Len Ingrassia: A new twist for fifth-generation Toyota GR Supra | News

What was tested

2023 Toyota GR Supra

• Engine:3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder, 382 horsepower. • EPA mileage: 19 city, 27 highway, 21 combined. • Assembled: The Supra is assembled at a BMW facility in Graz, Austria. • Crash test ratings: Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have tested the GR Supra as of this writing. • Warranty: three-year/ 36,000-mile bumper to bumper; five-year/60,000-mile drivetrain; two-year/25,000-mile scheduled maintenance.

As you may know, manual transmissions have been dwindling in numbers the past five years, so we were thrilled when a 2023 GR Supra landed at our site with a feisty six-speed that Toyota added to increase the wow factor.

While automatics are tuned to be quicker than stick shifts, it just isn’t the same for a true enthusiast.

The Supra is unmistakable on the road with its exotic style, flirting with a standard Ferrari for tens of thousands less. It’s a thrill to drive, has plenty of thrust and available engineering to keep you on the road or track wanting more.

The Japanese sports car debuted in 1978 known then as a Toyota Celica. The company pulled the plug in 2002 after four generations due to declining sales and poor fuel efficiency. Years later a unique partnership was reached with BMW bringing new life to a fifth generation in mid-2019.

• Pros: hugs the road with oversize rear tires, upgraded cabin materials, great fuel economy.

• Cons: tight quarters, twist and turn entry/exit, side/rear blind spots.

The two-seater, rear-wheel drive Supra is available in four trim levels — 2.0, 3.0, 3.0 Premium and Supra A91-MT — with prices ranging from approximately $43,540 to $57,940. Our test car for the week was the upper-level 3.0 Premium, a mixture of performance and safety equipment that most consumers will want.

The GR Supra can be fitted with a base turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 255 horsepower or the screeching 3.0-liter twin-scroll turbo six with 382 ponies underneath its extended and curvaceous hood. Automatics are also available with the 3.0 series.

Our set of wheels is put together with the underpinnings and numerous parts from a BMW Z4, is assembled at an Austrian BMW plant, and costs thousands less than the Z4.

There are subtle differences between the two, though. The BMW is designed to outperform the Supra with fine tuning in overall ride, steering and braking.

Even with the engineering differences, we found the Supra no slouch in performance and handling traits. Our performance runs clocked the zero to 60 mph sprint in 3.9 seconds, putting it in line with Porsche Cayman GTS, Audi TT and BMW M2.

With aggressive acceleration in cornering, our tester tended to lose some footing with corrective action needed to keep control. That said, Toyota has added an anti-roll program along with sport calibrated electric power steering and adaptive variable sport suspension to keep the Supra under control.

The Premium variant adds a full color heads-up display, a 12-speaker JBL sound system, 8.8-inch touch screen with navigation, blind spot alert, adaptive cruise with pre-collision system including pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning with steering assist and automatic high beams.

If you are familiar with BMW Z4’s interior layout and switchgears, the Supra’s interior will look familiar. Worth noting, purchase comes with a track day for high performance driving and a one-year membership in National Auto Sport Association.