Why I'm NOT Hyped About The New Toyota Supra

[Illsic_Design]

I'm definitely still excited. This is still one of my favorite car models. The two-seat-only configuration in the A90 definitely puts prospective everyday use of it into a different category than the 2+2 A80... but then I have to remember that this time they're trying to get a little closer to their two-seater 2000GT heritage. And personally I really like what I've learned so far about the new top-line I6 turbo engine. That's one of the big aspects that I am looking forward to.

However the strong likelihood of no manual being available on THIS particular car, and in a car market where even no-brainer-just-offer-a-manual enthusiast cars are beginning to show a lack of manuals being available, does turn any kind of serious thought on purchasing to other performance cars that do still offer a manual.

I'm also open to the possibility of being blown away by this car even if it does have a sole ZF8 auto transmission. But I've been thinking about it for a bit since manuals are becoming more scarce these days... what would probably not replace my preference for a manual but rather make me more interested would be some kind of user-definable shift logic and other transmission parameters.

If the R35 GTR was marketed partly on all the different settings you can play with on its dash screen then why can't the A90 Supra do this in terms of personalizing exactly how and in what style we want the auto-only transmission to shift and behave?

See, this wouldn't necessarily be about making the gearbox faster but more interesting on an owner-by-owner basis. You could focus on just shift speed but just as with a traditional manual I'm much more interested in how interactive and fun the car is to operate and tailor to my own style.

Cobb Tuning is getting into transmission shift logic flash tuning these days. Toyota could hypothetically offer owner definable shift logic menus with a lot of in-depth parameters to choose from.

Something like that would still never replace a traditional manual transmission with a third pedal but I'd probably be more interested if such extensive user-defined auto transmission control options came standard on a non-manual flagship Supra.

^^ Just my speculative hypothetical ideas but really... this is the kind of thinking that should be more prevalent when it comes to non-manual transmissions: ie "screw faster shifting... that's easy in default mode... so what can we offer or change in order to make this less interactive transmission much more FUN to use?"

Regardless, I'm still very interested to see and learn about the A90 once it's revealed. Also, what else they will develop for it over the model run.

I don't know if/when they will have something for the ZF8, but the ZF 6 speed in my 335i has tunes available for it. XHP makes flash tunes so you can adjust damn near anything you want with the tranny. Shift speed/points change for D mode, remove throttle kickdown, true manual mode(rev it to the moon without it shifting itself), shift aggressiveness, adjust throttle blips/rev matching, etc..

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[Spilner]

Toyota ran out of performance miracles in 1993. Besides some minor tweaks as mentioned elsewhere in this forum.. the car will be a re-skinned Z4 and a hard top.

So MK3 Supra was their last performance miracle?

 

[Modal170]

Base model Carrera is about 370hp. But it’s very ambitious to even think this whatever that’s coming up will compete with the 911.

Only note because of Moto P, who is a R&D guy over at Toyota who knows Tada personally and watched the 86 developed and is the owner of the website club4ag I believe.

He said the Supra beaten the 991.1 on a race track. Didn't say which one but the fact it kept up or had similar times hint similar performance.

The 86 had impressive feel as a driver's car, but in terms of power, it's lacking. I wonder how impressive the feel of that car is to the average driver, let alone enthusiast despite the lack of manual.

Or he was sipping the potent Toyota kool aid and feeding us PR for the car, but considering Guff confirmed the above and couldn't say anything until after Moto said that hints at that time, they succeeded against Porsche, before the 99.1.2 refresh

 

[SVHO]

997 TT are amazing and I’d like to own one some day...

The new Supra is a BMW regardless of how you slice it and dice it. Yes, Toyota might’ve made some tweaks to the motor to make the engine reliable but people forget the part that falls apart in a bimmer are stuff like..

1) Electronics, germans and electrical systems are water and oil. They are forced to work for a few years and the dash is lit like a Christmas tree with all sorts of sensors acting up etc
2) interior design and quality, not one bmw interior has aged gracefully in terms of design and actually work
3) have you even seen any 90s or early 2000 BMWs running around anymore? Cause they are all dead. Expensive suspension parts, bushings falling apart leaves the 2nd hand owner to abandon them. Very few of them on the road today.

The new Zupra is made by BMW, in Austria and if you expect Toyota quality out of it.. I’m sorry but you are setting yourself up for a disappointment.

Oh don’t forget.. now you are expecting a Toyota tech that knows nothing about a car to work on it when you take it for service or warranty. Let’s see how that goes, I’m sure they’ll train them.... but they may only train like one guy or so at a given dealership.

Toyota has saved a meaningless penny in making its flagship car... which displays mediocre German engineering as opposed to what Toyota can do by themselves.

But but its German engineering... Seriously, I concur with you. I have owned many cars over the years but never owned a BMW (stories from cousins, siblings, and friends scare me away). I don't have time to visit dealerships. Even with free oil change for my Tacoma, I never used it once in that two years period.

 

[Jdmuscle]

So MK3 Supra was their last performance miracle?

Lol. Why even post something like this when you know what I was talking about.

Only note because of Moto P, who is a R&D guy over at Toyota who knows Tada personally and watched the 86 developed and is the owner of the website club4ag I believe.

He said the Supra beaten the 991.1 on a race track. Didn't say which one but the fact it kept up or had similar times hint similar performance.

The 86 had impressive feel as a driver's car, but in terms of power, it's lacking. I wonder how impressive the feel of that car is to the average driver, let alone enthusiast despite the lack of manual.

Or he was sipping the potent Toyota kool aid and feeding us PR for the car, but considering Guff confirmed the above and couldn't say anything until after Moto said that hints at that time, they succeeded against Porsche, before the 99.1.2 refresh

Don’t get me wrong.. I have a ton of respect for Tada and what he is capable of. However, I’m sure if you ask him... deep down inside he would’ve much rather it be just a Toyota project and not this JV garbage. Tarnishing Toyota’s imagine of not being able to make a damn sports car on its own.

 

[Modal170]

Lol. Why even post something like this when you know what I was talking about.


Don’t get me wrong.. I have a ton of respect for Tada and what he is capable of. However, I’m sure if you ask him... deep down inside he would’ve much rather it be just a Toyota project and not this JV garbage. Tarnishing Toyota’s imagine of not being able to make a damn sports car on its own.

He did say this from the interview.

"As for the pricing you ask. Well at the start, we didn’t put a constraint on the price. There was no target really. Just that we would make a car that more people can afford and share the experience of what we created as a team. I mean we can make anything if the price wasn’t an issue. But cars over $100,000 USD would certainly limit the number of buyers, and that just wasn’t our goal for this.
To keep things in check, there isn’t much formed out of anything too expensive like carbon fibers.
Sure, you saw some on the Supra Racing Concept, but for production, it is entirely designed to be attainable.
And that Racing Concept can be an example for the aftermarket as well. If the customer chooses to take it another level for sports driving dedicated purpose"

If Toyota somehow builds a cult like Porsche has with their fanbase, maybe the board at Toyota can allow more luxrdative projects and engine designs to be done.

Until then, they are going to keep that 100 percent only Toyota development for Ldxus, for buyers and consumers who can fork over that cash cause Lexus.

He also told us right there, it is ready for mods when it arrives

 

[Spilner]

Lol. Why even post something like this when you know what I was talking about.

Because you worded it in a way that makes it seem like the magic ran out with the MK4

 

[twntrbo03']

You cant rush perfection!

I'm at about a 7/10 currently. I still get a 10/10 when i drive my mkiv, so i'm good

 

[SS900]

But but its German engineering... Seriously, I concur with you. I have owned many cars over the years but never owned a BMW (stories from cousins, siblings, and friends scare me away). I don't have time to visit dealerships. Even with free oil change for my Tacoma, I never used it once in that two years period.

I have owned BMW’s and Audi’s and never had any serious issues ever. I did however got out of them before the 70,000 mark just in case. Friends own German cars and haven’t had any issues.

 

[SS900]

You cant rush perfection!

I'm at about a 7/10 currently. I still get a 10/10 when i drive my mkiv, so i'm good

It’s 99% done. I think they are in a pickle and not sure what to do.

 

[Jdmuscle]

Because you worded it in a way that makes it seem like the magic ran out with the MK4

It’s like that dog that died after it nutted for the last time. Toyota was the same after the MKIV release. They were like.. here you go world. Perfection!! And it was perfect in many ways than Toyota even imagined it to be.

I’d be very happy if they call this thing coming up something else. Call it FT1, don’t muddy up the water with the name ‘Supra’ and having it made elsewhere in a JV in the name of saving a meaningless penny.

Here you go world.. we made another Supra.. it’s our halo car. What’s so special about it? It’s the only turbocharged vehicle in the line up and the motor is sourced by BMW. How does that sound? All this effort and the market perception is.. it ain’t even a Toyota.

Halo cars are about what a company can do.. not what it can borrow and use. That to me is a slap in the Supra’s face.

 

[JP_Supra]

It’s like that dog that died after it nutted for the last time. Toyota was the same after the MKIV release. They were like.. here you go world. Perfection!! And it was perfect in many ways than Toyota even imagined it to be.

I’d be very happy if they call this thing coming up something else. Call it FT1, don’t muddy up the water with the name ‘Supra’ and having it made elsewhere in a JV in the name of saving a meaningless penny.

Here you go world.. we made another Supra.. it’s our halo car. What’s so special about it? It’s the only turbocharged vehicle in the line up and the motor is sourced by BMW. How does that sound? All this effort and the market perception is.. it ain’t even a Toyota.

Halo cars are about what a company can do.. not what it can borrow and use. That to me is a slap in the Supra’s face.

Don't worry my man I'll have a 2JZ/6spd swapped in no time.

 

[Spilner]

I’d be very happy if they call this thing coming up something else. Call it FT1, don’t muddy up the water with the name ‘Supra’ and having it made elsewhere in a JV in the name of saving a meaningless penny.

Performance would agree with that

Here you go world.. we made another Supra.. it’s our halo car. What’s so special about it? It’s the only turbocharged vehicle in the line up and the motor is sourced by BMW. How does that sound? All this effort and the market perception is.. it ain’t even a Toyota.
[/QUOTE]

What's special about it is that it's their last Petrol powered car

 

[Jdmuscle]

Don't worry my man I'll have a 2JZ/6spd swapped in no time.

Hehe.. I’m sure a lot of folks will be doing that. I’d think the perfect combo would be 2J with a TR6060 and a small frame turbo.. like a 64mm billet turbo.

 

[Jdmuscle]

Performance would agree with that

Here you go world.. we made another Supra.. it’s our halo car. What’s so special about it? It’s the only turbocharged vehicle in the line up and the motor is sourced by BMW. How does that sound? All this effort and the market perception is.. it ain’t even a Toyota.

What's special about it is that it's their last Petrol powered car[/QUOTE]

Many more versions of Camry, Corollas, Yaris, to come.. this won’t be the last petrol car by any means. Tada probably said the last performance petrol car cause .. he probably doesn’t have any faith in Toyota making another sports car in the future given how frugal the company is.

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