Will visibility be an issue on the Supra?

SS900 said:

You want to see/feel the benefits of having shit rear vision? Lol, ok, to each their own. It’s like saying I want to see the benefit of not having a seatbelt. You can still have what you want out of a car without having to sacrifice safety. Porsche did it, in fact pretty much all other cars do a much better job at it. Why give Toyota a pass? It’s just strange, is all.

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My bad, I worded that terribly and hence edited my post... but you're right.

If Toyota have deemed that to get "X" driving qualities, they compromised rear vision/blind spots.... It will want to be bloody good, and very apparent - because as you point out - other manufacturers can do it.

Although it does seem to have horrible blind spots and rear visibility it's very likely to come with a blind spot monitor and a rear view camera. Not to mention all the TSS crap to keep you on the road.

Until we actually drive the thing we won't know for certain but to an extent compromising rear visibility for more rigidity could be worth it.

Does anybody have experience with Toyota's digital rear view mirror (available on RAV 4 and maybe other vehicles)? How difficult would it be to install this on the Supra? It seems like it could improve rear visibility greatly.

From your posts, I gather you don't have the Supra yet. I must say I'm happy with the current rear view camera on the Supra...
But, that's not to say a larger rear view mirror wouldn't help. There are numerous aftermarket rear view mirrors.
Also seeing how 99% of the vehicle is equipped with BMW parts, you may have easier chance at looking for BMW rear view mirrors or at least BMW compatible...

Agree with above.. rear visibility hasn’t been too bad at all.

Drove one yesterday and thought the rear camera was totally fine, but wish the car offered the surround view cameras available on BMW models. I have that on my X3 M40i and it is really helpful when parking in tight places.

I now have 750km on mine . I have always had cars with moon/sun roofs and as the windows are small
and I was worried about visibility/brightness ,I tinted mine at 50% and it looks great with the dark interior.
No problems with visibility ,although looking past the A pillars and side mirrors can look bulky.

s219 said:

Drove one yesterday and thought the rear camera was totally fine, but wish the car offered the surround view cameras available on BMW models. I have that on my X3 M40i and it is really helpful when parking in tight places.

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When I did my test ride yesterday, I noted two things when parking:

1) the reverse cam actually displays yellow boxes when getting close to objects in addition to the directional mobile lines and

2) the around view proximity sensors are extremely helpful on the screen.

I know it not an actual camera feed but the proximity alerts are spot on. Let me know what you think the next time you park.

Yeah, on my M2 Comp I have that same simplified version of the camera/parking system where they overlay green/yellow/red boxes (from proximity sensor data) on the reverse camera image. It's a good integration. But I feel blind compared to my X3 when there is an obstacle in front or to the sides, since you just have the proximity indications shown on the 2D diagram of the vehicle and no camera image. The sensors identify it, but you have to trust the colors and hope it's not a complicated shape. Still much better graphics and presentation than many other brands (ie, Honda) though.

I also discovered it has an arrow pointing if there's cross traffic coming. I found that out backing out of my driveway. I saw the car coming, so I waited. Glanced at the screen, and there was a little red arrow pointing the direction it was coming.

Everyone's become so dependent on the screen and sensors. Remember when we didnt have these and did just fine.

jtsang25 said:

Everyone's become so dependent on the screen and sensors. Remember when we didnt have these and did just fine.

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I agree, but pedestrians ignorance increased as well. Every time I go grocery shopping, I'm half way out and some dummy decides to walk behind me. On the FRS I don't have the camera, so I'm extra careful as there are also kids running around as well. Rear cam helps out with law suits

XtremeMaC said:

I agree, but pedestrians ignorance increased as well. Every time I go grocery shopping, I'm half way out and some dummy decides to walk behind me. On the FRS I don't have the camera, so I'm extra careful as there are also kids running around as well. Rear cam helps out with law suits

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Good point. Kids come out of no where.

Hey guys,

So I recently got to drive the Supra for a bit and immediately I realized that I don't have much visibility in this car. I am almost 6 feet tall and I did try to increase the seat height as much as I could but there is hardly any corner visibility because if the A pillar. Now to my defense I don't have much experience with sport cars and I haven't driven much. But I am a prospective buyer and I want to hear about this from the current owners.

Do you have issues parking or changing lanes? I know you guys probably depend a lot on the parking sensors but how are you guys seeing the kerb. Do you get used to the car and place the corners easily after a few days or is it a challenge for you. Would love to hear from you!!

Interesting question, all the things we go through but no one tlalks about... In my personal experience.

Problem is worse on A80 Supra, It is a common issue (along with limited visibility of rear view mirror, more so with a spoiler) with traditional sports cars/coupes in general.

It is less of an issue nowadays with parking and blind spot sensors, but it still benefits from having good spatial awareness. You get used to your car after a while so take it easy during the 2,000 km break in period to familiarize yourself. Get used to having a longer bonnet for things like entering main roads etc.

For kerbs, the A90 supra assists with lowering the passenger side mirror so you can better see the kerb.