Toyota GR Supra review

Toyota seems fixated on bringing back cars from the dead. The Toyota GR Supra is the third car in its current line-up with a name that appeared to be long-forgotten but has been retrieved from the back of a cupboard, dusted off and glued to the back of a current model.

Like every version before it, it was launched with a brawny, straight-six petrol engine powering the rear wheels, but, in a break with tradition, Toyota has since added a cheaper, smaller, four-cylinder engine to the line up. No manual gearbox is available, just an eight-speed automatic with standard paddle shifters, should you want a bit more driver involvement.

With profit margins on sports cars anorexically thin, Toyota and BMW paired up to share the development costs so the Supra is a lightly disguised BMW Z4. You can tell that most obviously on the inside, with BMW’s iDrive infotainment system centre stage, as well as the litany of BMW switches, stalks and other controls. Toyota has put its own stamp on the Supra with unique styling and bespoke tuning, and being a coupé, not a convertible like the Z4, means the Supra is lighter and stiffer than its cousin.

So, what's the competition if you're in the market for a bit of fun? Well, the Audi TT is a very useable, everyday alternative. For serious petrolheads, the mid-engined Alpine A110 and Porsche 718 Cayman are the handling benchmarks. And if hitting the open road in a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports car tickles your whatnots, then the Jaguar F-Type Coupé is perhaps closest in philosophy to the Supra.

Stick with us and we'll tell you how the Toyota Supra compares with its key rivals, and, ultimately, if you should buy one. And if you do decide to buy a Supra, or indeed any other sports car, head over to our New Car Buying service to find out how much you could save on the brochure price.