The Toyota Supra celebrates 45 years of supplying thrills, inspiring materialistic dreams and starring roles in Hollywood films. Born to compete against the Datsun/Nissan Z, the Supra has earned “dream car” status among many in the automotive community after co-starring alongside the late Paul Walker in a film about street racing. But the car’s 45th anniversary is earned through a technicality. Yes, the Supra nameplate is 45 years old, but Toyota stopped selling the fourth-generation Supra in 1998 and ceased production worldwide in 2002.
The world had to wait nearly 20 years before the fifth-generation Toyota GR Supra debuted in 2019. It shocked loyalists when rumors were confirmed and saw BMW-branded parts in the engine bay. The GR Supra was co-developed with the BMW Z4 roadster, creating a rift among fans on whether it is an actual Supra or a German sports car in Japanese cosplay. As evident by the fact this this iconic Japanese import is assembled in Austria. Geographic semantics aside, the only thing I was interested in is finding out how the GR Supra delivers.
This GR Supra is one of 900 limited production 45th anniversary editions built for 2024. Available only with the 3.0L turbocharged inline-six engine and in one of two colors: white or Mikan Blast, which leans towards red or orange depending on the time of day. In addition to matte-black wheels, a nostalgia-grabbing “Supra” graphic stripe on its profile, and satin-black manually adjustable rear spoiler.
Right off the bat, I wish Toyota could have added more glitter to the interior of this 45th-anniversary sports car. Inside, the only shred of evidence proving its exclusivity is a plaque on the edge of the dashboard visible when the driver’s side door is open. There’s no custom embroidery on the seats or a splash of color on the dash apart from a sliver of carbon fiber around the center console housing the short-row six-speed manual shifter. But once you’re strapped inside the cockpit, you feel like a Top Gun graduate commanding a fighter jet.
The car’s voluptuous curves got me plenty of catcalls from fellow males who knew what the car was and its legacy. Not exactly the target audience I was seeking when driving a car like this but at least it does what a sports car should do – make people turn heads and take notice.
During the 500-mile road test, I was pleased to experience a forgiving ride as its pole-position bucket seats kept me in place while supporting the vulnerable areas of my lower back with adjustable lumbar and bolstering. Side note, the Supra’s fastback roofline means its rear pillars create a sizable blind spot, making you dependent on its blind spot monitoring system.
The entry-level GR Supra features a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine pumping a commendable 255 horsepower and 292 pound-feet of torque. Then the car’s trim level moves up to the Premium trim level, providing a turbocharged 3.0L inline-six, sending 382 hp and 368 lb.-ft to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.
This model had three pedals and six gears to play with, but sadly, no manual handbrake. If you want this car to act like it does in the movies, you need to go through the process of selecting the right settings. Thankfully, locating the car’s Sport Mode button is easy being the most prominent button on the center console.
Then, you’ll need to locate the traction control button underneath the sport button and apply pressure until you see a notification on the gauge cluster saying it’s off. These steps unlock a world of fun or Pandora’s box, depending on your reflexes, because the Supra has zero tolerance for ham-fisted pussy footer drivers. Something I learned firsthand during the second and third spin-out.
Off the line, the GR Supra accelerates with the steadfast intensity of a gunfighter’s hand at high noon. It says 382 horses on paper, but it feels more like 450 as it reaches triple digits before you say, “Wow, this thing is fast!”. It delivers a similar sensation of speed to a high-performance electric vehicle, only better because it’s supported by a vibrating six-cylinder symphony conducted by a twin-spooling turbocharger. You can lay rubber while shifting from first through third gear like a muscle car charging down a quarter mile.
Flick it into a corner and you can feel the Michelin Super Sport tires glue themselves to the road like a climate change protester. If you say the wrong line while flirting with disaster, the manhole cover sized Brembo brakes can pull you back before getting slapped. The high-performance disc brakes take some getting used to as they are ferocious sensitivity. There’s a definite sweet spot where one can achieve counter-steering bliss with this car. But its calculated performance means it’s easy to overstep and suddenly find yourself turned around in a cloud of tire smoke.
Fuel economy is more than reasonable for a sports car, as I averaged 26 mpg. Pop open the gas cap and you’ll find a warning label, written in German, informing you that the GR Supra prefers 93 octane but will settle for 89 in a pitch. Pricing for the Toyota GR Supra starts at over $45,000 for the base four-cylinder engine and $58,000 for the 3.0L engine. As for the limited 45th-anniversary edition, the retail price starts at $65,000, but that’s before the dealership tacks on its supply-and-demand / future collectible fees.
The 2024 Toyota GR Supra satisfies the wants and desires expected in a two-seater sports car using four or six cylinders. It’s tight as drum driving characteristics may be too serious for some but it certainly conveys a sense of security knowing it’s a Toyota supported by German engineering.
Engine: 3.0L Turbocharged Inline-six
Transmission: 6-speed Manual
0 to 60: 3.9 seconds
Starting Price: $46,440
Price as Shown: $65,470 (45th Anniversary Edition)
Jesus Behind the Wheel 
Sad they use BMW engines….
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Still fun.
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