A year on from the world debut of the Gazoo Racing Supra at the North American Auto Show in Detroit, Toyota is announcing the details of the first expansion of the Supra range in Europe.
The Japanese car maker initially offered the A90 GR Supra with a 3.0-litre straight-six turbo unit that churned out 254kW and 500Nm of twist. Now however, the auto maker is offering the legendary nameplate with a four-cylinder turbo mill.
The company says the move is intended to bring the Supra to a “wider customer base” as its asking price is much less than the six-cylinder version. But less powerful doesn’t necessarily mean it’s less fun to drive, the smaller mill does have its advantages.
For starters, the base variant is lighter – up to 100kg lighter in fact. Weight reduction on sports cars are an invaluable advantage as it helps improve the car’s inertia characteristics, amongst other things. Further, this Supra has a perfect 50-50 front-rear weight balance, says the brand.
The lightness and balance of the Supra is complemented by the B48 powerplant under the bonnet. Yes, just like its bigger sibling, the entry-level variant will also employ a BMW block. In this case, the four-banger will pump out 190kW from 5,000 rpm and makes 400Nm from just 1,550 rpm. The B48 is mated to an eight-speed ZF gearbox just like its sibling.
Despite the 64kW deficit compared to the 3.0-litre variant, the single twin-scroll turbo 2-litre performs the century sprint from standstill just eight tenths slower at 5.2 seconds. Keep your right foot pinned down and you’ll see the Supra hit its electronic speed muzzle at 250 km/h.
The interior of the base Supra isn’t some Spartan wasteland devoid of creature comforts but rather it comes loaded with equipment such as a four-speaker stereo system with an 8.8-inch display, sports seats upholstered in black Alcantara and 18-inch alloy wheels as part of the Live trim. Opting for the Connect pack adds satellite navigation while the Sports pack introduces an active differential, adaptive variable suspension and sports-grade brakes.
Splashing out on the Premium pack buys you a 12-speaker JBL audio system, Head-Up Display, wireless smartphone charger, adaptive variable suspension, black leather upholstery and power adjustable seats with memory.
The company hasn’t revealed the price of the entry-level Supra yet as it’s only slated to go on sale in Europe late Q1 2020. There’s also a good chance that we will never see this variant on our shores as some speculate that it could drag buyers away from the current 86 coupe.
For more information on the Gazoo Racing Toyota Supra, please visit our Showroom.
