Toyota GR Supra

Long awaited Supra since the last production car in August 2002, we had welcome the new J29, Toyota GR Supra from March 2019.

Superb 2.0 litre turbocharged in-line four engine with smooth 8-speed ZF automatic transmission.

Love it or hate it, there is nothing on the road that looks like it. It's street presence is undeniable. While the styling cues are typically linked back to Toyota sports cars of the past, I can't help but see flashes of the E86 Z4 coupe in the design. Especially the rear haunches.

You only fully appreciate this car when you push it on the road. No grandma test drives will do it justice. The handling is excellent - take a fast corner and the chassis asks for more.The engine is silky smooth like an inline 6 should be. And it has one of the best engines BMW has ever built. Plus enough power on tap to give you whiplash on hard acceleration. No kidding here. The platform is also truly dedicated to the Supra and Z4 only. Even earlier Z4s were based off the 3 series platform.

The interior is not as luxe as the new Z4, but it's beautiful in its own way - the carbon fiber console is gorgeous and everything is kept simple, clever and neat. Just how a modern, driver's car should be. Even with one generation old BMW tech, it's better than most Japanese car functionality. I can't imagine why anyone would save 20k for the 2.0L when you get so many extras with the 3.0L AD version.

Being a hardcore fan of the Supra MK4, the announcement of this Supra is a big disappointment. Toyota used to be a strong competitor of the Skyline GTR and Honda NSX. Current GTR and NSX came a long way to arrive with the high tech supercar slyer we see today. However, Toyota, being an automobile giant, maker of legendary Lexus LFA, can't even be putting proper efforts into making a car that lives up to Supra name. What we have today is just a BMW Z4 copy converted into a coupe body. Absolutely a disappointing car.

Albeit the process of obtaining the car at this price point wasn't the best, it is worth every penny (performance-wise).

I highly suggest buying from a reliable PI who already have stock on hand.

The thing about Sports Coupes are that they are supposed to scare you. An output too powerful. An engine drone like a dirty martini. A little oversteer that would send you on a skid like a wet penguin belly-skating on ice. In total, the gratification from owning and driving one would remain as a testament to the steel and weight of your family jewels. The daily reward would be the waltz with the devil and reaching destinations alive.

The GR Supra shares none of these typical psychopathic traits of normal sports cars.

With its Arnie roots, initial ridicule was equally similar to the Terminator's early days. Its badging and not being a BMW is almost always the conversation starter. That's where as a new owner, it takes a while to digest the fact that this is the first global GR badge. It's an M. It's an AMG. So to speak. And it is different... And bloody good.

The first instant reward is the lost inline 6 symphony that Porsche gave up on. A linear acceleration bearing the biblical identity of the 2000 GT - along with its double bubble roof signature. With pure BMW interiors and panel gaps of Japanese heresy - there's little Toyota in the vehicle - except for the bulletproof reliability assurance learning from the development stories of numerous Japanese testing and improving.

Unlike other similar options such as the Alpine A110 or the Porsche 718, the Supra is an absolute comfort to drive in. It soaks up the road with so much ease that the only fatigue that sets in is purely from the G forces. An unexpected surprise was how it went over some of the worst humps I know of as if they never existed. For a car that low - that i don't understand at all.

Telling people you own a Supra is something no luxury badged sportscar can recreate. For its legendary status, that's a new kind of gratification altogether.