The Supra name is like holy scripture among fans of Japanese performance cars. Easily the most iconic nameplate from the house of Toyota, this sports car helped put Japanese engineering on the map, both through motorsport success and providing attainable performance for the masses.
The Supra name means much today, but it all started back in 1978 and was actually based on the Toyota Celica. A larger rear section allowed for greater practicality, while the enlarged engine bay accommodated an inline-six derived from the 2000GT.
A more performance orientated model dubbed ‘Celica XX’ was engineered with help from Lotus, and even features some components from the Lotus Excel.
There were several iterations of this first generation car until its replacement in 1981.
The 1980s brought plenty of wedge-shaped designs, with the Supra being no exception. Still a derivative of the Celica, this chiseled car with its pop-up headlights really struck a chord with coupé fans. There were two distinct derivatives, a luxurious L-Type and a sportier P-Type with revised bodywork.
Toyota knew that it needed to prove the car’s worth on track to capture the attention of audiences outside of its home market. The second generation of Celica Supra proved to be competitive in motorsport. Motorcycling legend Barry Sheene even piloted one during the British Saloon Car Championship's 1985 season, albeit unable to keep pace with its arch rival that year, the Mitsubishi Starion.
It wasn’t until its third generation that the Supra name was found on a standalone model. The sporting coupé retained rear-wheel drive while the Celica went front-wheel drive only. A new 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine was good for 200bhp, with its launch also bringing with it more technology such a selectable drive modes and ABS.
The Mk3 was also launched in Group A racing form and eligible for touring car championships around the world, though was not quite able to match its road-going reputation on the track. Outmatched by the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth, and later the Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R, it did manage wins with the factory TOM'S team in Japanese touring cars. But ventures in the British and Australian championships did not yield such success.
This is the car that most people think of when you say Supra. Famously capable from the factory, easily tuned, and movie star car of The Fast and The Furious. A standard version of the sports car offered 220hp, but there was an option to get a twin-turbo version of the car's inline-six capable of 276hp (326hp for Europe). The latter had a limited top speed of 155mph, although was capable of exceeding 170mph. Many tuners have coaxed over 1000hp from this high-performance engine.
Just like its predecessor, the fourth-generation Supra brought new technologies such as advanced stability control and lightweight aluminium components.
This Supra saw plenty of success in motorsport and entered many prestigious global events, including the Le Mans 24 Hours. Most of its success, and enhanced status, came from racing in Super GT in Japan. It first raced in the series in 1995, and was a favourite of many thereon.
We couldn’t do a feature on the Supra and not include a picture of the car in its famed Castrol livery. Not only was this distinctive colour scheme made famous on track, but a generation of children cherished in on the Gran Turismo Playstation game series.
The fourth generation car died with the decline of sporting coupés, but now it returns after a near 17-year absence. The new car shares its platform and engine with the latest BMW Z4, though Toyota and Gazoo Racing have done their own development of the chassis as well as designed new bodywork.
Pitched as a rival to the Porsche 718 Cayman, this coupé produces 335-horsepower via a turbocharged straight-six engine. 0-60mph is completed in 4.1 seconds, making it faster than its BMW sibling.