Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Toyota GR Supra - performance and 0-60 time

Does strong work with its modest power figures, but both engines work most effectively in the mid-range

Evo rating
  • Agile chassis and polished powertrains
  • Lacks feel, feedback and bite; best class rivals are more capable

The way it goes about achieving that speed feels… well, quite BMW-like. There are worse engines to listen to than the 3.0’s straight-six, but the engine and transmission’s character is quite laid-back compared to Porsche’s 4-litre flat-six and Audi’s turbocharged five-cylinder in the TT RS.

Toyota has worked to give the car some aural character, and in the sportier driving modes there are the obligatory crackles when backing off the throttle. And seat-of-the-pants it feels comfortably as quick as the 4.3sec 0-62mph time suggests (or 4.6sec for the manual version), punching hard from very few revs and the acceleration never really tailing off until you bump into the limiter. It responds well in-gear too, taking off with the merest hint of throttle input.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Perhaps it’s a symptom of the low-set driving position or the minimal glass area but it seems to accentuate the car’s performance too – there’s a proper muscle car vibe. The transmission is one of several areas the car feels short on interaction, as good though the ZF is, it’s not as sharp as the dual-clutch ’boxes offered elsewhere, and the process of switching the car into sport mode, knocking the gear shifter into manual and then changing down half a dozen gears just to wake everything up feels neither efficient nor fun, or interactive.

This is where the manual gearbox option comes in – the extra engagement instilled by needing to stoke the engine yourself makes a big difference day-to-day, with a robust and positive shift quality. The gearbox uses a unique set of ZF internals and Toyota has honed the feel across the gate and into gears; this is no slap-dash installation, and it shows. The clutch pedal action is intuitive too, while Toyota’s iMT auto-blip function has been integrated into downshifts. 

The entry-level 2.0 model’s performance on paper is impressive, with 62mph reached in just 5.2sec, but that’s about where the 2.0’s performance good points end. As it is in most other applications, the B48 just doesn’t make a very good fist at being a sports car engine. Its low-down torque negates it having any enthusiasm to reach the red line, and while the engine is responsive, you find yourself driving it like a diesel, relying on the torque and short-shifting up the transmission to keep it in its useable (rather than sweet) spot. All Supras have a 155mph top speed.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Best hybrid cars 2025 – the benefits of EV and petrol power
Best hybrid cars 2025
Best cars

Best hybrid cars 2025 – the benefits of EV and petrol power

Hybrids are the perfect compromise for manufacturers and buyers at the moment, keeping petrol power for versatility and customer appeal but adding an …
31 Mar 2025
Honda Civic Type R (FN2) – the car world's greatest misses
Honda Civic Type R FN2
Features

Honda Civic Type R (FN2) – the car world's greatest misses

Its lineage contains some hot hatch greats, but the late-noughties Civic wasn’t one of them
26 Mar 2025
2025 VED car tax: what you'll be paying
VED car tax 2025
Advice

2025 VED car tax: what you'll be paying

The latest car tax changes explained, including new pricing for EVs and hybrids and increased prices for higher-emission vehicles
1 Apr 2025