My Supra Review

s219

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I haven't seen anyone put up a long review yet, so here are my thoughts. This is a first impressions review, which means I don't have long term experience with the Supra. And I don't own a Supra, so I don't have that perspective. However, I always feel like first impressions are some of the sharpest observations I make about cars, and they rarely change. Plus, right now even owners are new to the Supra, so hopefully this review will fit in.

Brief background about me -- I have been driving sports cars for about 30 years; basically as soon as I could afford to buy them I did. I have owned many over the years, standouts being the Honda S2000, Subaru WRX (bug eyes), Toyota 86, and my current BMW M2 Competition. I also do a lot of test drives, probably 50+ by this point in my life. When a member of our local BMW club offered to let me drive his new Supra 3.0 Premium, I jumped at the chance.

Overall, I feel like the Supra is the nicest "BMW" sports car in years, and I say that with a combination of honesty and sarcasm. Truth is, BMW hasn't offered a balanced sports car like this for as long as I can remember. BMW M cars tend to me more hard core, more raw, and live closer to the edge (they are also traditional sedan/coupe bodies for the most part). Then you have the Z4 and non-M BMWs. The Supra slots perfectly in between, being nicer and better balanced than the M cars and more sporting than the Z4 and non-M BMWs. The Supra is also a great value, providing a lot more for the money than a typical BMW, and it has caught the interest of many BMW owners. So yeah, "BMW" in quotes is really how I look at the Supra overall -- it's a better BMW at a better price.

In terms of feel, it's hard to peg the Supra. It does not feel like a Toyota to me except maybe for exterior styling. The powertrain, interior, and build feel like a BMW, especially the powertrain -- blindfolded and told to accelerate in a straight line in sport mode, most modern BMW owners will instantly recognize the B58/ZF8 and its sound. The handling is somewhere in unidentified territory for me, with a more adept and more athletic feel than you get in a standard BMW, but not quite the stiffness and raw edginess of an M car. Toyota clearly improved the handling over what BMW does on their non-M cars, but it doesn't feel like pure Toyota to me either. However you want to describe it, the Supra is a small, tossable, fun sports car.

Overall quality seemed excellent to me. Body fit was top notch, with good panel alignment and even gaps. The interior, controls, and infotainment system are instantly recognizable for anyone with recent BMW driving experience, and I felt at home very quickly. Under the hood it's also very much BMW, and odd bits like chassis components, strut towers, hubs, rotors, calipers, and more are all standard BMW fare.

After driving the Supra, the only gripe I have is the lack of manual transmission, and that is a big gripe. This car would have been absolutely perfect with a manual, both in terms of driver involvement and in terms of completing the package. The B58/ZF8 combination is about as good as it gets for an automatic (I have it in my daily driver, an X3 M40i) but in a sports car it's a letdown to me. Unless you're going fast or driving aggressively, it's transparent. When you are going fast and driving aggressively, it's so good it removes the driver from the action (with or without paddle shifts). It's almost like watching an action scene in a movie but not being in it. If you're like me and have been moaning about the lack of manual transmission all along, well, I think that moaning was realistic.

If someone wants automatic transmission, or can tolerate automatic transmission, I think the Supra is the best sports car in its class right now. In fact I might say itā€™s the only sports car in its class right now, since there are so few direct and modern competitors that fit into this niche. If you're on the fence about the automatic transmission, don't buy a Supra without a test drive, as I feel like this will be a big factor in your ability to enjoy the car. If you are like me and were already wary about the lack of manual transmission, and/or you already know what a B58/ZF8 combination feels like and know you don't want it in a sports car, then hold off. I am not optimistic Toyota will ever offer a manual in the Supra, but Iā€™m sure they could make it happen if they really wanted to.

Finally, does the Supra live up to the name and the hype? That would be a tall order, considering the legacy of previous Supra generations. In most ways, the Mark V is far better than any previous Supra. I don't think the BMW roots or Toyota roots have anything to do with that, but rather, that somebody simply bothered to throw together a well-rounded competent sports car with modern technology. I do think it took Toyota's motivation to do this in a way BMW wouldn't have cared to on their own (as I said up above, I feel like the Supra sits squarely in that space between non-M and M BMWs where BMW offers nothing). If anything, the Mark V has been overhyped, but if you take the time to judge it on its own and think about the space it occupies in the sports car world, it's really just perfect, better than all that hype would suggest. Well, except for that manual transmission.

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Addendum: I should give a brief comparison to the M2 Competition since this is a very obvious matchup in my mind, and driving both cars back to back really honed my impressions. There's no question the M2 Competition is more of a pure driver's car, with edgier handling, a stiffer feel throughout, a more raw and slightly more playful feel, fewer creature comforts, and that manual transmission. The Supra is nicer, more modern, more comfortable, better looking, a far better value, and in my mind it's a more rounded sports car if you can overlook the transmission situation.
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CarGuy11

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Thanks for the insightful review! I reviewed an M2 Competition manual but did not like the manual shifter at all coming from a manual C7. It was very vague and the reverse gear is in 1st gear spot so when shifting into 2nd you get hung up. I'm not sure I will love the auto in the Supra but will see as this will be my first auto in a sports car.

 

Wangman

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I totally agree on having a manual transmission. I currently have both Type R and Supra. The transmission on the R is nice. Whenever I get into the Supra, I can't help but to think how much more fun this car would be with a manual. It has almost everything I ever wanted in one package.
 

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Got both a supra and an M2C on order at present.

One will get cancelled, but really not sure which one.

Manual M2C I can see being a cult classic down the line, pretty much any fast manual will be as autos become more widespread.

What scares me is that I get an auto supra, and a manual one comes out next yr - I'd be seriously pissed!
 

F1 Silver Arrows

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Got both a supra and an M2C on order at present.

One will get cancelled, but really not sure which one.

Manual M2C I can see being a cult classic down the line, pretty much any fast manual will be as autos become more widespread.

What scares me is that I get an auto supra, and a manual one comes out next yr - I'd be seriously pissed!
If you're not getting an LE then I would suggest getting the M2C with a manual due to the fact that it will be pretty special in the future. Then if your wallet allows you, once the manual comes out, get the Supra too. ;)
 

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The automatic transmission shifts so perfectly I am not sure why you need a standard transmission.
 

CarGuy11

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Iā€™m confused why everyone thinks the M2 will be special when the new M3 has already confirmed it will have a manual. Iā€™m keeping my C7 Corvette manual because C8 is auto only and will be last front engine manual Corvette!
 

kona61

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Nice review. I do have some disagreement, however. I do not think that the stiffness of the suspension translates to sportiness. In the real world, cars like the F80 or F87 would be pretty skittish and unpredictable simply because they are oversprung. I recall getting the rear end of my F80 to step out just easing out of a slightly undulating corner.

I think the Supra is a good balance due to the fact that it has the compliance to soak up bumps before they unsettle the car.

I do think the manual and the S55 are the M2C's strongest selling points and it is a wonderful car.
 

DesmoSD

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Thanks @s219 for your honest review of the Supra. Given your current car and previous cars that you've driven, have you ever driven a Porsche? I'm more curious by when you said "tossable" since my old 911 has similar specs to the MKV.

I'm holding all judgment until I have the opportunity to drive a MKV at speed and simply amazed on how agile 911's are. I would be nice to see how the MKV feels compared to that.
 

kona61

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Thanks @s219 for your honest review of the Supra. Given your current car and previous cars that you've driven, have you ever driven a Porsche? I'm more curious by when you said "tossable" since my old 911 has similar specs to the MKV.

I'm holding all judgment until I have the opportunity to drive a MKV at speed and simply amazed on how agile 911's are. I would be nice to see how the MKV feels compared to that.
It doesn't feel as light, I will tell you that.
 

kona61

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Can you elaborate more on this?
In my opinion, it doesnā€™t have that same telepathic steering that Porscheā€™s have. I donā€™t know if itā€™s the feel or the speed of the rack, but it definitely feels a hair less on edge. It could also be the fact that it just weighs more.

It is a lot more stable feeling though, which is more confidence inspiring.
 

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Iā€™m confused why everyone thinks the M2 will be special when the new M3 has already confirmed it will have a manual. Iā€™m keeping my C7 Corvette manual because C8 is auto only and will be last front engine manual Corvette!
Because the M2 is smaller, nimbler and better balanced than the M3/M4. Having been out in the current M3 and the M2C, the M2C is a far more enjoyable drive.
 

DesmoSD

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In my opinion, it doesnā€™t have that same telepathic steering that Porscheā€™s have. I donā€™t know if itā€™s the feel or the speed of the rack, but it definitely feels a hair less on edge. It could also be the fact that it just weighs more.

It is a lot more stable feeling though, which is more confidence inspiring.
I'm sure the Supra has electronic steering but it's also FR. Does the steering get heavy when in sport mode?

From my experience, Porsche's just have that very short, sharp and direct steering wheel feel, even on the 991's. I have not driven a car that can mimic that steering response and feel like Porsche. Mine still has the hydraulic steering, so it's more of raw.

https://www.pistonheads.com/features/ph-features/porsche-and-the-death-of-steering-feel/26213
 

kona61

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I'm sure the Supra has electronic steering but it's also FR. Does the steering get heavy when in sport mode?

From my experience, Porsche's just have that very short, sharp and direct steering wheel feel, even on the 991's. I have not driven a car that can mimic that steering response and feel like Porsche. Mine still has the hydraulic steering, so it's more of raw.

https://www.pistonheads.com/features/ph-features/porsche-and-the-death-of-steering-feel/26213
It gets heavier, similar to the M3 in comfort mode which is where I like it.

I had a 997 C2S and it was a great handling car. I would say this car is a lot more neutral and has more grip. The 997 had some push mid corner but itā€™s steering was better by a decent amount.
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