2019 Toyota GR Supra GTS

In any car circle, mention the name “Supra” and the ears of every Toyotaphile and turbocharged enthusiast will prick up. It is a nameplate that commands respect, and for decades, the Supra was Toyota’s top-tier sportscar: a scalp-taking two-door turbo that was rapid enough to keep with the exotics and had styling to match.

But to really understand the Supra’s heritage, you need to start in the 1960’s with the 2000GT. A masterfully refined piece of engineering, the car changed the automotive worlds view of Japan and introduced a path of innovative improvement for Toyota.

10 years later when disco was king and Japan’s car industry was gaining momentum, Toyota was looking to expand on their offering beyond the humble compact and establish their presence in the global market. So, they took their learnings from the 2000GT and introduced a new generation of sportscar – the A40 Celica Supra.

Using the popular Celica hatchback as its starting point, the Celica Supra transformed the sportcar category with a 2.0 ltr, fuel injected, water-cooled in-line 6 punching out 92kW and 166Nm of torque. The die was cast, and the legend was born.

Speeding into the 80’s and the A60 Celica Supra adopted a totally new design and handling package. The engine was enlarged to 2.8 ltr and a new sport suspension package was offered. In Australia, we had to wait until 1983 to enjoy the new unique front-end styling, independent rear suspension, power steering, windows & locks, pop-up headlights and pronounced rear wheel arches, but it was well worth the wait. With increased power and torque, it was now a far cry from its 4-cylinder Celica stablemate – now a genuine GT sportscar.

But it wasn’t until 1986 when Toyota launched the A70 that the Supra badge was allowed to stand alone. Looking like a Japanese version of “Kitt” from Knight Rider, for the first time the Supra wore its own unique body and set a new benchmark for the competition. With water-cooled in-line 6 cylinder 24-valve fuel-injected engine (169kW and 324Nm of torque), It was the fastest Japanese car at the time and served as a new base for Toyota’s leap into racing any rallying in both Japan, Europe and Australia, with Peter Fitzgerald winning the 1989 Australian Production Car Championships.

In modern day terms, the A80 Supra is arguably the most well known Supra model. Unveiled in 1993, it was a runaway success and an icon of Hollywood’s blockbuster The Fast and the Furious. It looked good, sounded great and drove like it was on rails. With a whopping 206kW and 432Nm of torque it made the twin-turbo engine generation famous as the “10-second car” and often adjusted by tuners able to extract some 1000bhp out of the package.

But like all good things, the A80 story had to come to an end. It was dropped from showrooms in the US and Toyota pulled the plug on it before it got to Australia in 2000 with no replacement in site. The music has stopped, the lights gone out and enthusiasts’ hearts sank. A 20-year love affair with 4 generations of Toyota’s prized sportscar had come to an end.

Then in 2019, Toyota unveiled a fifth generation Supra at the Detroit Motor show and the fans hearts began to beat again. A joint partnership with BMW had resulted in a Supra more than worthy of wearing the nameplate.

The New A90 GR Supra - A car that is equal parts corner carver and gentleman’s cruiser, is a genuinely transcendent sportscar. Inspired by the Gazoo Racing Concept, it pushed the limits of what is possible today in the compact sportscar class. Powered by its Bavarian-built 3.0 twin-scroll turbo producing 250kW and 500Nm or torque, it drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed auto.

And that’s just the beginning. The drive is precise and accurate. With the Supra’s light weight body and 50/50 weight distribution, steering is surprisingly agile and cornering incredibly stable and fun. Activate the “Sport” mode and the computer flexes its muscles like a bodybuilder, tightening steering input, throttle response and suspension dampening bringing with it the speed, precision and power of the GR Supra race car.

Available in both GT & GTS, we are pleased to offer this basically brand new Supra GTS with just 1,943 kms. Finished in Bathurst Black metallic with Black and Red accented leather, the level of equipment includes:

• 19” Forged Alloy Wheels

• Limited Slip Differential

• Sports Brakes with Red Caiipers

• Head-Up Display

• 12-Speaker JBL Audio System & Satellite Navigation

• Active Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert, Reverse Camera with Back Guide Monitor, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert

• Adaptive LED Headlights and High beam

The new Toyota Supra is a great sportcar in every context. Given that the entire Australian allocation sold out in just 22 minutes demonstrates the high demand for the loved Toyota “dragon” badge, and like its predecessors, already on its way to becoming a classic. So if you missed all the excitement of the previous Supra generations, now is your chance – The wait is over.