   Special thanks go to J-Spec Imports and Toyota for their images