2021 Toyota Supra GR 2.0T – Re-Driven on Mass & Piston Diet

IN MARKET FOR : Two-seat performance sports car that can master the road

DON’T NEED: Track dominating power

GLAD TO HAVE: Daily driver fuel economy, more digestable price

DON’T MIND: Four-cylinder count, another carmaker’s underpinnings

READY FOR: Incessant thumbs-up from passersby

Then prepare to share in a Roadblazing.com re-drive in the 2021 Toyota Supra GR 2.0T DB 23 performance sports coupe.

Driving Hits:

• 255 hp (likely under-rated by 10%), 295 lb-ft @ 1550 rpm twin-cam gas inline-4 cylinder BMW engine

• BMW specific ZF 8-speed torque converter planetary automatic transmission
• Rear-wheel drive, worm gear limited slip differential 

• 3181 lbs. curb weight = 219 lbs. < GR Supra 3.0T I-6
• Kick in the seat of the pants acceleration
• Four cylinder active exhaust growl betters some six bangers
• 8-speed transmission features rapid locking torque converter, likes low gears, and is calibrated for on demand engine braking
• Steering wheel dorsal shift paddles react briskly
• Progressively weighted razor accurate steering winding
• Controllable oversteer out of fast switchbacks
• Prodigious lateral adhesion from Michelin Pilot Super Sport run flat rubber
• Improved road compliance on 18″ alloy wheels
• 31 miles per gallon combined driving = +20% vs. GR Supra 3.0T I-6

• 403 miles estimated highway range
• Solid contract assembly by Magna Steyr in Austria
• Not much suspension or wind sound heard inside cabin

Driving Misses:

• Lacks 3.0T I-6 electronic active rear differential, Brembo multi-piston front brake calipers, adaptive electronic suspension
• Full wheel well cladding amplifies stones picked up by the Michelins
• Windows, part retracted, wind buffeting

What It Has Got:

• From $44,085 (incl. destination) base 2021 Toyota GR Supra 2.0T. As tested = $47,920.
  
• 2-seat performance sports coupe
• Rocket car low slung, long hood, Coke bottle fuselage, huge rear quarter panel shape

• Flesh, bones, organs courtesy of BMW Z4
• Skin drawn & bones tuned by Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division

• Precision finished positive action switchgear, with artful cabin panel shapes, soft materials throughout
• Carbon fiber interior trim
• Long cargo bay w/ liftgate access

• Cargo bay privacy lid
• Plentiful standard feature set
  • Power folding, driver’s self-dimming, reverse auto tilting, heated side mirrors
  • Auto dimming rear view mirror + remote garage door transmitter
  • Bi-LED headlamps, white LED DRLs, amber LED directionals
  • Keyless comfort entry, ignition
  • Cruise control
  • Power windows,  express down x 2
  • 2-zone automatic climate control
  • 8 way manual w/ knee lift, 4-way lumbar & side bolster power adjust Alcantara + leather trim sport seats

• • Bluetooth wireless communications and music stream
  • 8.0″-inch TFT single dial gauge w/ LED segments
  • 8.8″-inch touch LCD infotainment display
  • 4 speaker , 160W streaming audio
  • Stand-out safety features & grades
    • • 8 SRS airbags
      • Not crash tested but built on rigid BMW CLAR platform
      • Better than most sport coupe side and rear outward view
• Standard safety and driver assistance
  • Forward Collision avoidance w/ pedestrian & cyclist detection braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, park distance warning, and auto high beams headlamps
• 3 year / 36,000 miles bumper to bumper, 5 yrs / 60k mi. powertrain warranty includes 2 yr. / 25k mi. maintenance

What It Has Not (or Not Preferred):

• Lacks 3.0T I-6 electronic active rear differential, Brembo multi-piston front brake calipers, adaptive electronic suspension
• No Android Auto projection, available, Apple Car Play optional
• No inductive wireless device charger
• Low entry and exit body position
• Long hood & tall cowl challenges forward view
• Heavy frameless window coupe doors
• No center armrest storage, exposed wireless device shelf too short for phablets

NEW for 2021 Toyota GR Supra

• twin scroll 2.0L turbo I-4 engine
• Color palette additions

Standout Cool Features included on tested 2021 Supra 2.0T:

• Technology Package (optional):
  
  • Full adaptive radar cruise control, Blind spot & rear cross traffic warning, front + rear park assist w/ e- braking
  • Tri-pane, touch and remote I-drive touch pad rotary knob 8.8″ inch media screen control
  • HDD GPS navigation

• • Supra Connected Services up to 4 year trial of real time traffic, weather, news, concierge
  • JBL 12 speaker, 500 W premium audio
  • Wireless Apple Car Play projection
• Nitro Yellow color

ROADBLAZING.COM’s SUMMATION:

2021 Toyota Supra GR 2.0T = Lighter in weight, on the wallet, and in fuel stops, a plenty gutsy turbo-four option make it the “right er” Supra for the road.

Contributing Editor: D. Kallioras

SEE ROADBLAZING.COM’s COMPLETE REVIEW AND GALLERY OF THE 2020 TOYOTA SUPRA GR 3.0T BELOW

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WHAT: 2020 Toyota GR Supra, 2-person sports coupe, designated J29 = the 5th model to bear the superlative.

 

Standard Power*: longitudinal intercooled twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0L DOHC 24V DI gas I-6 = 335 hp/ 365 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm + 8-spd. torque converter planetary transmission w/ shift paddles, driving rear wheels.

Power to Weight ratio compared to: Chevrolet Corvette C8; Porsche Cayman S, Jaguar F-Type P380

*available std. in MY 2021: longitudinal intercooled twin-scroll turbocharged 2.0L DOHC 16V DI gas I-4 = 255 hp/ 295 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm (3.0T I-6, with power bump to 382 hp, will be optional)

(A) STYLING DIFFERENCE(S): All 4 previous Supra models were available as 2+2 passenger hatchbacks. The last A80 model shared common stampings with the Lexus SC 300 /400. Now a sibling of BMW‘s G29 Z4 roadster, the latest Supra is exclusively 2-seater coupe, but retains that liftback heritage.

 

PENNA TURBINA: The new Supra is an unabashed nod to the late 1960’s 2000GT grand tourer, then Japan’s Bond- ian answer to the Jaguar E-Type. Roadblazing.com spies a smattering of Fiat Turbina concept‘s bold rear quarters. The production Supra has remained astonishingly faithful to the 2014 FT-1 Concept. Ironically it turns out that Nobuo Nakamura’s design is more reminiscent of fellow countryman Joji Nagashima’s original E36/7 Z3‘s  retro roadster’s beak, than is the current Z4.

Witness a land speed record setter’s slender Coke-bottle fuselage. The twin cowl roof and low slung, long clamshell hood terminate in a first rounded, then pointed nose. Sans grille, three dark honeycomb air inlets occupy most of lower fascia with corner folds and a lower splitter. Lighting is a multi-segmented LED with prominent alternating amber directional / white DRL lower brow.

The windsceen, with thick A-pillars slants sharply. Integral lower body flaring rises to the rear wheel arches. A necessarily high beltline tapers with a prominent Hofmeister angled B-pillar. More powerful and equally prurient are the wide splayed rear quarter haunches, which seem to amplify ever morsel of road stone thrown into the wheel wells.  Darkened competition-style side skirts are continued at the lower rear fasia.

Out aft, no less explicit is a pinched ducktail spoiler. It rises from a widened liftgate decklid. Lateral lollipop LED taillamps stretch out wide to corner folds. A T-shaped gloss black lower fascia cradles a bumped out mid bumper, fitting polished dual corner exhaust tips.

WHY: Successor to Tokyo Drift king is exclusively 2 seater and highly Bavarian

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