Toyota has perhaps never been under more pressure to deliver a thrilling sports car than it is now. From the moment an all-new Supra was announced, the world has been eagerly waiting for the vehicle’s arrival and remaining hopeful that it will live up to its iconic predecessor.
While the new Supra’s launch is still some time away, a select bunch of journalists were recently invited to Spain to test out a fleet of Supra prototypes. This review from Autocar indicates that the car will be worth the wait.
The Supra prototype driven in this review was outfitted with a single-turbo 3.0-liter B58B30 engine shared with BMW. While Toyota hasn’t released power figures, the engine is thought to produce roughly 335 hp. Coupled to the engine is an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the rear wheels.
Free of any hybrid trickery, this engine clearly sounds the part, especially when the car’s Sport mode is switched on. The new Supra doesn’t seem to be a car dominated by its engine either, as the four-piston Brembo brakes work well, the gearbox is seamless, the suspension is smooth, and there’s a blissful, inherent balance to the way the Supra goes around corners.
Perhaps the biggest gripe enthusiasts may have about the new Supra is that it is unlikely to be offered with a manual transmission. While we’re holding out a little bit of hope of seeing a stick-shift, it appears extremely unlikely.
Another unknown about the new Supra is its weight. The reviewer in this video says it feels like it weighs roughly 1500 kg (3300 lbs). That may be a little too much for some but in the scheme of things, it is entirely reasonable.